1 Developing A Quality Assurance Program For The US Census Bureau’s Business Register David. D. Chapman US CENSUS BUREAU 1
What I Want to Talk About Overview Business Register Quality Team Team Projects Recommendations Lessons Learned
OVERVIEW US Census Bureau Economic Area Business Register
Business Register Purpose “to served as a comprehensive central source of list frames for the business censuses and surveys”
Secondary Purposes Central Administrative Record Repository Central facilit y (data and services) Data Source for County Business Pattern and Nonemployer Tabulations Source of Data for Economic Research and Custom Tabulations
Statistical Universes Employer Identification Number (EIN) Social Security Number (SSN) Employer Units Survey Units
Business Register Quality Team Purpose Membership Oversight Projects
Team Purpose “… to develop a plan that ensures the continuous quality, reliability, and integrity of all business register processes, information, and products.”
Team Membership BR Designers/Managers BR Programmers BR Users Quality and Process Improvement Staff
Team Oversight Team Leader ADC Research and Methodology Chief, Economic Planning and Coordination Division Steering Group Census Managers
Team Projects Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
13 Transition To New Business Register Coverage Compare Data Values Anecdotal Comments Critical Variables
Team Projects Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
15 Admin Records Processing Team examined the current system for administrative records processing and recommended changes
16 Admin Records Sub-team Recommendations Create Centralized Admin Record Tracking System Systematic Review of Post-Processing Admin Record QA Increase Focus on Key Business Register Variables Standardize and Automate QA Reports
Team Projects Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
Current Survey Use of Business Register What do programs need from BR? Looked at three(3) Surveys Business Sample Revision (BSR) Annual Capital Expenditures (ACES) Industrial Research and Development (IRDS)
Current Survey Requirements Each survey documented use Purpose to identify similarities and differences in use of BR Great differences in detail, definitions, and terminology Difficulty in consolidating information
Team Projects Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
Identify Customer Problems Focus Group versus Questionnaire Focus Groups with BR Users Different Surveys – Different Jobs Focus Group – 12 people – two hours
22 Focus Group Comments Two Types of Comments Quality Management
23 Comments on Quality More Accurate and Timely Contact Information Add 2002 Economic Census and Current Survey Data to Business Register Mergers and Acquisition / Company Structure “BAD” data
24 Comments on Management Communication Documentation Training Interactive Use of the Business Register Management
Team Projects Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Make Recommendations
26 Determining Final Recommendations Reviewed Individual Recommendations Consolidate Recommendations Added New Recommendations Created Final List Ranked Entries on Final List By: Importance Difficulty Final Set of Recommendations
27 Recommendations Short Term (Next 6 Months) Administrative Records Administrative Record Repository “Wrap-Up” Edit Business Register Quality Checks
28 Recommendations Long Term (Over 6 Months) Identify a clear list of activities associated with Business Register QA plan Problem / Issues Log Annual Meeting with Customers Periodic Audit of Business Register Processes and QA plan Monitor Quality of key variables Monthly Analytical Tables Identify Current State of Business Register Determine Trends and emerging problems
29 Lessons Learned
30 Lessons Learned 1.Project was too “BIG”
31 Lessons Learned 2.“You can get a lot done when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
32 Lessons Learned 3.All quality problems are management problems.
33 Lessons Learned 4.Introducing a “Quality” approach is a wearing experience.
34 Lessons Learned 5.Team members should be accountable for their work. The team should be blend of junior staff and enlightened senior staff
35 Lessons Learned 6.Need for both Technical Documentation and Management Documentation
36 Lessons Learned 7.Focus Groups are worth the effort
37 Lessons Learned 8.Similar processes in different programs should be documented with common format and common definitions
38 Questions?