The Central census office will be located within the NSO in Waigani. The NSO is the agency with the responsibility for conducting censuses. However, the NSO has no field structure below the national level. Whilst provincial arrangements are organised, the lack of accountability to the national statistician for performances does not permit sufficient control. Difficulties in transportation of census forms and field-staff to different parts of the country and returning them has played havoc with the processing schedules and the eventual release of information.
Coordination therefore is a key aspect of ensuring a successful census.
It is assumed that the government will find funds to cover the essential local costs while much of the donor costs be used in the form of technical assistance. In parallel a large number of government agencies and NGOs in PNG would be asked for their input. The information from the 2000 census will provide the basis for planning for the next decade marking the new millennium. A rapid growth in the demand for social and economic data has occurred, particularly at very low levels of aggregation. This has been reinforced by the passage of the Organic Law devolving specific responsibilities to provinces, district and LLGs.