1. Census Operations Part 4: Nonresponse Follow-Up
June 12, 2019

2. Census Counts Campaign
Collaborative campaign with more than 15 national partners
Community based organizations in more than 30 states
Resources and information sharing at censuscounts.org

5. Terri Ann Lowenthal Census Consultant

6. Terri Ann Lowenthal Consultant

7. NRFU … pronounced “Ner-foo”
NRFU: WHAT IS IT?
NRFU … pronounced “Ner-foo”
GOAL: Get to 100%
Second major phase of household enumeration
Purpose of operation:
Collect data from households (occupied housing units) that didn’t self-respond
Identify housing units on address list that are vacant or non-existent (“delete” units)

8. NRFU universe
To start: Addresses on the master address list (MAF) from which the Census Bureau didn’t receive a questionnaire by internet, telephone (CQA), or paper by April 30 (earlier for “college towns”), except for Update/Enumerate areas
Minus … households that self-respond after April 30th will be removed in “real time” from NRFU caseload
Plus … when feasible, identify (and enumerate) living quarters that aren’t on the master address list but are “found” during field operations

9. STARTS May 13th* ENDS July 31st**
NRFU TIMING
STARTS May 13th* ENDS July 31st**
“EARLY NRFU” starts April 9th in neighborhoods with large off-campus college student populations
** End date is somewhat flexible (give or take)
Field supervisor training: starts March 10th
Enumerator training: starts March 27th

10. NRFU LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
Bilingual enumerators where needed and available
Enumerators will have “language cards” with messages in the 59 non-English languages for which instruction guides are available, to determine if a household needs help in another language to complete an interview or self-respond.
Go to for list of languages.

11. NRFU OPERATIONS: VACANT UNITS
ALL housing units that don’t self-respond  at least one visit from census taker!
Vacant and “nonexistent” housing units identified using U.S. Postal Service “Undeliverable As Addressed” (UAA) file
If identified as UAA vacant/delete, enumerator will look for signs of occupancy; if possibly occupied, will move address to NRFU list for additional visits

12. NRFU OPERATIONS: OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS
If no answer when enumerator visits, “Notice of Visit” left at door (with on-line response code provided to encourage self- response)
After 1st unsuccessful visit, 2-day “sleep” period before 2nd attempt (Note: if someone at the home requests mailing envelope for a paper form they already have, subsequent visit put on “hold” for 5 days.)

13. OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT NRFU (continued)
After one unsuccessful attempt, Census Bureau determines: can some occupied housing units be counted using ”high quality” federal administrative records? (Note: protocols for this determination not final; stay tuned!)
If not, census takers continue to visit up to six times (and possibly more for hardest cases)
After 3rd try, enumerators can ask nearby reliable “proxy” (e.g. landlord; neighbor; caregiver; letter carrier; on-site utility worker)

14. OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT nrfu (continued)
If no successful “proxy” enumeration, visits continue.
After 4th unsuccessful attempt, “hold” period starts while Census Bureau reassigns best enumerators to these hardest cases (NRFU Phase 2).
After 6th unsuccessful attempt, cases still eligible for more visits until end of July approaches; minimum info needed for congressional apportionment also “closes out” a case in final phase.

15. OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT NRFU (continued)
Census Bureau will use administrative records for missing answers, or statistical imputation to include households for which no information, other than occupancy status, is available … in other words, these households will be counted in the census, one way or another.
KEEP IN MIND: Self-response data are most accurate. Data collected in-person and closer to Census Day are next best.

16. THANK YOU!
#iCount
#WeCount

17. Joe Salvo NYC Department of City Planning

18. Stakeholder engagement in NRFU Census Bureau Hiring
Address Canvassing (August-October 2019) Hiring is occurring now
All Area Census Offices will be open by Early Fall Recruitment and Hiring has begun
Recruitment of field enumerators for NRFU will begin in the Fall, with hiring of several hundred thousand persons in early 2020
CBOs need to act now to assist with what is a lengthy and, to some, complicated online hiring process

19. Stakeholder engagement in NRFU Use of Automation
NRFU enumerators will receive their cases and optimal routes to follow on a daily basis
NRFU enumerators will be able to upload the data they collect -- encrypted and in real-time.
Problems in the enumeration can be identified quickly and addressed
Using data on the progress of NRFU, CBOs can work with ACO outreach and partnership staff, to target messaging and overcome the obstacles to enumeration

20. Stakeholder engagement in NRFU The Ten Do’s
Develop communication links and partner with the outreach staff in each Area Census Office (ACO)
Share your on-the-ground knowledge of the communities you represent with the Census Bureau outreach staff in each ACO
Assist with local neighborhood hiring by identifying and recruiting census workers with special skills
Learn how to guide recruits through the Census Bureau hiring process

21. Stakeholder engagement in NRFU The Ten Do’s (continued)
Support waivers that would allow for the hiring of work-eligible noncitizens for field positions
Encourage people to self-respond, even during the NRFU period
Monitor the Census Bureau’s success in NRFU and leverage networks to target NRFU support activities
Direct people to the Census Bureau’s Questionnaire Assistance Centers and follow-up
Encourage safety by instructing people on how to correctly ID a census enumerator
Continue to lobby for full Census Bureau funding

22. Stakeholder engagement in NRFU The Three Don’ts
Don’t “shadow” Census Bureau workers in the enumeration
Don’t knock on doors at census time
Don’t fill-out questionnaires for respondents (but become familiar with the questions on the 2020 Census questionnaire)

23. Thank you! Wednesday, August 14 1pm EST
Part 5 – Tips for Organizers Engaging in GOTC
Wednesday, September 11
Part 6 – How to Monitor the Count in Real Time