The usefulness of the census depends primarily on the accuracy of the data it produces, and here citizens' cooperation becomes a fundamental factor in its success. Modern technologies and field preparations, no matter how important, are not enough on their own if they are not met with a positive response from families and accuracy in providing information. It should be emphasized that any hesitation in dealing with census staff should not be viewed as a refusal to cooperate; the reason may be due to not knowing the purpose of some questions and understanding their reasons, concern about the confidentiality of information, or simply a failure to realize the connection between the data provided by the family and the decisions taken by the state that affect its life and society.
Here lies the importance of making the purpose of the census clear to the people. A citizen's answer to questions regarding their family becomes more meaningful when they know that the data collected from various parts of the Kingdom helps identify where the need for a school or health center is increasing, where housing and transportation patterns are changing, where infrastructure needs to expand, and what transformations cities and governorates are witnessing. Every family that provides its information contributes to building a more accurate knowledge of reality as it is for the official, not as we assume it to be. The more the citizen realizes the connection between the information they provide and the planning that benefits from them, the more their participation becomes linked to a clear goal that goes beyond merely completing the census requirements.
Willingness to cooperate is also linked to the extent of the citizen's knowledge of what awaits them when conducting the census. Their prior knowledge of the nature of the required information, the time the process takes, how to maintain data confidentiality, and verifying the identity of the field researcher reduces the questions that may cross their mind and makes them more willing to cooperate. Added to this is the option of electronic self-filling through the "Sanad" application, which gives families another way to complete the census. The clearer and easier the requirement, the more likely it is to be done.
During the census period, participation figures themselves can become an encouraging factor for further cooperation. Publishing accurate figures periodically showing the number of families that have completed the census up to that time allows people to know that large numbers of families across the Kingdom have already participated. Humans are often influenced by what they see prevalent around them, and when they see others cooperating with the census, the matter becomes more customary, reinforcing the feeling that it is a national effort in which everyone participates, rather than just a procedure carried out by an official body.
The census is not merely a statistical operation that ends with the announcement of the population size, but rather a tool that helps understand society's needs and prepare for them. The more accurate its data is, the closer the decisions based upon it become to reality. Hence, its success does not depend on the quality of preparation and execution alone, but on the cooperation of the people and their understanding of the importance of the information they provide, because better planning for the future begins with a more accurate knowledge of the present.
