Census 2021 Processing System

Tender description

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) invites tenders for the provision of a Census Processing System for the 2021 Census to include the following services: a) the typesetting and printing of the 2021 Census questionnaires; b) the design, development, installation, and testing of a Census processing system that delivers similar end to end functionality as the processing system developed for the 2016 Census; c) the provision of the necessary technical infrastructure (servers; scanners; network components; thin clients etc.) including their build, installation, testing and commissioning in the Contracting Authority’s Swords office; d) the provision of training services; system maintenance; and dedicated onsite support (including system and infrastructure) during the testing and operational phases. e) the integration with a new digital Enumerator Record Book (ERB) application or alternatively typesetting and printing of the paper ERB. In the 2016 Census, the ERB was a scannable paper booklet that was supplied to field staff to allow them to record information about each dwelling in their area in a structured way. In 2018, a prototype smartphone application (the digital ERB) was tested within the Census Pilot. Following the successful trial of the digital ERB, the Contracting Authority is currently preparing a procurement competition to contract a provider for the digital ERB solution for the 2021 Census. The procurements are linked as data captured in the digital ERB will flow into the Processing System. The procurement for the digital ERB will not be completed until after this Tender has been awarded. While it is expected that the most likely option for the ERB will be a digital ERB, both options for the ERB (paper and digital) will be assessed within this Tender.