2010 Census Plans For Decennial Census Operations And Technology Have Progressed But Much Uncertainty Remains

2010 Census: Plans for Decennial Census Operations and Technology Have Progressed, But Much Uncertainty Remains

On April 3, 2008, the Sec. of Commerce announced significant changes to how the Census Bureau would conduct non-response follow-up, in which census workers interview households that do not return census forms for the 2010 decennial census, and to its Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) contract. The Bureau has since issued a redesigned plan to conduct a paper-based follow-up operation, a 2010 Census project schedule, and is working on revising the FDCA contract. These are major changes late in the decennial census cycle. This testimony discusses: (1) the Bureau¿s plans for conducting a paper-based non-response follow-up operation; (2) mgmt. of the FDCA contract and its latest cost estimate; and (3) the status of the 2010 project schedule.

2010 Census: Little Time Remains to Address Operational Challenges

The Census Bureau has insufficient policies and procedures and inadequately trained staff for conducting high-quality cost estimation for the decennial census. Lacking plans for the development of both non-response follow-up and the management system, the Bureau faces the risk of not having them developed and fully tested in time for the 2010 Census. The Bureau faces long-standing challenges with the nation's linguistic diversity and privacy concerns, which can contribute to the under-counting of some groups. With just over a year remaining until Census Day, uncertainties surround the Bureau's overall readiness for 2010. Illustrations.

Status of the 2010 Census Operations