One of the key methodological innovations in the 2005 Colombian General Census was the selection of qualified staff to serve as paid interviewers in contrast to the previous census where interviewers had been high school students performing an unpaid civic duty. This paper will describe the selection and training process of the interviewers, and will establish the positive impact that it has generated in the local communities.

With regards to technological tools used during the General Census, Colombia was at the forefront of innovation. From CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal interviewing) to geo-coding and local data warehouses, Colombia demonstrated how powerful the integrated use of technology in national censuses can be. This paper will explore the advantages of using CAPI over PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interviewing), as well as the new possibilities for dynamic data searches.

Paper presented at the Satellite Meeting on Innovative Methodologies for Censuses in the New Millennium of the 56th Session of the ISI, Lisboa, 31 August - 2 September 2007.