United States Government Accountability Office

GAO Report to Congressional Committees

2010 CENSUS 

Census Bureau 

Generally Follows 

Selected Leading 

Acquisition Planning 

Practices, but 

Continued 

Management Attention 

Is Needed to Help 

Ensure Success 

May 2006 

 

GAO-06-277 
What GAO Found

United States Government Accountability Office

Why GAO Did This Study

Highlights

Accountability Integrity Reliability

May 2006

2010 CENSUS

Census Bureau Generally Follows 

Selected Leading Acquisition Planning 

Practices, but Continued Management 

Attention Is Needed to Help Ensure

Success 

Highlights of GAO-06-277, a report to 

congressional committees 

For the 2010 Census, the U.S. 

Census Bureau (Bureau) is making

the most extensive use of

contractors in its history to supply 

a number of mission-critical

functions and technologies.

Because of the critical role that 

contractors will play in the 2010

Census, GAO reviewed the 

Bureau’s acquisition planning 

process. Specifically GAO’s

objectives were to (1) determine

the status of the Bureau’s major 

decennial contracts, and 

(2) evaluate the extent to which the 

Bureau is using selected leading

practices to manage its acquisition 

planning for these contracts. 

What GAO Recommends

GAO is recommending to the 

Secretary of Commerce that the 

Bureau (1) ensure that key systems 

to be provided by contractors are 

fully functional and ready to be

assessed as part of the dress 

rehearsal, (2) establish a schedule

for the definition of interfaces

between all decennial systems so 

that this information can be

provided on a timely basis to

development teams, and (3) devote 

further attention to planning

strategically for its decennial

acquisition workforce by, among

other actions, identifying and 

assessing acquisition workforce

skill gaps. In commenting on a

draft of this report, the Secretary 

neither agreed nor disagreed with

the recommendations but 

described steps the Bureau is 

taking that address the last 

recommendation. 

The Bureau has awarded three of its seven major decennial contracts 

consistent with their award date, but has changed the award dates of two of 

the remaining contracts (data dissemination and communications) because

of changes in its acquisition approach. Bureau officials noted that the 

communications contract is currently on track. Still, changes in contract 

milestones—coupled with the Bureau’s tight systems development schedule 

and interdependence of those systems—could affect the Bureau’s ability to 

develop fully functional and sufficiently mature systems to be tested in 

concert with other operations during the 2008 Dress Rehearsal for the 2010

Census. Already, aspects of the Bureau’s data dissemination system will not 

be assessed during the dress rehearsal because of changes to solicitation and 

contract award dates.

Status of Major Contracts Related to the 2010 Census 

Contract Purpose Target award dates

Master Address File/ 

Topologically Integrated 

Geographic Encoding and 

Referencing (MAF/TIGER) 

Accuracy Improvement Project

Delivery of accurate, improved, and 

current information to MAF/TIGER system

June 2002 (actual) 

Decennial Response 

Integration System

Data capture/processing and respondent 

assistance 

October 2005 

(actual)

Field Data Collection 

Automation 

Providing automated resources and 

support for field data collection 

March 2006 (actual) 

Data Access and

Dissemination System II 

Providing a replacement for legacy 

tabulation and dissemination system 

October 2006 

2010 Communications Development of an advertising and 

outreach campaign to promote the 2010 

Census

Calendar year 2007 

2010 Census printing 

contracts 

Printing and distribution of census 

questionnaires and other documents 

March 2007 - 

April 2009 

Decennial Census Leasing Leasing, build-out, and management of 

regional census centers and local census 

offices 

April 2007 - June

2009 (sign leases

for individual offices)

Source: GAO analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. 

To date, the Bureau has generally followed five selected leading practices for 

federal acquisition planning that we evaluated. For example, the Bureau has 

monitored the acquisition planning process for individual contracts, involved 

relevant stakeholders in the planning phase, and implemented certain 

actions to its business processes resulting from its reliance on contractors. 

However, as part of its strategic planning, the Bureau does not have a

schedule for documenting what and when information needs to be provided 

to development teams to integrate all decennial systems. Additionally, in 

planning for its decennial acquisition workforce—which includes staff who 

award or manage contracts—the Bureau has not fully implemented key 

strategic workforce planning principles. For example, while the Bureau took 

steps at the division level to plan for its acquisition workforce, it does not 

assess or monitor at a high level gaps in the skills needed by its decennial

acquisition workforce. The Bureau also has not identified the needs of the 

decennial acquisition workforce in its human capital management plan and 

did not involve all relevant acquisition workforce stakeholders in the 

development of this plan. 

www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-277.

To view the full product, including the scope 

and methodology, click on the link above. 

For more information, contact Brenda S. 

Farrell at (202) 512-6806 or farrellb@gao.gov. 
Contents 

Letter 1

Results in Brief 4 

Background 7

The Bureau Has Made Progress on Major Decennial Contracts, but 

Adherence to Contract Milestones Will Be Essential 8 

The Bureau Is Generally Following Five Leading Acquisition 

Planning Practices, but Continued Management Focus Will Be 

Critical 16

Conclusion 26

Recommendations for Executive Action 27 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 28 

Appendix I Scope and Methodology 31 

Appendix II Comments from the Department of Commerce 33 

Appendix III MAF/TIGER Accuracy Improvement Project 

(MTAIP) Contract Details 39 

Appendix IV Decennial Response Integration System (DRIS) 

Contract Details 40 

Appendix V Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) 

Contract Details 41 

Appendix VI Data Access and Dissemination System (DADS II) 

Contract Details 42 

Page i GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix VII Summaries of Major Decennial Contracts Planned 

for Award in 2007 or Later 43 

Appendix VIII GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 44 

Related GAO Products 45 

Table 

Table 1: Status of Major Decennial Contracts 9 

Figures 

Figure 1: The Bureau’s Testing and Development Schedule and 

Contract Activities Overlap 13 

Figure 2: Decennial Contracts and Other Census Systems Will Need 

to Work in Concert with One Another 14 

Figure 3: Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning 16 

Abbreviations 

CMMISM Capability Maturity Model® Integration 

DADS II Data Access and Dissemination System II 

DRIS Decennial Response Integration System 

FDCA Field Data Collection Automation 

GPO Government Printing Office 

GSA General Services Administration 

MAF/TIGER Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic

Encoding and Referencing 

MTAIP MAF/TIGER Accuracy Improvement Project 

RFP request for proposal 

Page ii GAO-06-277 2010 Census
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reproduce this material separately. 

Page iii GAO-06-277 2010 Census
United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548 

May 18, 2006

The Honorable Susan M. Collins 

Chairman 

The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman 

Ranking Minority Member 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

United States Senate 

The Honorable Tom Davis 

Chairman 

The Honorable Henry A. Waxman 

Ranking Minority Member 

Committee on Government Reform 

House of Representatives 

The Honorable Michael Turner 

Chairman 

The Honorable Wm. Lacy Clay 

Ranking Minority Member 

Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census 

Committee on Government Reform 

House of Representatives 

For the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) is making the most 

extensive use of contractors in its history, turning to the private sector to 

supply a number of different mission-critical functions and technologies. 

These functions range from data capture and processing services to the 

manufacture and support of hundreds of thousands of handheld mobile 

computing devices that temporary census workers will use to locate 

addresses and to collect and transmit data electronically. The Bureau 

estimates that of the $11.3 billion it will cost to conduct the 2010 Census, 

around $1.9 billion (nearly 17 percent) will be spent on its seven major 

decennial contracts. More importantly, the success of these contracts will 

largely determine whether the Bureau meets its goals to improve the 

accuracy, reduce the risk, and contain the cost of the 2010 Census. 

Contractors can help address the challenges the Bureau faces as it plans 

for and implements the 2010 Census. Because of various social and 

demographic trends, the nation’s population has become increasingly 

difficult to count. Due to this and other challenges, the Bureau recognized 

Page 1 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
that it is not equipped to perform the needed tasks using its own staff and 

capabilities and has been looking outside the agency to obtain the 

expertise and services essential for a complete and accurate enumeration. 

That said, increased reliance on contractors also entails certain 

management challenges. The Bureau’s experiences in the 2000 Census—

the first time the Bureau relied on contractors to perform a large number 

of major decennial activities—highlight the importance of a rigorous 

acquisition planning process1

 to help mitigate those challenges and better 

ensure that contractors meet the Bureau’s needs in an effective, 

economical, and timely manner. For example, the Department of 

Commerce (Commerce) Office of Inspector General raised questions 

regarding the Bureau’s ability to acquire critical systems and services. 

Although these projects were ultimately successful in supporting the 2000 

Census, the Inspector General concluded they were more costly than 

necessary.2

In March 2006, we testified on the Bureau’s acquisition and management of 

two critical information technology systems that contractors are 

developing for the 2010 Census. The two contracts—Field Data Collection 

Automation and the Decennial Response Integration System—are two of 

the seven major decennial acquisitions for the 2010 Census. We noted that, 

while the project offices responsible for these two contracts have carried

out initial acquisition management activities, neither office has the full set 

of capabilities they need to effectively manage the acquisitions. Until these 

basic management activities are implemented, both projects face 

increased risks of cost overruns, schedule delays, and performance 

shortfalls.3

 1

The Federal Acquisition Regulation defines acquisition planning as “the process by which

the efforts of all personnel responsible for an acquisition are coordinated and integrated 

through a comprehensive plan for fulfilling the agency need in a timely manner and at a

reasonable cost. It includes developing the overall strategy for managing the acquisition.” 

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) § 2.101(b)(2). 

2

Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General, Improving our Measure of

America: What Census 2000 Can Teach Us in Planning for 2010, OIG-14431 

(Washington, D.C.: Spring 2002). 

3

GAO, Census Bureau: Important Activities for Improving Management of Key 2010 

Decennial Acquisitions Remain to be Done, GAO-06-444T (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 1,

2006). 

Page 2 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Because of the mission-critical role contractors will play in the 2010 

Census, we reviewed the Bureau’s acquisition planning process under the 

Comptroller General’s statutory authority. As agreed with your office, we

are providing this report to you because it contains information that will 

be useful for your oversight responsibilities for the decennial census. 

Specifically, our objectives were to (1) determine the status of the 

Bureau’s major contracts related to the 2010 Census, and (2) evaluate the 

extent to which the Bureau is using selected leading practices to manage 

its acquisition planning process for the decennial census. 

To address the first objective, we reviewed documents related to the seven 

major 2010 Census acquisitions (as defined by Bureau officials)—

including acquisition plans, strategic planning documents, requests for 

proposals, finalized contracts, and budget requests to the Office of 

Management and Budget—and interviewed knowledgeable Bureau 

officials responsible for contracting and acquisition planning.

To evaluate the Bureau’s use of leading acquisition planning practices, we 

first reviewed (1) our own guidance, reports, and testimonies on the 

acquisition function; and (2) external studies to identify leading 

acquisition planning practices used in the federal government. From these, 

we adapted five leading acquisition planning practices most relevant to the 

Bureau’s acquisition planning efforts for its major decennial contracts. We 

then evaluated the extent to which the Bureau employed these leading

practices for its seven major decennial contracts by interviewing officials,

reviewing Bureau documents, and observing acquisition activities related 

to these contracts. Appendix I provides additional information on our 

scope and methodology. We conducted our work from July 2005 through

March 2006 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 

standards. 

This report is the latest in a series of evaluations that we have issued on 

the Bureau’s preparations for the 2010 Census. Most recently, this March, 

we testified on the progress of the Bureau’s planning and testing activities 

and information technology systems.4

 See the Related GAO Products 

section for a list of selected reports we have issued to date. 

 4

GAO-06-444T and GAO, 2010 Census: Planning and Testing Activities Are Making 

Progress, GAO-06-465T (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 1, 2006). 

Page 3 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
The Bureau has awarded three of its seven major decennial contracts 

consistent with their award dates and is preparing for the award of the 

remaining four. The three contracts that have been awarded represent 

about $1.3 billion of the $1.9 billion the Bureau expects to eventually 

award. 

Results in Brief 

• In June 2002, the Bureau awarded the Harris Corporation a $209 million 

contract to modernize its Master Address File/Topologically Integrated 

Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) system, which 

provides the address list, maps, and other geographic support services for 

the Census and other Bureau surveys. Known as the MAF/TIGER Accuracy 

Improvement Project (MTAIP), the contract is currently meeting 

milestones for project deliverables and remains on budget, according to 

Bureau documents we reviewed. 

• In October 2005, the Bureau awarded the Lockheed Martin Corporation a 

contract for more than $500 million to develop and operate the Decennial 

Response Integration System (DRIS), to capture and integrate paper, 

Internet, and telephone responses to the census, in addition to providing 

assistance to census respondents. Progress on DRIS is running 60 to 90 

days behind schedule because of a bid protest that was later withdrawn. 

Bureau officials are working to revise the contract schedule and believe 

this schedule change will not be a significant setback. 

• In March 2006, the Bureau awarded the Harris Corporation a contract for

an estimated $600 million to provide automated resources for supporting 

field data collection, including the provision of handheld mobile 

computing devices used by the enumerators. The Bureau had originally 

intended to award the contract, known as Field Data Collection 

Automation (FDCA), in late 2005, but pushed it back so that it could first 

conduct a short field test to evaluate prototypes developed by multiple 

offerors of the mobile computing devices that enumerators are to use in 

their fieldwork. The Bureau then successfully awarded the contract 

consistent with its revised award timeline. 

Of the four contracts that have not yet been awarded, the Bureau has 

pushed back the target award dates of two contracts due to changes in its

acquisition approach. 

• The Bureau changed, twice, the award date and scope of a contract related 

to its Data Access and Dissemination System (DADS II). Most recently, the

Bureau delayed the release of the request for proposal (RFP) by 6 months 

and expanded the contract scope to require contractors to acquire an 

Page 4 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
integrated system. Consequently, the Bureau is delaying the contract 

award by 2 months to October 2006.

• The Bureau originally planned to award the 2010 Communications 

contract to advertise and promote the census in October 2006, but has 

decided to award the contract at a later date because it still researching 

various approaches to the acquisition. Bureau officials noted that they 

plan to award this contract during the 2007 calendar year. 

Bureau officials have stated that the 2010 Communications contract is 

currently on track to award the contract in 2007. Moreover, the Bureau 

expects to award the two remaining contracts—one for printing census 

forms and the other for leasing temporary field census offices—on time. 

However, any change in acquisition milestones—coupled with the 

Bureau’s tight systems development schedule, and the interdependence of

decennial systems—could affect its ability to develop fully functional and 

sufficiently mature systems that can be demonstrated in concert with 

other operations during the dress rehearsal for the 2010 Census scheduled 

for 2008. For example, aspects of the DADS II contract will not be 

assessed during the dress rehearsal as the Bureau originally intended 

because of the delayed solicitation release and contract award. The 2008

Dress Rehearsal will be the Bureau’s last opportunity to assess the various 

procedures and systems for the decennial census under as near-censuslike conditions as possible. During the 1998 Dress Rehearsal for the 2000 

Census, a number of new features were not test-ready, and the Bureau said

it could not fully evaluate with any degree of assurance how they would 

affect the census. 

In preparing for these seven contracts to date, the Bureau has generally 

adhered to the leading acquisition planning practices we evaluated. 

1. Planning strategically: The Bureau has documented how major 

decennial contract operations and its integration will achieve 2010 

Census objectives. 

2. Monitoring the acquisition planning process: To date, the Bureau 

monitored the acquisition planning process for individual contracts. 

3. Involving stakeholders: The Bureau has so far involved relevant 

stakeholders in the acquisition planning process.

Page 5 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
4. Addressing business process changes: The Bureau has addressed 

changes to its business processes resulting from its increased reliance 

on contractors. 

5. Planning for the acquisition workforce: The Bureau is taking steps 

to strategically plan for its acquisition workforce, which includes 

census staff who award or manage contracts. 

However, the Bureau has not completed necessary actions regarding 

certain activities within two of the practices. First, while the Bureau has 

taken steps to plan for the integration of its decennial systems, it does not 

have a schedule for documenting what and when information needs to be

provided to development teams that will integrate all decennial systems. 

Successful systems integration will facilitate the Bureau’s ability to 

achieve its goals for a successful enumeration during the 2010 Census. 

Second, the Bureau does not assess or monitor, at an agencywide level, 

gaps in the skills needed by its decennial acquisition workforce. It also has

not incorporated the needs of the decennial acquisition function in its 

agency human capital plan or in a plan specific to the acquisition 

workforce. Taking these actions could help the Bureau anticipate and 

address challenges that may be faced by the acquisition workforce 

stemming from demands brought on by the Bureau’s greater reliance on

contractors for conducting the 2010 Census. 

We are making three recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce in 

this report. First, we recommend that the Secretary of Commerce ensure 

that the key systems to be developed or provided by contractors for the 

2010 Census are fully functional and ready to be assessed in concert with 

other operations as part of the 2008 Dress Rehearsal. To help ensure the 

successful integration of decennial systems, we are also recommending 

that the Secretary direct the Bureau to establish a schedule for the 

definition of interfaces between all decennial systems so that these data 

can be provided on a timely basis to development teams. Third, the 

Secretary should direct the Bureau to devote further attention to planning

strategically for its decennial acquisition workforce by, among other 

actions, identifying and assessing acquisition workforce skill gaps, and 

involving appropriate acquisition-related stakeholders in identifying the 

needs of the acquisition workforce in its workforce plans. 

The Secretary of Commerce provided written comments on a draft of this

report (see app. II). While Commerce neither agreed nor disagreed with 

our recommendations it described actions the Bureau is taking that, to 

Page 6 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
some extent, address our third recommendation for the Bureau to devote 

further attention to decennial acquisition workforce planning. We believe 

that these are important first steps. We also believe that fully incorporating 

the key strategic workforce planning principles we describe in our report 

would help the Bureau to better align its acquisition workforce with the 

demands brought on by the Bureau’s greater reliance on contractors to 

help carry out the 2010 Census. 

The Constitution vests Congress with the authority to conduct the 

decennial census in such manner as it determines, and Congress in turn 

has granted the Secretary of Commerce (and by delegation, the Director of 

the Census Bureau) considerable latitude in carrying out the census. In 

counting the nation’s population, it is important for the Bureau to stay on

schedule, as the Secretary of Commerce is statutorily required to 

(1) conduct the census on April 1 of the decennial year, (2) report the state 

population counts to the President for purposes of congressional 

apportionment by December 31 of the decennial year, and (3) send 

population tabulations to the states for purposes of redistricting no later 

than 1 year after the April 1 census date. To meet these mandated 

reporting requirements, census activities need to take place at specific 

times and in the proper sequence. As Census Day approaches, the 

tolerance for any operational delays or changes becomes increasingly 

small. 

Throughout its history, the Bureau has mostly relied on its in-house 

capabilities to conduct the decennial census.5

 However, the 2000 Census 

marked the first time the Bureau relied on contractors to perform a large 

number of major decennial activities. For example, the Bureau awarded a 

data capture contract—to scan more than 100 million questionnaires, 

capture and read that data, and send the information to headquarters for 

additional processing—to TRW, and awarded the advertising firm of 

Young & Rubicam a contract to develop an outreach and promotion 

campaign. 

Background 

 5

In conducting the census, the Bureau hires enormous numbers of temporary employees to

conduct field data collection as well as other tasks. For example, during the 2000 Census, 

the Bureau hired around 500,000 enumerators. 

Page 7 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Although the contractors generally performed well,6

 Commerce’s Office of

Inspector General identified several shortcomings. For example, 

incomplete quality assurance procedures for the Bureau’s printing 

contracts led to one contractor printing and mailing out approximately 20 

million misaddressed letters informing households that the decennial 

questionnaires would soon follow, resulting in unnecessary negative 

publicity just weeks before the Bureau was to send out census forms. 

Further, the Inspector General found that the Bureau did not have 

sufficient program management staff with the training and experience to

efficiently acquire systems and manage complex, high-dollar contracts. As 

a result, the Bureau incurred higher costs than necessary. For example, 

costs for the data capture system increased from a projected $49 million at 

the time of contract award in 1997 to $238 million by the end of the 

decennial because of continually changing and expanding requirements 

late in the decade. The Commerce Office of Inspector General 

recommended that for the 2010 Census, the Bureau would need a 

sufficient number of highly skilled and properly trained personnel 

dedicated to the planning and management of decennial contracts. 

The Bureau has awarded three of its seven major decennial contracts on 

time, and is working to accomplish contract milestones for these three and 

preparing for the award of the remaining four contracts. However, the 

tight systems development and testing schedule coupled with the 

interdependence of decennial systems may affect the Bureau’s ability to 

meet its ambitious schedule for completing the testing necessary for a 

successful census. 

As shown in table 1, the Bureau has awarded three of its seven major 

decennial contracts on time, and is working to accomplish contract 

milestones for these three and preparing for the award of the remaining 

four contracts. However, the Bureau has pushed back the award dates of 

two of the remaining four contracts because of changes in its acquisition 

The Bureau Has Made 

Progress on Major 

Decennial Contracts, 

but Adherence to 

Contract Milestones 

Will Be Essential 

The Bureau Has Awarded 

Three Contracts and Is 

Working to Achieve 

Contract Milestones 

 6

For example, the data capture system exceeded its performance goals for accuracy, and 

the advertising campaign blanketed the country with more than 250 advertisements in 17 

languages, which helped boost the response rate higher than the Bureau had expected. 

Page 8 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
approach for the contracts (additional detail about each of the seven 

contracts is presented in apps. III through VII). Going forward, it will be 

important for the Bureau to stay on schedule so that key systems can be 

demonstrated in concert with one another as part of the 2008 Dress 

Rehearsal. 

Table 1: Status of Major Decennial Contracts 

Contract 

Contractor/agency 

managing contracts Contract purpose 

Estimated 

contract cost Target award dates 

Master Address 

File/Topologically Integrated

Geographic Encoding and 

Referencing Accuracy 

Improvement Project 

(MTAIP) 

Harris Corporation Delivery of accurate, improved, 

and current information to the

Master Address File/ 

Topologically Integrated

Geographic Encoding and 

Referencing (MAF/TIGER) 

database 

$209 million June 2002 

(actual) 

Decennial Response 

Integration System (DRIS) 

Lockheed Martin 

Corporation 

Providing a solution for data 

capture and respondent 

assistance 

More than 

$500 million 

October 2005

(actual) 

Field Data Collection 

Automation (FDCA) 

Harris Corporation Providing automated resources 

for supporting field data 

collection, including the provision 

of mobile computing devices 

used by enumerators 

$600 million March 2006 

(actual) 

Data Access and 

Dissemination System II 

(DADS II) 

To be determined Develop a replacement for legacy 

tabulation and dissemination 

system 

To be 

determined 

October 2006 

2010 Communications To be determined Development of an advertising

campaign to promote the 2010

Census 

To be 

determined 

Calendar year 2007 

2010 Census printing 

contracts 

Government Printing 

Office 

(will manage 

contracts) 

Printing and distribution of 

census questionnaires and other 

documents 

To be 

determined 

March 2007 (contract for 

major operations) 

November 2008 - April 

2009 (other printing 

contracts) 

Decennial Census Leasing General Services 

Administration 

(will manage leasing) 

Leasing, build-out, and 

management of regional census 

centers and local census offices 

To be 

determined 

April 2007 - June 2009 

(leases signed for individual 

offices) 

Source: GAO analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. 

The MTAIP contract, for about $209 million, was awarded in June 2002 to 

the Harris Corporation (Harris). Harris is to correct in the Bureau’s 

geographic information system, called the Topologically Integrated 

Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) database, the location of

every street, boundary, and other map feature so that coordinates are 

Page 9 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
aligned with their true geographic locations. Our review of Bureau 

documents indicates that Harris is meeting expected schedule and cost 

targets for the MTAIP contract. According to Bureau documents, Harris 

completed work for 75 counties in fiscal year 2003, as was planned for the 

first year of production for the contract. Bureau documents also show that 

in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, Harris was both on schedule and within 

budget, completing 602 counties in 2004 and 623 counties in 2005. 

Similarly, for the first 2 months of fiscal year 2006, Harris was also on 

schedule and within budget. Bureau plans call for Harris to finish its work 

for all remaining counties by the end of fiscal year 2008. 

The DRIS contract was awarded in October 2005 to Lockheed Martin and 

is expected to cost more than $500 million. Bureau officials told us that 

work on the DRIS contract is slightly behind schedule. The 

implementation of the DRIS contract was pushed back by 60 to 90 days, 

according to Bureau officials, because of a bid protest that was ultimately

withdrawn. Bureau officials told us they did not expect this change to

substantially affect the contractor’s ability to complete the work as 

planned. DRIS staff are working to adjust the schedule for the first few 

months of the contract to accommodate the change. 

The Bureau awarded the FDCA contract to Harris for an estimated cost of 

$600 million. Although the award date was consistent with its schedule, 

the Bureau had revised the original award date for FDCA from late 2005 to

March 2006 to enable multiple offerors to develop and test prototypes of 

the mobile computing device that will be used by enumerators during their

fieldwork. The Bureau held a 3-day field demonstration in January 2006 to

evaluate the prototype, and considered the results as part of the process 

for selecting a contractor. Bureau officials with responsibility for FDCA 

believe this strategy had multiple advantages. For example, they believe

the development of a prototype prior to contract award increases the 

likelihood of having a working device in time for the first operation of the 

2008 Dress Rehearsal. 

Of the four remaining contracts, the Bureau has also revised the original 

award dates for two but expects to award the contracts for printing and 

field office leasing according to its original schedule. The two contracts 

for which the Bureau has pushed back the award dates are the DADS II 

contract to replace the Bureau’s data tabulation and dissemination system 

and the 2010 Communications contract to advertise and promote the 2010

Census. 

Page 10 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
The Bureau has twice changed the DADS II award date and contract 

scope. It originally planned to establish a new Web-based system that 

would serve as a single point for public access to all census data and 

integrate many dissemination functions currently spread across multiple 

Bureau organizations. The Bureau had planned to award that contract in 

the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2005. However, due to fiscal and resource

constraints, the Bureau decided against investing in this integrated 

approach and opted instead to rely on contractors to enhance the DADS 

system used for the 2000 Census. The Bureau planned to release a RFP for 

DADS II on February 27, 2006, and to award the contract in August 2006. 

On March 8, 2006, however, the Bureau announced its plan to delay the 

release of the RFP by 6 months to gain a clearer sense of budget priorities 

before issuing a delegation of procurement authority. The Bureau also 

changed its plan to acquire a contractor to maintain and enhance the 

system used for the 2000 Census. In its draft RFP for the DADS II contract, 

the Bureau noted that because the system used in 2000 was becoming 

obsolete, it planned to revert back to its original plan to acquire an 

integrated system. The Bureau currently estimates it will delay the award 

of the DADS II contract from August to October of 2006. 

The Bureau had also originally planned to award the 2010 

Communications contract in October 2006—earlier in the decade than for 

Census 2000, when the Bureau awarded its advertising contract in October 

1997—but has decided to do so at a later date because it is still researching 

various approaches to the acquisition. Bureau officials told us they plan to 

award the contract during the 2007 calendar year. They also told us that 

the contract is currently on track. 

Tight Time Frames May 

Affect the Bureau’s Ability 

to Properly Test Key 

Systems 

The tight schedule for systems development and testing schedule coupled 

with the interdependence of decennial systems may affect the Bureau’s 

ability to meet its ambitious time frame for completing the testing 

necessary for a successful census. For example, as shown in figure 1, the 

FDCA contract—the scope of which will provide handheld mobile 

computing devices to be used by enumerators—was awarded in March 

Page 11 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
2006 to Harris. This occurred in the midst of the 2006 Census Test7

 during 

which the Bureau is assessing the use of these devices. Although the 

Bureau noted that it provided competitors for the FDCA contract 

information about the design, requirements, and specifications for the 

2006 test in its RFP, Harris will have only a short time to incorporate 

performance information from the 2006 test into the development of new 

mobile computing devices, as these devices need to be ready by April 2007 

for the address canvassing operation of the 2008 Dress Rehearsal. The 

dress rehearsal will be the Bureau’s last opportunity to assess the various 

procedures and systems for the decennial census under as near-censuslike conditions as possible. 

 7

The Bureau’s testing and development program for the 2010 Census included field tests in 

Georgia and New York during its 2004 Census Test, as well as ongoing field tests in Texas

and South Dakota for the 2006 Census Test. In 2008, the Bureau plans to hold a dress

rehearsal in California and North Carolina, which is to be a demonstration of the

operations and systems planned for 2010. 

Page 12 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Figure 1: The Bureau’s Testing and Development Schedule and Contract Activities Overlap

June

MAF/TIGER 

Accuracy 

Improvement 

Project 

contract

AWARDED

Conduct 2005 

National 

Census Test 

(content and 

response 

options)

Conduct dress

rehearsal and 

begin to 

implement 

2010 Census

operations

(e.g., begin 

opening field 

offices)

Analyze 

results and 

refine 

methodology

Conduct 2006 

Census Test 

(2 field sites) 

Conduct 2004 

Census Test 

(2 field sites)

Conduct 2003 

National 

Census Test 

(content and 

response 

options)

Begin 

planning and 

developing 

methods for 

2004 Census

Test

Complete 

2010 Census

operations

Continue to 

implement 

operations

(e.g., conduct 

address

canvassing)

Analyze results

and finalize 

2010 Census

requirements

October

Decennial 

Response 

Integration 

System 

contract

AWARDED

March 

Field Data

Collection 

Automation 

contract

AWARDED

2007 

(estimated)

Award 2010 

Communications contract

August

(estimated)

Award Data

Access and 

Dissemination 

System 

contract March/April 2007 – April 2009 (estimated)

Award remaining printing contracts

March

(estimated)

Award contract 

for major 

printing 

operations

Source: GAO analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

April 2007– June 2009 (estimated) 

Sign leases for regional census centers and 

local census offices

2010 Census test and development schedule

2010 Census major contract award schedule

Moreover, several of the Bureau’s key decennial systems—both those 

developed by contractors and those developed by the Bureau itself—will 

need to exchange data (or interface) with each other to carry out 

decennial operations, as illustrated in figure 2. The decennial system is 

comprised of many systems that must work in concert and rely on one 

another. Because of these interdependencies, these various systems need 

to stay on schedule during the development phase. For example, data 

collected by the mobile computing devices supplied under the FDCA 

contract need to be processed by the data capture system provided by the 

Page 13 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
DRIS contractor to be consistent with data from other sources, such as the 

Internet or telephone. 

Figure 2: Decennial Contracts and Other Census Systems Will Need to Work in Concert with One Another 

Contractor: Lockheed Martin Corporation

Contractor: Harris Corporation

Field Data

Collection Automation

Field infrastructure

• Headquarters

• Field offices

• Field workers

Decennial census leasing:

General Services Administration will 

lease, build out, and manage field 

office locations

Data Access and

Dissemination System II

Census data users include:

Policymakers, businesses and 

nonprofit organizations, 

and the public

Contractor: To be determined

Provides users 

with access to

census data

Decennial Response Integration System

paper

forms

telephone

responses

Internet

responses

Headquarters

data 

processing

systems

Sources: GAO (analysis); U.S. Census Bureau (data and image).

mobile computing

device data

Geographic support system

MAF TIGER

2010 Census printing contracts:

Printing contractor(s) will interact with the 

Decennial Response Integration System contractor 

to facilitate printing operations

MAF/TIGER Accuracy 

Improvement Project:

Contractor: Harris Corporation

The contractor will deliver updated 

information to the MAF/TIGER 

database

Exchanges of data between decennial contracts and selected census systems

Data collection Data processing Data dissemination

More broadly, the principal census-taking activities and systems need to 

be sufficiently mature so they can be demonstrated in concert with one 

another as part of the 2008 Dress Rehearsal. Based on the Bureau’s past 

experience, a true dress rehearsal—which requires the Bureau to specify 

all design features by 2007—is critical for meeting the Bureau’s goals and 

objectives. We previously reported that during the 1998 Dress Rehearsal 

Page 14 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
for the 2000 Census, a number of new features were not test-ready; as a 

result, the Bureau said it could not fully evaluate with any degree of 

assurance how they would affect the census.8

 These late design changes 

and hastily developed untested systems resulted in additional costs to that 

census. 

For the 2010 Census, changes to the acquisition milestones of both the 

FDCA and DADS II contracts affected the testing programs for both of 

those systems. For example, as the Commerce Office of Inspector General 

concluded in a recent report,9

 delaying FDCA time frames reduced the

amount of time after contract award to complete the remainder of the 

work needed to prepare for, and begin, the dress rehearsal. Moreover, 

pushing back the award date resulted in a missed opportunity for the 

FDCA contractor to observe the real-time use of the mobile computing 

devices for address canvassing in 2005 as part of the 2006 test. According 

to the Inspector General, observations of the 2006 Test could have 

provided the contractor with a level of understanding of key census-taking

operations that would have been difficult to obtain in any other fashion.

Additionally, the DADS II system will not be developed in time to be fully 

tested during the 2008 Dress Rehearsal, partly due to the delay in its 

acquisition milestones. Moreover, because the Bureau moved the release 

date for the RFP from February to August 2006 and plans to award the 

contract in October 2006, the time frame the Bureau now has to prepare 

for awarding the contract has been compressed from 6 to 2 months. In 2 

months, the Bureau has to (consistent with planning activities leading up

to contract award by governments acquiring systems) prepare for and 

evaluate responses, conduct supporting negotiations, and recommend a 

contract award, among other activities involved in selecting a contractor. 

 8

GAO, 2010 Census: Basic Design Has Potential, but Remaining Challenges Need Prompt

Resolution, GAO-05-9 (Washington, D.C.: Jan. 12, 2005). 

9

U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General, FDCA Program for 2010 

Census Is Progressing, but Key Management and Acquisition Activities Need to be

Completed, OSE-17368 (Washington, D.C.: August 2005). 

Page 15 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
In planning its major acquisitions for the 2010 Census, the Bureau has 

generally adhered to the five leading practices for acquisition planning we 

selected (see fig. 3). 

Figure 3: Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning

The Bureau Is 

Generally Following 

Five Leading 

Acquisition Planning 

Practices, but 

Continued 

Management Focus 

Will Be Critical 

Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning

Practice 1: Develop and implement a strategic plan for major programs that addresses how

 key contracts link to program goals

Practice 2: Develop and implement a process to monitor planning for key contracts

Practice 3: Ensure that relevant stakeholders are involved in the planning phase for key 

 contracts

Practice 4: Address changes in business processes that may occur as a result of increasing

 the agency’s reliance on contractors to accomplish its mission

Practice 5: Plan for the acquisition workforce strategically

Source: GAO.

However, additional efforts are needed within two of these practices in the 

Bureau’s activities leading up to contract award. As part of its strategic 

planning process (practice 1), the Bureau needs to complete its plan for 

integrating its major decennial systems. Further, in planning for its 

decennial acquisition workforce (practice 5), the Bureau needs to fully 

implement key principles of strategic workforce planning. In the years 

ahead, it will be important for Bureau management to follow these leading 

practices to successfully plan for and award its remaining contracts for the 

development of mission-critical systems to support activities for the 2010 

Census. 

Page 16 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
The Bureau Has Developed 

a Strategic Plan Linked to 

Program Goals but Needs 

to Fully Address Systems 

Integration 

Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning

Practice 1: Develop and implement a strategic plan for major programs that addresses

 how key contracts link to program goals

Practice 2: Develop and implement a process to monitor planning for key contracts

Practice 3: Ensure that relevant stakeholders are involved in the planning phase for key 

 contracts

Practice 4: Address changes in business processes that may occur as a result of increasing

 the agency’s reliance on contractors to accomplish its mission

Practice 5: Plan for the acquisition workforce strategically

Source: GAO.

Leading results-oriented organizations that rely on acquisitions to 

accomplish their missions use strategic plans to align the activities of 

individual contractors with the organizations’ overall objectives. Linking 

an organization’s acquisition activities to specific program goals is 

particularly important for the census, where various systems have to work 

seamlessly and in the right sequence. For example, the National Academy 

of Sciences reported that during the 2000 Census, weaknesses in the 

Bureau’s strategic planning for major systems developed by contractors 

led to a patchwork of information systems that were costly, complex, and

high risk. 

For the 2010 Census, the Bureau has developed a strategic plan linking 

some activities to be performed by contractors to the Bureau’s program 

goals. To enhance its planning process and improve systems efficiency, the 

Bureau is developing a 2010 Census Architecture, which is a blueprint of 

its business process, data, applications and interfaces, and the 

technologies needed to efficiently conduct the census. This architecture 

will also serve as the basis on which the Bureau and its contractors will 

build systems necessary to complete the 2010 Census. The National 

Academy of Sciences has endorsed the Bureau’s development of the 2010 

Census Architecture and noted that its full use has the potential to greatly

reduce risk in system development and enable the various information 

subsystems of the census to communicate effectively with each other. 

Within this architecture, the Bureau has several documents that detail its 

plans to produce a census that achieves its program goals for the 

reengineered 2010 Census. Although these documents do not specifically

Page 17 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
identify contracts, they do link activities that will be performed by 

contractors to achieving specific program goals. For example, the 2010 

Baseline Design specifies that automation and use of mobile computing 

devices—to be provided by the FDCA contractor—will significantly 

reduce the amount of paper used in the field. It will also cut down on the 

large number of staff and the office space required to handle that paper, 

thereby also reducing the cost of the census. Likewise, in a budget 

document submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, the Bureau 

also links contracted activities to decreased workload and costs. 

The Bureau is planning for the integration of DRIS, FDCA, DADS II, and its 

other information technology systems. Successful systems integration 

involves almost every aspect of the project and reaches from the very 

beginning through the maintenance phase of a system’s life cycle. To 

facilitate this planning, the Bureau will use the 2010 Census Architecture 

to coordinate technical planning for systems integration. As part of this 

architecture, the Bureau has developed the Physical Architecture, which 

specifically identifies which systems need to exchange data or interface 

with one another. Contractors will be required to follow this document as 

they develop interoperable systems. Bureau officials stated that they plan 

to finalize the Physical Architecture by the spring of 2006. 

As the Bureau continues its testing and development for the 2010 Census, 

it will be important for it to fully develop and carry out its plan to integrate 

its decennial systems. The Bureau has taken the responsibility of 

managing systems integration itself. Therefore, it needs to provide each 

contractor with the information needed to enable the systems they 

develop to work in concert with other decennial systems. Bureau officials 

indicate that they intend to define these information needs after all major 

information technology contracts have been awarded and will implement a 

joint effort with the Bureau’s contractors and in-house developers to 

integrate its systems development schedules at that time. 

However, the Bureau has not yet established a schedule for defining this

information that needs to be shared with contractors or other census 

teams for their development of decennial systems. To successfully provide 

this information on schedule so as to ensure the successful integration of 

decennial systems, the Bureau—in its role as the systems integrator—

should establish a schedule to define interfaces between all decennial 

systems so that the interface information can be provided on a timely basis 

to development teams. Consistent with the leading acquisition planning 

practice of strategically planning for contracts, the successful integration 

of decennial systems is a key factor in the Bureau’s ability to meet its 

Page 18 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
internal milestones. This integration will decrease the chance for 

unanticipated cost increases as well as technical and programmatic risks. 

To Date, the Bureau Has 

Monitored the Acquisition 

Planning Process for 

Individual Contracts 

Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning

Practice 1: Develop and implement a strategic plan for major programs that addresses how

 key contracts link to program goals

Practice 2: Develop and implement a process to monitor planning for key contracts

Practice 3: Ensure that relevant stakeholders are involved in the planning phase for key 

 contracts

Practice 4: Address changes in business processes that may occur as a result of increasing

 the agency’s reliance on contractors to accomplish its mission

Practice 5: Plan for the acquisition workforce strategically

Source: GAO.

Agencies relying on contractors should monitor planning activities leading 

up to contract award so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken if 

the process begins to deviate from plan. These planning activities involve

(1) planning for and performing the actions necessary to develop and issue

a solicitation package, (2) preparing for the evaluation of responses, 

(3) conducting an evaluation, (4) conducting supporting negotiations, and

(5) making recommendations for award of the contract. Without 

appropriate monitoring of acquisition planning, agencies run the risk of 

delaying contract award and other contract milestones, which can result in 

acquisitions becoming more costly than necessary. 

The Bureau has monitored activities leading up to contract award for the 

three major contracts it has awarded and is monitoring its acquisition 

planning for the remaining four major contracts. For two of its awarded 

contracts—MTAIP and DRIS—the Bureau has established acquisition 

project schedules and processes, while also tracking whether its 

acquisition activities are performed on time through the maintenance,

review, and inspection of detailed contract files. The Bureau was relatively 

close to meeting the dates specified in its contracts’ revised planning 

schedules for the issuance of the MTAIP and DRIS RFPs and subsequent 

award of those contracts. The Bureau has also been monitoring the 

planning process for the award of its remaining major decennial contracts.

Page 19 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Continued monitoring of contractor performance after contract award will 

also factor heavily into the success of major decennial contracts. For 

example, in our March 2006 testimony10 focusing on the DRIS and FDCA 

contracts, we noted that several plans needed for post-award contract 

monitoring for the two contracts, such as detailed performance measures 

for tracking the contractor or the Bureau’s own internal progress, were 

not yet developed. While the Bureau does not have a policy requiring such

plans to be completed prior to contract award, not having them in place 

could limit the Bureau’s ability to determine when performance deviates 

from expectations and could increase the risk of delays in identifying 

problems with the project and taking appropriate corrective actions. 

The Bureau Has So Far 

Involved Relevant 

Stakeholders in the 

Acquisition Planning 

Process 

Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning

Practice 1: Develop and implement a strategic plan for major programs that addresses how

 key contracts link to program goals

Practice 2: Develop and implement a process to monitor planning for key contracts

Practice 3: Ensure that relevant stakeholders are involved in the planning phase for key 

 contracts

Practice 4: Address changes in business processes that may occur as a result of increasing

 the agency’s reliance on contractors to accomplish its mission

Practice 5: Plan for the acquisition workforce strategically

Source: GAO.

In our previous work,11 we found that engaging relevant stakeholders12 and 

empowering them to coordinate acquisition actions help agencies to better 

define their needs and to identify, select, and manage providers of goods 

and services. For the inputs of stakeholders to be useful during the 

acquisition planning phase, careful selection of relevant stakeholders is 

necessary. A plan for stakeholder involvement should include a list of 

 10GAO-06-444T. 

11GAO, Framework for Assessing the Acquisition Function at Federal Agencies, 

GAO-05-218G (Washington, D.C.: September 2005). 

12Relevant stakeholders include representatives from program offices, contract officials, 

financial managers, human capital officials, and information technology officials. 

Page 20 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
relevant stakeholders, the roles and responsibilities of the relevant 

stakeholders, and a schedule for stakeholder involvement. The Bureau, in 

its evaluations of the 2000 Census, reported that it could have had greater 

involvement from internal division stakeholders in its planning process. 

Likewise, the Commerce Office of Inspector General found that 

inadequate stakeholder participation—namely, the lack of coordination 

between the General Services Administration (GSA), the contractors GSA 

managed, and Bureau staff—resulted in many wasted hours of government 

employee time and increased contractor cost on the contract involving the 

opening of over 500 local offices during the 2000 Census. 

For some decennial contracts, the Bureau developed plans that include a 

list of relevant stakeholders, their roles and responsibilities, and schedules 

of when the involvement of each is needed. For example, the project 

management plan for the FDCA contract includes a strategy to

communicate between internal and external stakeholders and the different 

management and technical teams that will provide oversight of the FDCA 

contract. It also details specific roles and responsibilities for individuals 

within project teams that will support the management and technical 

activities for the FDCA contract. In another example, the charter for the 

DRIS acquisition review team details the composition of the team, 

membership responsibilities, and guidelines in reviewing the acquisition of 

the system. 

After contract award, Bureau attention to stakeholder involvement will 

remain important. For example, each participant’s role in post-contractaward activities should be clearly defined and shared among stakeholders 

for each contract. We noted in our testimony evaluating the Bureau’s 

progress on the DRIS contract13 that in at least one case, the Bureau has 

not yet obtained written stakeholder buy-in on a project plan for managing 

the contract.

 13GAO-06-444T. 

Page 21 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
The Bureau Has 

Implemented Actions to 

Address Changes in 

Business Processes 

Resulting from Its 

Increasing Reliance on 

Contractors 

Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning

Practice 1: Develop and implement a strategic plan for major programs that addresses how

 key contracts link to program goals

Practice 2: Develop and implement a process to monitor planning for key contracts

Practice 3: Ensure that relevant stakeholders are involved in the planning phase for key 

 contracts

Practice 4: Address changes in business processes that may occur as a result of 

 increasing the agency’s reliance on contractors to accomplish its mission

Practice 5: Plan for the acquisition workforce strategically

Source: GAO.

An agency’s increased reliance on contractors may result in changes to its

business processes that can adversely affect staff and the performance of 

the contractor. For example, a 2003 IBM study14 found that during the 2000 

Census, some Bureau employees felt threatened by the presence of 

contractors because they believed that their roles and responsibilities had 

been taken away from them. Additionally, the Bureau did not have 

established processes to transfer knowledge and information from Bureau 

personnel to contractors. This lack of effective communication created 

tensions and engendered a less-than-constructive working relationship 

between contractors and Bureau staff, according to IBM. Moreover, the

study found that because Bureau employees did not know how to properly 

define contractual requirements and deliverables, there were cost 

overruns. 

For the 2010 Census, the Bureau has planned several needed changes to its 

business processes. For example, to improve how it defines contractual 

requirements and deliverables, project teams led by the Bureau’s 

Decennial Management Division are to oversee the development and 

management of requirements for particular operations and associated 

contracts. The teams will also work in conjunction with contractors to 

facilitate the understanding and execution of system requirements. 

 14IBM Business Consulting Services, Management Evaluation of Census 2000 

(Washington, D.C.: Oct. 8, 2003). 

Page 22 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
To improve communication between Bureau and contractor staff, Bureau 

officials are relying on the 2010 Census Architecture to provide a formal 

means of sharing processes and requirements with contractors. Other 

Bureau officials have observed that the sharing of 2010 Census 

Architecture work products with contractors that has occurred to date has 

already resulted in improvements: the Bureau received better proposals 

from potential contractors, better conveyed its systems needs to 

contractors during the RFP phase, and had a means to provide answers to 

contractors’ inquiries about systems specifications. 

The Bureau Has Taken 

Steps to Plan for Its 

Decennial Acquisition 

Workforce, but Needs to 

Fully Incorporate Key 

Strategic Workforce 

Planning Principles 

Selected Leading Practices for Acquisition Planning

Practice 1: Develop and implement a strategic plan for major programs that addresses how

 key contracts link to program goals

Practice 2: Develop and implement a process to monitor planning for key contracts

Practice 3: Ensure that relevant stakeholders are involved in the planning phase for key 

 contracts

Practice 4: Address changes in business processes that may occur as a result of increasing

 the agency's reliance on contractors to accomplish its mission

Practice 5: Plan for the acquisition workforce strategically

Source: GAO.

Agencies that rely heavily on acquisitions to accomplish their missions 

stand to benefit greatly by planning strategically for their acquisition 

workforces. In a previous report, we noted that this planning should 

include developing a strategic workforce plan that defines the capabilities 

that will be needed by the acquisition workforce in the future, as well as 

strategies that can help this workforce meet these capabilities.15 During the 

2000 Census, the Bureau experienced some difficulty managing its 

contracts because of a lack of skilled acquisition and contractmanagement personnel.

For example, the Commerce Office of Inspector General reported that, 

because the Bureau’s Decennial Systems and Contracts Management 

 15GAO-05-218G. 

Page 23 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Office lacked staff with the experience needed to manage large-scale 

contracts, the Bureau did not prepare a written contract surveillance and 

management plan when it awarded a contract to a firm to help 

respondents complete their census questionnaires over the telephone. 

(Surveillance and management plans describe the responsibilities, roles, 

and interactions among the program office, contracting officer, and 

contractor.) Although the Department of Commerce, in commenting on a 

draft of this report, noted that the Bureau carried out these surveillance 

and management activities without a written plan, a written plan would 

have provided greater assurance that the contracts were (1) executed 

successfully, (2) not changed without authorization, and (3) that the 

contractor performs as expected. For the 2010 Census, the Bureau 

continues to face acquisition workforce challenges. 

Senior officials told us that the agency lacks and has trouble recruiting 

qualified acquisition personnel with the necessary experience and skills to

award and oversee complex contracts. Additionally, the Bureau has not 

strengthened the monitoring of its mission-critical workforce more closely 

and at a higher level, as we noted in a June 2005 report.16 (According to a 

Commerce planning document, the Bureau considers its decennial 

acquisition workforce to be mission-critical.) For example, the Bureau did 

not identify its decennial acquisition workforce in its overall human 

capital management plan, nor did it solicit the input of the Acquisition 

Division in developing that plan. An April 2005 Office of Management and 

Budget policy letter to federal departments and agencies underscores the 

importance of this type of planning by requiring high-level acquisition 

officials to provide substantial input to their agency’s human capital 

strategic plans regarding the acquisition workforce.17

We have previously identified five key principles that strategic workforce 

planning should address: (1) involving top management, employees, and

other stakeholders in developing and implementing the workforce plan; 

(2) determining critical skills and competencies needed to achieve 

programmatic results; (3) developing strategies tailored to address gaps in 

critical skills and competencies; (4) building the capability needed to 

 16GAO, Human Capital: Selected Agencies Have Opportunities to Enhance Existing 

Succession Planning and Management Efforts, GAO-05-585 (Washington, D.C.: June 30, 

2005). 

17Office of Management and Budget, Developing and Managing the Acquisition Workforce, 

Policy Letter 05-01 (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 15, 2005). 

Page 24 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
address administrative, educational, and other requirements important to 

support workforce strategies; and (5) monitoring and evaluating the 

agency’s progress toward its human capital goals.

18

The Bureau has incorporated some key strategic workforce planning 

principles in planning for its acquisition workforce,19 but primarily at a 

division level. Divisions within the Bureau that have responsibility for 

acquisition-related staff have independently implemented certain strategic 

workforce planning actions, including working to determine the critical 

skills and competencies needed to award and manage decennial contracts 

and developing strategies to have adequate skilled staff in place in time for 

the decennial. For example, as part of its workforce planning, the 

Decennial Systems and Contracts Management Office retained a 

contractor to conduct a study of what grades, competencies, and skills 

were needed to effectively manage the DRIS contract. Bureau divisions are 

also turning to formal training to enhance the capabilities of their staff. 

For instance, the Decennial Management Division is requiring some of its 

employees to take project management or contracting officer’s technical 

representative training. Likewise, the Decennial Systems and Contracts 

Management Office has trained some of its staff in program management 

as well as in the development of enterprise architecture. 

At an agencywide level, the Bureau has taken some initial steps to identify 

the skills and competencies needed to manage contracts, but more could 

be done. For example, in the Bureau’s strategic human capital plan, the 

Bureau acknowledges that project and contract management are among 

the new skills required for its staff for the reengineering of the 2010 

Census. To build the capacity to help staff obtain these and other skills, 

the Bureau has established a Project Management Master’s Certificate 

Program and an Information Technology Master’s Certificate Program, and 

has developed competency guides as well. According to Commerce, these 

certificate programs, initiated in 1998, are a way to develop the 

management and leadership skills needed in mid-to-senior level career 

 18GAO, Human Capital: Key Principles for Effective Strategic Workforce Planning, 

GAO-04-39 (Washington, D.C.: Dec. 11, 2003).

19The Bureau defines its acquisition workforce broadly, including in its definition both

Acquisition Division employees, such as contracting officers and contract specialists, and 

employees in other divisions that play a significant role in acquisitions, such as contracting 

officer technical representatives, program managers, and individuals responsible for 

defining contract requirements. 

Page 25 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
employees to successfully oversee Bureau operations well beyond the 

2010 Census. 

However, the Bureau still lacks an agencywide approach to strategically

planning for its acquisition workforce. First, as we previously noted,20 the 

Bureau does not assess or monitor gaps in numbers by mission-critical 

occupation at an agencywide level. Instead, it focuses on “building 

infrastructure” by recruiting and developing competencies. The Bureau 

delegates decisions to line managers to fill vacancies, and believes there is 

no need to assess workers by mission-critical categories. In not 

performing this agencywide assessment, the Bureau cannot monitor its 

mission-critical occupations related to acquisitions more closely and at a 

higher level within the agency. As a result, it may not know overall if it has

the acquisition-related competencies it needs in place agencywide to be 

prepared for conducting the 2010 Census as efficiently or effectively as 

possible. 

Second, the Bureau has not identified the needs of its decennial 

acquisition workforce in its agencywide human capital management, nor 

has it developed a separate plan specific to the acquisition workforce that 

identifies these needs. Further, according to Bureau officials in the 

Acquisition Division, their input was not sought in the development of the 

Bureau’s existing human capital management plan. 

This lack of high-level attention to the decennial acquisition workforce in 

the Bureau’s strategic human capital planning process is notable, 

especially in light of the Bureau’s challenges of recruiting qualified 

acquisition personnel. It will be important for the Bureau to address the 

needs of its acquisition workforce in its agencywide human capital 

management plan or a separate plan and to involve the Acquisition 

Division in this planning effort. Taking these actions would help facilitate 

a better alignment between the acquisition workforce and the demands 

brought on by the Bureau’s greater reliance on contractors for the 

successful conduct of the 2010 Census. 

As the 2010 Census approaches, the Bureau faces the challenge of 

managing its extensive network of contractors to perform mission-critical 

operations. The Bureau is well aware that early planning, testing, and 

development will help facilitate a successful decennial census. Acquisition

Conclusion 

 20GAO-05-585. 

Page 26 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
planning plays a key role in that process and provides a road map the 

Bureau can use to manage its contracts to increase the likelihood of timely 

deliverables at reasonable cost. 

Overall, progress on the seven major decennial contracts is moving 

forward. Still, as Census Day 2010 draws closer, it will become 

increasingly difficult for the Bureau to make up any time lost to delays. 

Already, aspects of the Bureau’s DADS II system will not be assessed in 

the dress rehearsal because of a change in the contract’s acquisition 

milestones, while changes to FDCA time frames have reduced the amount 

of time the Bureau will have to complete the work needed to prepare for,

and begin the dress rehearsal. 

Further, to help the contractors stay on track, Bureau officials will need to 

document a schedule for when information needs to be exchanged 

between contractors and census teams working to develop these 

interoperable systems for the 2010 Census. The Bureau also needs to pay

attention to strategically—and at an agencywide level—managing the 

human capital planning for its acquisition workforce. 

To help the Bureau improve the management of the 2010 Census, we 

recommend that the Secretary of Commerce direct the Bureau to take the

following three actions:

Recommendations for 

Executive Action 

• Ensure that the key systems to be developed or provided by contractors 

for the 2010 Census are fully functional and ready to be assessed in 

concert with other operations as part of the 2008 Dress Rehearsal. 

• Establish a schedule for the definition of interfaces between all decennial 

systems so that these data can be provided on a timely basis to 

development teams. 

• Devote further attention to planning strategically for its decennial 

acquisition workforce by (1) assessing, at a higher level within the agency, 

whether it has the acquisition-related skills needed to conduct the 2010 

Census by developing strategies to identify and address gaps, monitoring 

and evaluating progress toward closing gaps, and adjusting strategies 

accordingly; and (2) identifying the needs of the acquisition workforce in 

its human capital management plan or another acquisition-specific 

workforce plan and involving appropriate stakeholders in this planning 

effort. 

Page 27 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
In written comments on a draft of this report, Commerce neither agreed

nor disagreed with our recommendations. Commerce commented on 

aspects of our principal findings and our third recommendation regarding

its planning for the decennial acquisition workforce. Its comments 

included some technical corrections and suggestions where additional 

context was needed, and we revised the report to reflect these comments 

as appropriate. Commerce’s comments are reprinted in their entirety in 

appendix II.

Commerce did comment on our first principal finding concerning the 

Bureau’s readiness for the 2008 Dress Rehearsal. This finding led to our 

first recommendation for the Bureau to ensure that its key systems are 

fully functional and ready to be assessed in concert with other operations 

during the dress rehearsal. Commerce noted that the Bureau provided 

competitors for the FDCA contract information about the design, 

requirements, and specifications for the 2006 Test in its RFP (we have now 

added this information to our report). Commerce also noted that the 

Bureau will be sharing preliminary results from the 2006 Test with 

Harris—the firm that was awarded the contract—as soon as the results are 

available. However, the Bureau did not specify when this might be. 

Moreover, as we discussed in the report, the mobile computing devices 

will need to be ready by April 2007, when the Bureau is to use them for the 

address canvassing operation for the 2008 Dress Rehearsal. Consequently,

the contractor will have around a year, perhaps less, to study the results of 

the 2006 Test; assess what worked and what improvements, if any, are 

needed; and develop and test any solutions in time to be included in the 

devices that will be used in 2007. 

For our second principal finding that the Bureau does not have a schedule 

for defining what and when information needs to be provided to 

development teams to better integrate the systems they develop, 

Commerce did not comment on our recommendation for the Bureau to 

develop such a schedule, but stated that it was not clear how the Bureau 

could have had such a schedule prior to awarding the contracts. 

Commerce further noted that the Bureau plans to implement a joint effort 

with its contractors and in-house developers to integrate its development 

schedules. Our report acknowledged that the Bureau intended to define 

these information needs after it awards the major information technology 

contracts. We believe that establishing a schedule defining the interfaces 

between all decennial systems as soon as practical is critical because it 

allows the Bureau to better manage the process and hold various 

components accountable to a schedule and thus help ensure the 

successful integration of decennial systems. 

Agency Comments 

and Our Evaluation 

Page 28 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
In its comments related to our third finding and recommendation for the 

Bureau to assess the decennial acquisition workforce at a higher level

within the agency, Commerce described the actions the Bureau is taking 

consistent with this recommendation. For example, Commerce reported 

that high-level Bureau officials will be regularly briefed on the status of 

each decennial acquisition. Commerce also detailed the steps the Bureau 

is taking with stakeholders to plan for the needs of the Bureau’s 

acquisition-related workforce as part of its human capital management 

plan. Commerce noted that this plan includes input from managers who 

represent each Bureau directorate. 

These are important first steps toward addressing our third 

recommendation. While the Bureau has begun working closely with 

stakeholders to plan for the decennial acquisition workforce as part of its 

human capital management plan, it has not yet begun incorporating that 

information into the plan. As we stated in our report, documenting its 

decennial acquisition workforce needs in the Bureau’s strategic human 

capital plan would help facilitate a better alignment between the 

acquisition workforce and the demands brought on by the Bureau’s 

greater reliance on contractors for the successful conduct of the 2010 

Census. 

In addition, Commerce commented on information in our report that was 

obtained from our March 2006 testimony and a 2002 Commerce Office of 

Inspector General study. Specifically, our report notes that in March 2006,

we testified that neither the FDCA nor DRIS contract project offices had 

the full set of capabilities they need to effectively manage those 

acquisitions.21 Commerce commented that full project management offices 

were not needed to carry out the Bureau’s initial acquisitions and will be 

staffed in time to effectively manage the contracts. As discussed in the 

testimony and noted in our report, a full set of capabilities—including the 

institution of requirements management or risk management processes—

are significant factors in successful systems acquisitions and development 

programs. Having these capabilities in place will also improve the 

likelihood of meeting cost and schedule estimates as well as performance 

requirements. Regarding the Inspector General’s study, we noted that the

Inspector General found that the cost of the data capture system for the 

2000 Census increased almost fivefold by the end of that decennial cycle 

because of continually changing and expanding requirements late in the 

 21GAO-06-444T. 

Page 29 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
decade, and the Inspector General recommended that for 2010, the Bureau

would need a sufficient number of trained personnel dedicated to the 

planning and management of decennial contracts. In its comments, 

Commerce noted that the issue of changing and expanding requirements 

must be addressed by program management, and that the Bureau, in its 

preparations for the 2010 Census, is following practices for rigorous 

requirements management. 

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Commerce, 

Commerce Office of Inspector General, the Director of the U.S. Census 

Bureau and other interested congressional committees. We will make 

copies available to others upon request. This report will also be available 

at no charge on GAO’s Web site at http://www.gao.gov. 

If you or your staff have any questions concerning this report, please 

contact me on (202) 512-6806 or by email at farrellb@gao.gov. Contact 

points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may 

be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made major 

contributions to this report are listed in appendix VIII. 

Brenda S. Farrell 

Acting Director 

Strategic Issues 

Page 30 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 

Our objectives for this report were to (1) determine the status of the U.S. 

Census Bureau’s (Bureau) major contracts related to the 2010 Census, and 

(2) evaluate the extent to which the Bureau is using selected leading 

practices to manage its acquisition planning process for the decennial 

census. To address our first objective, we reviewed documents related to 

major 2010 Census acquisitions, including acquisition plans, requests for 

proposals (RFP), finalized contracts, and budget requests to the Office of

Management and Budget. We also reviewed the Bureau’s strategic 

planning documents, such as its 2010 Census Management Plan, 2010 

Census Architecture, and 2010 Baseline Design for Reengineering the 

Decennial Census. 

Additionally, we interviewed Bureau officials about the status of and 

future plans for the major contracts for the 2010 Census (as defined by

Bureau officials). Those officials include those from the Decennial 

Management Division, which is responsible for implementing the 

decennial census; the Decennial Systems and Contracts Management 

Office, which manages selected system contracts supporting the decennial 

census; and the Acquisition Division, which carries out acquisition 

activities, including setting up and signing contracts, for other Bureau 

offices. Further, we interviewed an official from the Decennial Information 

Technology and Geographic Systems division. 

For the second objective, we identified selected leading acquisition 

planning practices used in the federal government from a variety of 

sources. Sources included our own guidance, reports, and testimonies on 

the acquisition function1

 as well as external works, such as the Capability 

Maturity Model® Integration (CMMISM)

2

 model. The CMMISM model was 

developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute, 

recognized for its expertise in software and system processes. The CMMISM

model includes criteria to evaluate, improve, and manage system and 

software development processes. We adapted these CMMISM criteria to 

evaluate system and software development issues during acquisition 

planning for the four information technology contracts (Field Data 

Collection Automation, Decennial Response Integration System, 

MAF/TIGER Accuracy Improvement Project, and Data Access and 

 1

See for example, GAO, Framework for Assessing the Acquisition Function at Federal

Agencies, GAO-05-218G (Washington, D.C.: September 2005).

2

CMM®, Capability Maturity Model, and Capability Maturity Modeling are registered in the

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. CMMISM is a service mark of Carnegie Mellon University.

Page 31 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 

Dissemination System II). From these, we selected five leading practices 

based on the acquisition-related challenges the Bureau faced during 

Census 2000. The five leading practices we selected focused on

management oversight of the Bureau’s acquisition planning process, not 

on the Bureau’s acquisition strategy for specific contracts or compliance 

with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. 

To evaluate the extent to which the Bureau followed these leading 

practices, we reviewed relevant Bureau documents, such as acquisition 

plans, strategic planning documents, RFPs, finalized contracts, and budget

requests to the Office of Management and Budget; observed some 

acquisition-related events at the Bureau, including Bureau presentations 

for potential bidders and contract monitoring meetings; and interviewed 

knowledgeable Bureau officials about acquisition planning. We focused on

the Bureau’s activities to date in planning for its major decennial 

contracts. Because the Bureau is still planning most of these acquisitions,

our review presents findings about current status and plans as reported by 

Bureau officials or as supported by Bureau documents. We conducted our 

work from July 2005 through March 2006 in accordance with generally

accepted government auditing standards. 

Page 32 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix II: Comments from the Department Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Commerce 

of Commerce 

Page 33 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce 

Page 34 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce 

Page 35 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce 

Page 36 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce 

Page 37 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce 

Page 38 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
Appendix III: 

Improve

Details 

MAF/TIGER Accuracy

ment Project (MTAIP) Contract 

Page 39 GAO-06-277 

Appendix III: MAF/TIGER Accuracy 

Improvement Project (MTAIP) Contract 

Details 

Sources: GAO (analysis); U.S. Census Bureau (data and image).

(1) Conduct overall technical analysis necessary to finalize technical decisions involving requirements, source 

data, and the relationship of these factors to cost; and (2) engage in overall planning necessary to finalize 

approach for Phase II activities

Harris implements MTAIP contract to improve the accuracy of the information in the MAF and associated TIGER 

database

FY

2002

FY

2003

FY

2003

FY

2010

Stage Start End Main activities

Schedule

Additional information

The primary goal of the contract awarded to the Harris Corporation (Harris) is to correct 

information in the Bureau’s repository of the location of every street, boundary, and other 

map feature (known as the TIGER database) so that coordinates are aligned with their 

true geographic locations. Harris will also develop a capability to link each of these 

geographic locations and coordinates on file with a corresponding record to the Bureau’s

address list of where people live and work (also known as MAF). 

Contract details Contract scope

Contractor:

Contract type: 

Estimated cost: 

RFP release date:

Award date:

Harris Corporation

Cost plus award fee 

and some fixed price 

elements 

$209 million

November 2001

June 2002

Phase I

Phase II

• 2010 Census: MAF/TIGER will interface with several entities that are external to 

 the program. Some entities include the Decennial Response Integration System (DRIS)— 

 with which it will coordinate to maintain data as geography records are created, 

updated, or deleted—and the Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) system, with 

 which it will work to store spatial coordinates for the mobile computing devices 

provided by the FDCA contractor. 

• Activities to date: According to Bureau documents, Harris, as planned, completed work 

 for 75 counties in fiscal year 2003, the first year of production for the contract. Bureau 

 documents also show that in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, Harris was both on schedule and 

 within budget, completing work for 602 counties in 2004 and 623 counties in 2005. 

Similarly, for the first 2 months of fiscal year 2006, Harris was also on schedule and 

 within budget. Bureau plans call for Harris to finish improving all remaining counties by 

 the end of fiscal year 2008.

• Census 2000: The Bureau developed a functionally integrated set of computer files and applications—MAF/TIGER—that required 

 large columns of information from many external sources to establish and maintain a current and accurate housing unit address list, 

 boundaries for all governments, address ranges to facilitate geocoding various files, and other map information. 

Far Ct.

Deep Bay

Bayview Drive

Main St.

Beach Point

A St.

Bend Road

A Ct.

2010 Census
A

Sy

ppendix IV: Decennial Response Integration

stem (DRIS) Contract Details 

Page 40 GAO-06-277 

Appendix IV: Decennial Response Integration 

System (DRIS) Contract Details 

Sources: GAO (analysis); U.S. Census Bureau (data and image).

Develop detailed program management and technical documentation 

Implement program management, technical, and operational functions needed for the 2008 Dress Rehearsal

Acquire, upgrade, and set up facilities, complete national deployment of DRIS components and full-scale 

production operations for the 2010 Census, and prepare for closeout

Address post-2010 Census disposition and archiving

September 

2006

December 

2008

January 

2011

Contract 

end

October 

2005

October 

2006

August 

2008

July 

2010

Phase IA

Phase IB

Phase II

Phase III

• Census 2000: The Bureau procured key elements of its data capture and processing 

system from different contractors, and it developed in-house a system for collecting data 

 from the Internet. The Bureau was also responsible for integrating data collected through 

 the different modes of capture (paper, telephone, Internet, and field operations). 

• 2010 Census: The DRIS contract will allow the Bureau to have a single contractor design, 

 develop, and implement a system to integrate data from all of the response modes. 

• Activities to date: The Bureau began acquisition planning for DRIS in 2003. Between 

 2003 and contract award, it performed planning and solicitation activities including 

 conducting research on data capture, developing planning documents, drafting and 

 issuing a RFP, and evaluating proposals from vendors. The Bureau awarded the contract 

 on schedule in October 2005.

Stage Start End Main activities

Schedule

Additional information

The DRIS contractor will be responsible for designing, building, and operating the 

systems, staffing, and infrastructure to

• process census data provided by respondents via census forms, telephone agents, 

 the Internet, and enumerators;

• assist the public via telephone and Internet; and

• monitor the quality and status of the data capture operations.

The DRIS contract does not include providing the systems or staffing used for field 

enumeration operations.

Contract details Contract scope

Contractor:

Contract type:

Estimated cost:

RFP release date:

Award date:

Lockheed Martin 

Corporation

Cost plus award fee 

with some 

firm fixed price 

elements

More than $500 million

February 2005

October 2005

2010 Census
A

Au

ppendix V: Field Data Collection 

tomation (FDCA) Contract Details

Page 41 GAO-06-277 

Appendix V: Field Data Collection 

Automation (FDCA) Contract Details 

Sources: GAO (analysis); U.S. Census Bureau (data and image).

Activities associated with creating management plans and addressing in detail the first major phase 

(Execution Period #1) of FDCA implementation

Activities proposed by the FDCA contractor to support field operations to conduct the 2008 Dress Rehearsal 

(Mar. 2006 – Mar. 2009)

All activities proposed by the FDCA contractor to support field operations to conduct the 2010 Census

(April 2006 – Sept. 2010)

Operational closeout and contract closeout activities as reflected in the FDCA contractor’s Work Breakdown 

Schedule within this period of performance

May 

2006

December 

2008

September 

2011

December

2011

March 

2006

June 

2006

January 

2009

August 

2010

• Census 2000: Field data collection was predominantly handled through paper address 

 lists, maps, and questionnaires. 

• 2010 Census: FDCA is designed to support the Bureau’s field data collection activities 

and also interface with the Decennial Response Integration System, the Bureau’s data 

 capture system. 

• Activities to date: The Bureau moved the award date for FDCA from the end of the 2005 

 calendar year to March 2006 to enable potential contractors to develop, at their own 

 expense, a “near production ready” prototype system for address canvassing, which will 

 be evaluated as part of source selection.

Stage Start End Main activities

Schedule

Additional information

FDCA will provide the automation for the Bureau to capture information collected 

during personal interviews, eliminating the need for paper maps and address lists for 

address canvassing and nonresponse follow-up. The FDCA contractor will provide

• office automation for 12 regional census centers, the Puerto Rico area office, 

and approximately 500 offices;

• the telecommunications infrastructure for headquarters, regional, and local offices;

• mobile computing devices for field workers;

• integration with other 2010 Census systems; and

• development, deployment, technical support, deinstallation, and disposal services.

Contract details Contract scope

Contractor:

Contract type:

Estimated cost:

RFP release date:

Award date:

Harris Corporation

Cost reimbursement 

with multiple 

incentives

$600 million

June 2005

March 2006

Baseline 

planning period

Execution 

Period #1

Execution 

Period #2

Execution 

Period #3

2010 Census
Appendix VI: D

Sy

ata Access and Dissemination 

stem (DADS II) Contract Details 

Page 42 GAO-06-277 

Appendix VI: Data Access and Dissemination 

System (DADS II) Contract Details 

Transition planning: gain in-depth knowledge of existing DADS systems and develop a detailed transition plan 

for Phase II and Phase III

Transition: implement, execute, manage, and control the Transition Plan for Phase II and III; transfer responsibilities from the previous DADS contractor

Production: assume full responsibility for all functions, including all activities described in the performance 

work statement

October

2006

January

2007

July

2007

December

2006

June

2007

June

2016

• 2010 Census: The contractor will be required to provide a replacement of the legacy system 

 to form an integrated solution. The contractor is also expected to provide comprehensive support 

 to the Census 2000 DADS system. 

• Activities to date: The Bureau originally planned to establish a new Web portal for the public to 

access all census data and to integrate many of the dissemination functions. Because of fiscal and 

 resource constraints, it decided not to invest in this new initiative, but instead to pursue a 

 follow-on acquisition to the DADS program. In March 2006, the Bureau announced that it will 

 delay the release of the solicitation and contract award date to gain a clearer sense of budget 

priorities before issuing a delegation of procurement authority. It also changed the scope of the 

 contract to ask contractors to develop a replacement to its legacy system.

Stage Start End Main activities

Schedule

Additional information

DADS, developed prior to Census 2000, is the Bureau’s system for tabulating and 

disseminating data from the decennial census and other Bureau surveys to the public. 

DADS allows users to access prepackaged data products, as well as to build custom 

reports through its American FactFinder Web site. The Bureau will require the DADS II 

contractor to replace the legacy DADS system that the Bureau used during Census

2000.

Contract details Contract scope

Contractor:

Contract type: 

Estimated cost:

RFP release date:

Award date:

To be determined

To be determined 

To be determined

Estimated August 

2006

Estimated October 

2006

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Sources: GAO (analysis); U.S. Census Bureau (data and image).

• Census 2000: The Bureau developed the DADS program in order to meet customer demand for faster, more flexible access to 

 census data. The program was developed in multiple phases, first launching as a pilot project developed in-house, and then being 

 managed through a contract with IBM awarded in April 1997. 

2010 Census
A

C

ppendix VII: Summaries of Major Decennial 

ontracts Planned for Award in 2007 or Later

Page 43 GAO-06-277 

Appendix VII: Summaries of Major Decennial 

Contracts Planned for Award in 2007 or Later

Census 2000 experience: The Bureau used GPO to contract for decennial printing jobs, 

such as the printing of questionnaire packages, field follow-up forms, and promotional 

materials. GPO then selected dozens of private sector companies to perform the work. 

Contracts for printing Census 2000 material totaled over $65 million and included the 

printing of almost 400 million items.

2010 acquisition plans: The Bureau will again work with GPO to contract for its

printing needs. In March 2007, the Bureau plans to award one major contract for one of 

its most complex printing operations, including the printing of questionnaires and other 

materials for the mail out/mail back and replacement mailing operations. Contracts for 

the printing of other products, such as military census forms and reminder postcards, will 

be awarded separately beginning in late 2008.

Agency managing contracts: Government 

Printing Office (GPO)

Estimated cost: To be determined

Award date: Estimated March 2007 (contract for 

major operations); November 2008 – June 2009 

(other printing contracts)

2010 Census Printing Contracts

Census 2000 experience: The Bureau awarded a contract to Young & Rubicam, along

with four partner agencies, to create and produce an advertising campaign to inform and 

motivate the public to complete and return the census form. The campaign was considered an operational success, and was one of the factors that helped boost response rates.

2010 acquisition plans: While the scope of the 2010 Communications contract has not 

yet been determined, it may include some or all of the components of the 2000 Communications Program (advertising, media relations, and special events, among others). The 

Bureau plans for it to be part of an integrated communications program where all 

components work together to motivate participation in the 2010 Census.

2010 Communications Contract

Census 2000 experience: The Bureau and GSA formed a partnership that obtained 

leases, oversaw the build-out construction of offices, arranged for security and for data

and voice telecommunications, and provided office equipment and supplies. All local 

census offices were successfully opened in sufficient time to conduct operations.

2010 acquisition plans: As in Census 2000, the Bureau has established an interagency

agreement with GSA to structure lease agreements. The Bureau expects to lease 12 

regional census centers, 1 Puerto Rico area office, and approximately 500 local census

offices nationwide and in Puerto Rico.

Agency managing leasing: General Services 

Administration (GSA)

Estimated cost: To be determined

Award date: Estimated that leases will be signed 

starting in April 2007 and continuing through 

June 2009

Contractor: To be determined

Estimated cost: To be determined

Award date: Estimated 2007

Decennial Census Leasing

Sources: GAO (analysis); U.S. Census Bureau (data and images).

2010 Census
Appendix VIII: 

A

GAO Contact and Staff 

cknowledgments 

Page 44 GAO-06-277 

Appendix VIII: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments 

Brenda S. Farrell (202) 512-6806 or farrellb@gao.gov

In addition to the contact named above, Robert Goldenkoff, Assistant 

Director; Betty Clark; Shirley Hwang; Anne McDonough-Hughes; and 

Brendan St. Amant made key contributions to the report. Tim DiNapoli, 

Richard Donaldson, Richard Hung, John Krump, Donna Miller, and Amy 

Rosewarne provided significant technical support. 

GAO Contact 

Acknowledgments 

2010 Census
Related GAO Products 

Page 45 GAO-06-277 

Related GAO Products 

2010 Census: Planning and Testing Activities Are Making Progress. 

GAO-06-465T. Washington, D.C.: March 1, 2006. 

Census Bureau: Important Activities for Improving Management of Key 

2010 Decennial Acquisitions Remain to be Done. GAO-06-444T. 

Washington D.C.: March 1, 2006. 

Data Quality: Improvements to Count Correction Efforts Could Produce 

More Accurate Census Data. GAO-05-463. Washington, D.C.: June 20, 2005. 

Information Technology Management: Census Bureau Has Implemented

Many Key Practices, but Additional Actions Are Needed. GAO-05-661. 

Washington, D.C.: June 16, 2005. 

2010 Census: Basic Design Has Potential, but Remaining Challenges 

Need Prompt Resolution. GAO-05-9. Washington, D.C.: January 12, 2005. 

Data Quality: Census Bureau Needs to Accelerate Efforts to Develop and 

Implement Data Quality Review Standards. GAO-05-86. Washington, 

D.C.: November 17, 2004.

American Community Survey: Key Unresolved Issues. GAO-05-82. 

Washington, D.C.: October 8, 2004. 

2010 Census: Cost and Design Issues Need to Be Addressed Soon. GAO04-37. Washington, D.C.: January 15, 2004. 

Decennial Census: Lessons Learned for Locating and Counting Migrant 

and Seasonal Farm Workers. GAO-03-605. Washington, D.C.: July 3, 2003. 

Decennial Census: Methods for Collecting and Reporting Hispanic 

Subgroup Data Need Refinement. GAO-03-228. Washington, D.C.: 

January 17, 2003. 

Decennial Census: Methods for Collecting and Reporting Data on the 

Homeless and Others without Conventional Housing Need Refinement. 

GAO-03-227. Washington, D.C.: January 17, 2003. 

Framework for Assessing the Acquisition Function at Federal Agencies. 

GAO-05-218G. Washington, D.C.: September 2005. 

Selected GAO Reports on 

the 2010 Decennial Census 

Selected GAO Reports on 

Acquisition Planning 

2010 Census
Related GAO Products 

Human Capital: Selected Agencies Have Opportunities to Enhance 

Existing Succession Planning and Management Efforts. GAO-05-585. 

Washington, D.C.: June 30, 2005. 

Homeland Security: Successes and Challenges in DHS’s Efforts to Create

an Effective Acquisition Organization. GAO-05-179. Washington, D.C.: 

March 29, 2005. 

Transportation Security Administration: High-Level Attention Needed 

to Strengthen Acquisition Function. GAO-04-544. Washington, D.C.: 

May 28, 2004. 

Federal Procurement: Spending and Workforce Trends. GAO-03-443. 

Washington, D.C.: April 30, 2003. 

Acquisition Workforce: Status of Agency Efforts to Address Future 

Needs. GAO-03-55. Washington, D.C.: December 18, 2002. 

(450419) Page 46 GAO-06-277 2010 Census
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