1. How the Lessons Learned from Using Handhelds in the 2010 Census Impacts the Use of Technology in the 2020 Census
Arona L. Pistiner
Deirdre Dalpiaz Bishop U.S. Census Bureau United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Conference of European Statisticians Workshop on Population and Housing Censuses Palais des Nations, Geneva September 2016

2. Presentation Overview
A High-level View of Handhelds in the 2010 Census
Lessons Learned from Our 2010 Census Handheld Experience
Planning and Implementing the 2020 Census
Technology in the 2020 Census
Summary
Background Information:
A Brief History of the United States Census
Goals of the 2010 Census
Acquisition Lessons Learned

3. The 2010 Census Design Short-form Only American Community Survey
MAF/TIGER Accuracy Improvement

4. The 2010 Census Use of Handhelds

5. The 2010 Census Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA)
Part of overall efforts to modernize and create a more efficient 2010 Census
Early plans were to reduce the number of field staff and amount of paper needed for the Census
Planned to use handhelds for address canvassing and nonresponse followup (NRFU)
Create a custom devise to:
Capture GPS Coordinates
Verifying status of housing units (vacant or occupied)
Updating enumerator assignments
Time and expense (payroll) information
In the 2004 Census Test, the Census Bureau built prototypes used for interviewing
However, the Census Bureau concluded that we lacked “the expertise and experience to continue developing these systems on our own for the 2010 Census”
That lead us to consider out-sourcing options

6. The 2010 Census FDCA Contract
Contracting steps
January 2005 – established FDCA Project Management Office (PMO)
Goal – “to facilitate and support our field staff’s collection of high quality census data in an efficient and cost-effective manner”
March 2006 – awarded contract

7. The 2010 Census 2006 Census Test
Focused on determining the operational feasibility of automating address canvassing and NRFU
Used to identify requirements for contractor designed handhelds
Address Canvassing Results – Overall, worked well, except for:
Some lost data
Freezing while switching between functions
GPS function worked slowly and incorrect GPS coordinates were possibly assigned
NRFU Results
99 percent of data transmission successful
Software problems mainly related to payroll
Oversight groups concerned because the next test was not until the 2008 Dress Rehearsal

8. The 2010 Census 2008 Dress Rehearsal
First major test of contractor-built handhelds
Uncovered a number of issues
Questions from Congress about the status, cost, and risks surrounding the handhelds
Mounting pressure from the press, questioning the capabilities of the handhelds
March 2007 – independent assessment of FDCA program undertaken and a risk reduction Task Force established
In February 2008, Task Force recommended continuing to implement a contractor-based automated address canvassing solution and Census Bureau designed paper NRFU

9. The 2010 Census Outcomes Using Handhelds
Did not end up using devices as originally planned
Handhelds were successfully used for Address Canvassing
Did achieve efficiencies in the operation and in getting cost and progress data
Using handhelds changed how we recruit field staff, train them, how help is provided to staff (use of a help desk)
Changed the timeline for operations

10. The 2010 Census FDCA Lessons Learned
Training is not expertise, experience is expertise
You cannot avert risk through contracting
Requirements must be well thought out, early
Trend seekers beware, just because it is the current trend does not mean it is right for you
Reuse of hardware
Just in case, the need for contingency planning
Don’t leap, jump into technology
Let your conscience show you the path
* More lessons learned in the background slides

11. The 2010 Census Lessons Learned that Impacted the 2020 Census Design
Need to rethink service provider
2010 provider only covered about 80 percent of the United States
Some areas still used dial-up connectivity – issues for automatic syncing of GPS coordinates
Develop device-agnostic mobile applications
Use the application on any type of mobile device
Agile development with quick prototyping
Testing to address the requirements issues in 2010
Project Management Office should include an acquisitions team
All IT projects and contractors will follow enterprise software development lifecycle models

12. The 2020 Census

13. The 2020 Census Goals and Key Innovation Areas
Overarching Goal: To count everyone once, only once, and in the right place Challenge Goal: Conduct a 2020 Census at a lower cost per housing unit (adjusted for inflation) than the 2010 Census, while maintaining high quality results Focus on Four Key Innovation Areas
Reengineering Address Canvassing
Optimizing Self-Response
Utilizing Administrative Records and Third-Party Data
Reengineering Field Operations

14. The 2020 Census: Establish Where to Count Reengineering Address Canvassing
Reduce the nationwide In-Field Address Canvassing by developing innovative methodologies for updating and maintaining the Census Bureau’s address list and spatial database throughout the decade.
In-Office Address Canvassing
Continual Research and Updating
Ongoing Process for In-Office Canvassing
In-Field Address Canvassing
Address List and Spatial Database
Where Should We Start?

15. The 2020 Census: Establish Where to Count In-Office Address Canvassing15

16. The 2020 Census: Establish Where to Count In-Field Address Canvassing
This slide contains test data.

17. The 2020 Census: Motivate People to Respond Optimizing Self-Response
Generate the largest possible self-response, reducing the number of households requiring follow-up.

18. The 2020 Census: Motivate People to Respond Optimizing Self-Response Outreach, Advertising, and Promotion 18

19. The 2020 Census: Count the Population Internet Self-Response Screen Shots19
This slide contains test data.

20. The 2020 Census: Count the Population Non-ID Screen Shots
This slide contains test data.

21. The 2020 Census: Count the Population Reengineering Field Operations
Use technology to more efficiently and effectively manage the 2020 Census fieldwork.
Streamlined Office and Staffing Structure
Automated and optimized work assignments
Automated recruiting, training, payroll and expense reporting
Ability to conduct address updates and enumeration on same device
Reduced paper and manual processing
Area Manager of Operations
Census Field Managers
Census Field Supervisors
Listers and Enumerators
Increased use of
Technology
Increased visibility into case status for improved workforce management
Redesigned quality assurance operations
Improved communications
Increased Management and Staff Productivity

22. The 2020 Census: Count the Population Operational Control and Enumeration
Operational Control System
Enumeration 22
This slide contains test data.

23. The 2020 Census: Count the Population Utilizing Administrative Records and Third-Party Data
Use information people have already provided to reduce expensive in-person follow-up.
Improve the Quality of the Address List
Validate incoming data from federal, tribal, state, and local governments
Update the address list
Increase Effectiveness of Advertising and Contact Strategies
Support the micro-targeted advertising campaign
Create the contact frame
(e.g., addresses and telephone numbers)
Validate Respondent Submissions
Validate respondent addresses for those without a Census ID and prevent fraudulent submissions
Reduce Field Workload for Followup Activities
Remove vacant and nonresponding occupied housing units from the
nonresponse followup workload
Optimize the number of contact attempts

24. The 2020 Census A New Design for the 21st Century

25. Thank you

26. Background Slides

27. The U.S. Decennial Census A Brief History
Under the direction of then Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, the first U.S. Census began on August 2, 1790, and was to be completed by April 1791
The total population was 3,929,214
The United States Constitution requires that a census be conducted every 10 years to apportion the United States House of Representatives
The Decennial Census is the largest peacetime activity the United States Federal Government undertakes
Census will count all persons living in the United States on April 1 of the year ending in “0”
Census results (including those from the American Community Survey) directly affect how federal funding is allocated to state, local, and tribal governments

28. The U.S. Decennial Census Background
1940 – First Census to use advanced sampling techniques, including probability sampling
1950 – First Post Enumeration Survey Conducted
1951 – Installed the UNIVAC I (for Universal Automatic Computer)
1960 – First use of mail-out/mail back
1970 – First address register and use of short and long forms
Starting with the 2010 Census, we use only a short-form
Long-form data are collected using the American Community Survey (ACS), a continuous measurement survey

29. The 2010 Census By the Numbers
3 – Data capture centers
6 – Number of different languages for which questionnaires were available
10 – Minutes for the average household to complete 10 simple questions on the census form
13 – Number of years in a Census lifecycle, from 2000 to 2013 to start and finish the 2010 Census
44 – Number of operations, plus a Post-Enumeration Survey, and 100 evaluations and assessments
59 – Different languages for which Language Assistance Guides were available
435 – Number of US House of Representative Seats apportioned according to Census data
494 – Local Census offices
30,000 – Questionnaire assistance center sites
213,000 – Number of organizations that we formed partnerships with to help get messaging to complete and mail back census forms
More than $400 Billion – Federal funds distributed each year to states and communities based, in part, on census data

30. Acquisition Management Lessons Learned
Ensure Project Managers have the required skills to manage a project successful to accomplish established objectives
Stakeholder identification (with roles and responsibilities) and early engagement
Formal cost analysis and estimating guidelines, policies, processes, tools and techniques
Budget requests based on rigorous, well-substantiated cost estimate with independent verification
Transparent reporting system to appropriately track and report spending to oversight groups
Award contract to vendors whose past experience demonstrates desired level of subject matter expertise and willingness to work collaboratively with the government
Requirements development and management begin at program pre-formulation and follow through-out the lifecycle
Ensure clear and comprehensive requirements review and baseline process