Mr. Speaker, the estimated costs incurred to independently assess the census test operations total $187,500. Of this amount, information technology and physical security assessment costs, from areas independent to the census operations but within Statistics Canada, totalled $12,500. Assessments external to the agency totalled the balance, $175,000.
The estimated costs associated with the de-scoping of the contract with Lockheed Martin for the 2004 census test totalled $70,000. Given that the contract was structured in three phases, and that the third phase of the de-scoped contract with Lockheed Martin was finalized separately and after Statistics Canada's conduct of the census test, there are no additional contractual costs for the 2006 census.
As a result of the decision to reduce the scope of the outsourcing contract, Statistics Canada will conduct all processing activities in Government of Canada facilities with Statistics Canada employees hired under the Public Service Employment Act. Under the original outsourcing plans, processing costs would have been $11 million lower than under the de-scoped contract because of differences in wage rates, performance related compensation, benefits and overheads.
However, the data processing costs under the de-scoped contract will still be some $3 million less than if the 2001 census data processing approach had been repeated in 2006.
The 2006 processing approach is part of major methodological changes to how the census is conducted. The new approach to conducting the 2006 census is a reaction to a number of opportunities and pressures that have been built over the past two censuses. Detailed evaluations had indicated that given the tight timeframes involved in running the 2004 census test and the actual 2006 census, these changes would not have been possible without leveraging on existing private sector expertise. Repeating the 2001 approach was not a viable alternative because it would not have dealt with the privacy issues associated with the use of local enumerators, the need to provide a totally secure Internet option and the need to replace a manual data entry process.