Jordan Population and Housing Census | Integrated Digital Platform

The Jordan Population and Housing Census is a large-scale national project aimed at building an integrated digital platform that manages all census stages within a unified operational environment, starting with field listing and building numbering, continuing through population data collection, and ending with processing, coding, publishing, and data dissemination. The project is designed to produce comprehensive and accurate population and statistical databases that support national planning and decision-making, while shifting census implementation from traditional methods to a digital framework that combines field operations, operational management, quality control, and integration with geographic and statistical data. The project is currently in progress, and it has already entered the nationwide field listing stage following the successful completion of the pilot listing phase.

Project Facts

Project Name: Integrated Digital Platform for Jordan Population and Housing Census
Project Duration: 12 months
Implementation Period: December 2025 to December 2026
Sector: Government – National Statistics and Planning
Client: Jordan Department of Statistics
Implemented By: Advanced Software Company (Real Soft) in cooperation with Orange Jordan
Provided Solutions and Services: Design, development, supply, operation, and training of the integrated software platform for the census
Objective: Build comprehensive and accurate population and statistical databases that support national planning processes
Target End Result: An integrated digital platform covering all census stages from listing through publishing and dissemination

Challenges and Drivers

The project was initiated in response to the requirements of a national statistical program that needs full geographic coverage across all parts of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan without exception, within a single digital framework that links all census stages and ensures smooth and accurate execution.

There was also a clear need to integrate with multiple government administrative records, such as civil status records, social security records, and health insurance records, in addition to protecting personal data in accordance with international standards and Jordanian data protection law. Together, these requirements created the basis for adopting an integrated technical solution capable of supporting census implementation efficiently and transparently while enhancing data quality and structured accessibility.

Proposed Solution and Implementation Methodology

Real Soft adopted a phased and structured implementation methodology that began with a comprehensive analysis of the Department of Statistics’ requirements, followed by the design of the technical solution based on the Al-Khwarizmi platform as the core foundation of the overall system.

The project was divided into 15 sequential implementation stages covering:

Project kickoff and team preparation
Planning and preparation
Hosting environment setup
Requirements documentation
Geographic and statistical data preparation
Development of listing and enumeration forms and applications
Pilot testing phases
Listing and enumeration stages
Data review and processing
Publishing and dissemination
Ongoing technical support

Twelve specialized teams are involved in delivery, including project management, software development, DevOps, geographic information systems, databases, infrastructure, networks, technical support, and training. The project also follows an incremental development approach for each component through four successive versions: an initial version for internal testing, a training version, a near-final version for pilot implementation, and a final version for live operation.

Digital Platform Components

The project consists of an interconnected set of technical components operating within a single operational architecture, enabling the management of the Jordan Population and Housing Census from listing through dissemination.

Al-Khwarizmi Platform

The Al-Khwarizmi platform is the core foundation of the system. It is used to build smart electronic forms supported by geographic maps, together with a dynamic validation rules engine that verifies data accuracy and consistency during collection.

Field Operations and Operations Room Systems

The platform includes a field operations management system for task assignment and progress tracking, as well as an operations room system supported by business intelligence technologies for real-time monitoring of performance and productivity indicators. It also includes a call center system for quality support and technical assistance.

Self-Enumeration and Data Processing

The system also includes a self-enumeration module that allows households to participate electronically through the internet, in addition to a data processing and coding system supported by artificial intelligence technologies, and a smart data portal that converts text-based queries into interactive statistical reports.

Technologies Used

The project’s technical architecture is based on an integrated set of technologies and platforms designed to ensure high performance, security, and reliability, including:

Central Databases: Oracle Database and KVM
Tablet Databases: SQL Lite with encryption and password protection
Geographic Information Systems: ArcGIS / ESRI with aerial imagery and reference layers
Business Intelligence and Reporting: Microsoft Power BI and SQL Server
Remote Device Management: Remote management of tablets and secure file transfer
Infrastructure: Virtual servers, shared storage units, and AD, DNS, NTP, and SSL services
Connectivity and Networks: VPN for offices and APN for tablets through Orange
Data Exchange: Flexible ETL system supporting API, Batch, Web Service, and File Exchange
Artificial Intelligence: Data portal using NLP to SQL and automated coding through machine learning
Information Security: Data encryption, firewalls, penetration testing, and ISO 27001 and GDPR standards
Project Management: PMI methodology with MS Project and a performance platform for task and project management

Project Value

The project represents a major shift from the traditional approach to a digital census platform that improves efficiency, speed, and accuracy across execution, processing, and monitoring activities.

Electronic forms supported by a dynamic validation rules engine enable real-time verification of data accuracy during field collection, reducing the need for later review and correction. A multi-option synchronization mechanism allows field data to be transferred to central databases in real time, eliminating waiting periods typically associated with traditional data entry methods.

The operations room further supports census management through interactive dashboards that allow real-time monitoring of field progress and immediate corrective action when needed. From a user perspective, the self-enumeration module gives households an online participation channel without requiring a field researcher visit, helping improve participation while respecting household privacy.

The project also strengthens governance and transparency through full tracking of data flows and a multi-level permissions system that ensures role-based access, while maintaining compliance with international data protection standards and Jordanian personal data protection law. In addition, the project includes a national capacity-building dimension through comprehensive training programs and detailed documentation that support the Department of Statistics’ teams in managing similar projects in the future.

Implementation Progress and Preliminary Indicators

The project is currently in progress. The pilot listing phase has been successfully completed, and the nationwide field listing stage has already started. The pilot phase, conducted between December 31, 2025 and February 15, 2026, produced preliminary indicators confirming the readiness of the technical and field platform.

Key preliminary indicators include:

98% overall completion rate for the pilot phase
142 activities distributed across 10 work streams
34 working days for the pilot phase duration
15 specialized teams involved in implementation
4 successive versions of the developed form: initial, training, near-final, and final
2 consecutive field pilots with evaluation and improvement between them
100% completion of the hosting environment setup
100% completion of form and application development
100% completion of systems installation

Future recommendations include completing training for the development team on indicators and reporting systems during the early stages of live listing, strengthening field follow-up through interactive operations room reporting, and preparing early for the enumeration phase by designing enumeration forms in parallel with listing execution. The platform’s flexible technical architecture also creates opportunities for a second phase that may include expanding the AI-enabled smart data portal, deepening integration with government administrative records, and developing more advanced analysis tools to support public policy.

Key Milestones

The project has gone through several major milestones since implementation began, summarized as follows:

Main Implementation Stages

Project kickoff, team preparation, and governance matrix approval on December 31, 2025
Planning, preparation, and infrastructure setup during January 2026
Functional and technical requirements documentation and analysis during January 2026
Geographic data preparation and publication on the technical platform during January 2026
Development of listing forms and applications from December 2025 to February 2026
Installation of systems and applications on hosting environments during January and February 2026
Delivery of comprehensive training programs across four levels during January and February 2026
First pilot listing phase from February 1 to February 5, 2026
Second pilot listing phase with improvements from February 8 to February 15, 2026
Preparation of live databases and final applications on February 15, 2026

Current Project Status

Live Listing Phase: In progress from February to May 2026 across the Kingdom
Technical Support and Monitoring: Ongoing in parallel with field operations
Planned Next Stages: Development of enumeration forms and applications, pilot enumeration phase, live enumeration phase, data review and processing, publishing and dissemination, followed by technical support and maintenance

Real Soft Reference Experience

Real Soft’s delivery of this project is supported by extensive experience in censuses and statistical surveys dating back to 2001, including census-related projects in Iraq, Palestine, Ajman, Jordan, Sharjah, Oman, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Libya, and Kuwait, in addition to Aqaba’s comprehensive census in Jordan in 2024.

The documented reference experience also includes the first handheld-based population census in Oman in 2003, the first handheld-based agricultural census in Oman in 2005, and the implementation of three separate censuses in 2010 across Oman, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.

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Integrated Digital Platform for Jordan Population and Housing Census