INE – Censos 2021 | Public Administration

Census 2021 – INE (National Statistics Institute of Portugal)

Public Administration

ASP.NET MVC, Azure Notifications Hub, Xamarin, Oracle DB

Context and Goal‍

The National Statistics Institute (INE) identified the need to digitise its operational processes, making the statistical survey of the Portuguese population faster, more secure, and more efficient. Following an initial proof-of-concept in 2018, which involved field testing of mobile applications and online forms, the INE launched the comprehensive digital transformation project of the 2021 Census.

Challenges

• Modernising processes traditionally carried out manually and on paper, while ensuring accuracy and nationwide coverage.
• Integrating multiple tools into a coherent system covering the entire census lifecycle.
• Supporting a large-scale operation involving thousands of enumerators and millions of citizens.

Solution‍

Over 6,000 hours of analysis and implementation, the agap2IT team developed a fully integrated digital ecosystem that included:

• Online recruitment of census enumerators.
• Mobile application for accommodation registration, building mapping, and distribution of PIN letters.
• Online forms accessible to the entire population, enabling remote submission.
• Control and monitoring tools to ensure transparency and reliability throughout the operation.
• An additional mobile application for the team responsible for data quality assessment, deployed in the field after the main census operation.

Results and Impact

• The first fully digital Census in Portugal, marking a historic milestone in public administration modernisation.
• Significant improvements in efficiency and speed of data collection and processing.
• Substantial reduction in paper usage and operational costs.
• Enhanced accuracy and transparency, strengthening public trust in the census process.

‍

‍

‍