Census Field Operations Gail Leithauser, Assistant Division Chief Field Division U.S. Census Bureau SDC National Annual Training Conference Suitland, MD October 14-16, 2009

2 Major Census Operations Address List Development Group Quarters Enumeration Household Enumeration and Coverage

3 Address List Development Local Update of Census Addresses Address Canvassing Group Quarters Validation Update/Leave Major Census Operations

4 Group Quarters Enumeration Group Quarters Advance Visit Group Quarters Enumeration –Service-Based –Military –Group Quarters Major Census Operations

5 Household Enumeration and Coverage Update/Enumerate Enumeration at Transitory Locations Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) NRFU Reinterview NRFU Vacant/Delete Check Field Verification Major Census Operations

6 Questionnaire Delivery Questionnaires are delivered or mailed to all housing units in March 2010 February Advance Letter for Update/Leave (U/L) March 1 - April 2 – Questionnaires delivered in U/L areas March Advance Letter for Mail Out areas March Questionnaires delivered in Mail-out/Mail-Back areas March Reminder Postcard APRIL 1, CENSUS DAY April 1-3 – Blanket Replacement Questionnaire delivered April 5-8 – Targeted Replacement Questionnaire delivered

7 Major Operations on a Timeline Major Operations on a Timeline

8 Address List Development Overview Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Provides an opportunity for local and tribal governments to share and/or compare their address lists with the Census address list Over 8,000 governmental units participated LUCA updates were verified in Address Canvassing operation Currently preparing LUCA feedback for participants

9 Address List Development Overview Address Canvassing National workload = about 144 million addresses Conducted in 151 Early Local Census Offices (ELCOs) Listers used Hand-Held Computers (HHCs) to canvass and update existing addresses, add newly identified living quarters, update map features, and attempt to collect GPS map spots for all living quarters Listers coded living quarters that appear to be group quarters or living quarters other than a housing unit as ‘other living quarters’ (OLQs). Began in field on March 30. Completed on July 10, 2009

10 Address List Development Overview Group Quarters Validation (GQV) National workload = around 2 million OLQs (identified by AC and those currently identified as GQs) We expect about 300,000 Group Quarters to be identified. GQV listers classify each OLQ address as group quarters (GQ), or housing unit (HU), or transitory location, or not living quarters. We began field work in 151 ELCOs on September 28 and expect to conclude October 23, 2009

11 Address List Development Overview Update/Leave (U/L) National workload = 13 million HUs (includes stateside, Puerto Rico, and Katrina areas) U/L listers update the Census Bureau address list and maps and leave a pre-labeled census questionnaire at each housing unit for mailback. Listers add new housing units and hand label questionnaires for drop off at all added units. Will be conducted in Local Census Offices March 1 – April 2, 2010

12 Groups Quarters Enumeration Overview Group Quarters Advance Visit (GQAV) National workload = 300,000 GQs Visit each GQ to verify information for GQs, discuss upcoming GQ enumeration operations, and address privacy, confidentiality, and security concerns and issues. Arrange for a date of enumeration at each facility. Will be conducted February 1 – March 19, 2010

13 Groups Quarters Enumeration Overview Group Quarters Enumeration (GQE) National workload = 270,000 GQs Includes Service-Based Enumeration (SBE) - Three-day operation to enumerate people experiencing homelessness who may be missed in the enumeration of housing units and group quarters. SBE include shelters (including those in hotels and motels), soup kitchens and regular scheduled stops of mobile food vans Targeted non-sheltered outdoor locations Group Quarters enumeration will be conducted April 1 – May 14, 2010; SBE will be conducted March 29 – 31, 2010

14 Groups Quarters Enumeration Overview Military GQ enumeration – Conducted by military base personnel trained by LCO. Military GQs include barracks, dormitories, military treatment facilities, and disciplinary barracks and jails. Designated base personnel distribute Military Census Reports (MCRs) and then pick up the completed forms a few days later for Census to pick up. Conducted April 1 – May 14, 2010

15 Update/Enumerate National workload = 1.6 million HUs Conducted primarily on American Indian reservations, colonias, or in resort areas with high concentrations of seasonally vacant living quarters. Enumerators canvass, update addresses and maps, and conduct personal interview with residents at each housing unit, using a paper questionnaire. Will be conducted March 22 – May 29, 2010 Household Enumeration Enumeration Overview

16 Household Enumeration Overview Enumeration at Transitory Locations Estimated workload about 30,000 locations Enumerates individuals who do not have a Usual Home Elsewhere (UHE) Includes RV parks, campgrounds, hotels, motels, marinas, racetracks, circuses, and carnivals The person’s residence (RV, boat, hotel room, and so on) will be considered a housing unit at that location. Will be conducted March 19 – April 12, 2010

17 Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) National workload = about 48 million HUs (assumes 64% mail response rate) Largest of all enumeration operations in workload, staff, and cost Workload cases -- Addresses with no mail return questionnaires Enumerators visit each followup address, determine the status as of Census Day (occupied, vacant, or delete), and complete a paper questionnaire (questionnaires are also completed for additional HUs that enumerators discover while interviewing) Will include a sample reinterview operation Will be conducted May 1 – July 27, 2010 Household Enumeration Overview

18 Significant Advancement for 2010 One automated Late Mail Return (LMRs) removal plus 2 clerical removals of LMRs Replacement mailing strategy Capture full names for Person 1 from respondent questionnaires Automated and clerical matching for NRFU reinterview.

19 NRFU Vacant/Delete Check National workload = 10 – 12 million HUs Independent followup – begins within two weeks after NRFU is completed in each LCO Workload cases -- Addresses classified as vacant or delete during NRFU and cases added since the NRFU universe was initially identified, (non-responding Update/Leave adds, new construction, DSF adds, and LUCA appeals) Will be conducted July 24 – August 25, 2010 Household Enumeration Overview

20 Other Field Operations Remote Alaska Enumeration –Special data collection methods for enumerating villages in remote areas of Alaska. –Conducted in three waves before the spring thaw – 01/25/10 through 04/30/10 Field Verification –Verifies the existence of respondent provided housing unit “adds” made to the census address inventory during the Be Counted and TQA operations –Verifies potential duplicate housing units –National workload = 400,000 HUs –Conducted 07/23/10 to 08/25/10

21 Operational Dependencies Address Canvassing Updated addresses Updated map features, map spots, and GPS coordinates ‘Other Living Quarters’ identified Update MAF/TIGER Labeling/mail out and U/L delivery of questionnaires LUCA Feedback Group Quarters Validation

22 Operational Dependencies Group Quarters Validation OLQs classified as: ETLs GQs OLQs classified as HUs OLQs classified as No LQs Update MAF/TIGER GQs to GQ Enumeration Universe Group Quarters Enumeration ETLs to ETL Universe ETL HUs to HU Enumeration Universe U/ENRFU

23 Operational Dependencies Update/Leave HU adds and address updates Updated map features and map spots HU deletes Update MAF/TIGER Nonresponse Cases in U/L areas NRFU Nonresponding U/L Adds NRFU VDC

24 Operational Dependencies Nonresponse Followup HU adds Enter map spots for HU adds HU vacants/deletes Update MAF/TIGER Vacant/Delete Universe Created NRFU VDC Supplemental NRFU cases

25 Recruitment Efforts Partnership Efforts Language Assistance Administrative Support – Personnel and Payroll Processing Geographic Support Critical Support Operations for Field Activities

26 Q and A and Open Discussion