August 20, 2020

Manchin Calls for GAO Assessment Of 2020 Census Count

Charleston, WV – This week, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) led 8 members of the Senate Appropriations Committee in calling for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to thoroughly assess and compile a report on the “completeness and quality” of the 2020 Census. This letter follows an announcement from the Department of Commerce and Census Bureau leadership that field operations would be delayed to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this delay was cut short by a month with no official explanation. To respond to the 2020 Census, please visit 2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020.

The Senators said in part, “We believe that truncating data collection operations during a global pandemic could cause a massive undercount in historically hard-to-count areas, including Native American, rural, and immigrant communities. We therefore request that, as the data collection operations continue, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) assess the completeness and quality of these activities compared to the original 2020 Decennial Census detailed operational plans and 2010 Decennial Census results, including use of administrative records, proxy interviews and statistical imputation for enumeration and item nonresponse to finish the nonresponse followup (NRFU) operation… As members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, we have worked to ensure that the Census Bureau has the resources needed to uphold the agency’s mandate to count everyone, once, where they live… We are concerned that the decision to rush data collection and processing operations could risk the accuracy of the Constitutionally-mandated count.”

Read the letter in full below or click here.

 

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

We write regarding our concerns about the U.S. Census Bureau’s recent decision to rush the 2020 Decennial Census data collection and processing operations.1 We believe that

truncating data collection operations during  a global pandemic  could  cause a massive undercount in historically hard-to-count areas, including Native American, rural, and immigrant

communities. We therefore request that, as the data collection operations continue, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) assess the completeness and quality of these activities compared to the original 2020 Decennial Census detailed operational plans and 2010 Decennial Census results,  including  use of administrative   records, proxy  interviews  and statistical imputation for enumeration and item nonresponse to finish the nonresponse followup (NRFU) operation.

On August 3, 2020, Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham announced that the 2020 field data collection and self-response operations would end September 30, 2020, a month earlier than previously planned. We are concerned that cutting short these critical operations will necessitate changes that will be detrimental to the accuracy and completeness of the 2020 Decennial Census, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already greatly complicated Census operations.

In particular, we are concerned that the Census Bureau may have to reduce the number of times enumerators visit individual households or increase the use of proxy interviews or administrative records. Most concerning of all would be a significant increase of statistical imputation, which produces markedly lower-quality  data.  If the aforementioned  changes occur, we could be facing a substantial undercount,  especially  in  hard-to-count  communities, undermining the accuracy and fairness of the count.

As members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, we have worked to ensure that the Census Bureau has the resources needed to uphold the agency’s mandate to count everyone, once, where they live. The 2020 Decennial Census will dictate apportionment of the House of Representatives for the next decade and the distribution of $1.5 trillion annually  in  Federal funding to states, localities, individuals, and businesses. We have to get it  right. We are  concerned that the decision to rush data collection and processing operations could risk the accuracy of the Constitutionally-mandated count. Therefore, we request that GAO monitor and assess the following benchmarks and operations, as compared to the original 2020 Decennial Census detailed operational plans, the Census Bureau’s projections for various aspects of the enumeration, the pandemic-adjusted 2020 Census operational plan, other announced enhancements to the 2020 Decennial Census in light of disrupted operations and the 2010 Decennial Census results, as appropriate:

  1. With respect to the NRFU operation, the number of housing units identified as vacant through the U.S. Postal Service “Unauthorized As Addressed” file that enumerators determined were occupied; the number of households enumerated using Federal administrative records; the number of households enumerated through  proxy interviews; the number of whole household imputations; and the number of in-person visits to unresponsive household allowed.  If possible,  please  separate these indicators of data completeness and quality by mail-out and Update/Leave areas.
  2. With respect to the NRFU Reinterview component, any deviation from the scope and metrics of the original operational plan for this quality check activity.
  3. With respect to hiring, the number of enumerators and field supervisors hired for NRFU, Service-Based Enumeration, Targeted Non-Sheltered Outdoor Locations, Update/Enumerate, In-Person Group Quarters and Enumeration of Transitory Locations operations, as well as for the Post-Enumeration Survey.
  4. Also with respect to hiring, the Census Bureau’s success in meeting hiring goals, and retention and drop-out rates, by Area Census Office.
  5. With respect to the Service-Based Enumeration, enumeration of Targeted Non- Sheltered Outdoor Locations, and Enumeration of Transitory Locations, the timing, completeness and consistency of data collection compared to the original and April 2020 pandemic-adjusted operational schedule and plans.
  6. With respect to the enumeration of Group Quarters, the consistency and completeness of data collected or transferred electronically or on paper, for each major  type  of Group Quarters facility, such as college or university housing,  adult  correctional facilities and nursing homes.
  7. With respect to late enhancements to boost self-response, publicized by the Census Bureau before the August 3, 2020, announcement of the new end date for self- response, a description  of the scope of the  seventh mailing  to unresponsive households and an assessment of its success. Further, a description of the email and text outreach to unresponsive households and an assessment of the success of this effort. For both these programs, please evaluate how, or whether, the decision to cut short the self-response period affected their implementation and outcomes.
  8. With respect to the Count Review Operation, any deviation from the timetable  and scope of this external review program and an analysis of how a compressed schedule may have affected the quality of the review and the Census Bureau’s ability to correct identified errors in the preliminary housing unit and population counts.
  9. With respect to State and local Complete Count Committees, how a compressed data collection schedule may have affected the operation and efficacy of these and other community partners in boosting response rates.
  10. With respect to response rates at locations of Census tests, how the Census Bureau’s decision to compress data collection, after announcing an extension, may have contributed to confusion among respondents, community partners, and stakeholders – possibly resulting in lower response rates.

We look forward to working with your staff and to receiving regular updates on GAO’s work.