1. Best Practices: Vital Statistics Report Vital Statistics Team September 14, 2005 FSCPE Conference

2. 2 Overview Why do we need Vital Statistics data? When and what do we collect? How does the Vital Statistics Team process the data? What is the role of the FSCPE? New template Research template

3. 3 Why do we need Vital Statistics data? P 1 = P 0 + B - D + NM + IM New Pop Base Pop Births Deaths Net Internal Migration Net International Migration

4. 4 When and What? The Census Bureau requests the data at two points each year: –May T-2 year data by race and Hispanic origin 2003 data for Vintage 2005 –October T-1 year data by race and Hispanic origin 2004 data for Vintage 2005

5. 5 How does the VS Team process the data? Initial Checks –File format –FIPS Codes –Verify Totals –Data entry errors, blank cells or special characters –Extra variables –Comments

6. 6 How does the VS Team process the data? (cont.) Processing –Convert excel spreadsheets into SAS –Compare FSCPE data to NCHS data –Reconciliation 1.Remove counties with zero differences or counties where no FSCPE data was supplied so NCHS data is used. Sum counties 2.Rake FSCPE counties to the sum of counties in #1 3.Rake NCHS data with characteristics to counties

7. 7 What is the role of the FSPCE? Collect, review and submit Vital Statistics data in the specific template provided by the VS Team –The FSCPE should make every effort to obtain final data. –The FSCPE provides written comments concerning the reported data and a description of any data modifications

8. 8 New Template October 2005 –2004 State and County level data County level data if available, will be used for research purposes –Updates for years 2000 to 2002 These data will be used for research purposes May 2006 –2004 State and County level data Indicate by checkbox that there has no change to the data that was previously sent and/or no new data is available

9. 9 New Template (cont.) May 2006 (cont.) –2005 State and County level data –Updates for years 2000 to 2003 October 2006 –State and County level 2005 data New or updated State and County level data Indicate by checkbox that there has no change to the data that was previously sent and/or no new data is available

10. 10 Research Template FSCPE data NCHS data Outliers Comments from FSCPE

11. 11 Need more information? Amy S.Smith amy.symens.smith@census.gov Winifred Colón winifred.colon@census.govinifred.colon@census.gov