Brief Overview of DICE and 

the Web Standards Team

Leslie Miller

Product Owner of Electronic Instruments, U.S. Census Bureau

Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology

October 27, 2022

This presentation is released to inform interested parties of research and to encourage discussion. 

The views expressed are those of the authors and not those of the U.S. Census Bureau.
What is the DICE 

Program and what 

makes it innovative?

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Mission:

To collect the data necessary to produce U.S. Census Bureau 

statistics

Vision:

To provide consistent, cost-effective, efficient, standard, and 

scalable data collection operations and technical solutions 

that support all directorate needs

For Internal Use Only 3
DICE provides the processes and solutions for Census Bureau data 

collection activities, organized into projects. The DICE systems 

development projects are:

• Adaptive Survey Design

• Data Ingest

• Electronic Correspondence

• Electronic Data Collection

• Operational Control

• Paper Data Collection

• Questionnaire Design and Metadata

For Internal Use Only 4
For Internal Use Only 5
DICE Web Standards Team

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Mission

Develop empirically-based web 

survey design standards that 

maximize data quality and minimize 

respondent burden

Outcome

Design standards that can be 

implemented for all Census Bureau 

web surveys

Create a corporate brand for 

Census Bureau web surveys that 

users can expect when asked to 

respond to our surveys

Deliverable

Web Survey Design Standards 

document with design templates 

implemented in the Questionnaire 

Design and Metadata and Centurion 

2 systems for the DICE program
Web 

Standards 

Team 

Process

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Brainstorm topics

Produced a list 

of over 50 

design 

components

Conduct Literature 

Review

Document the 

Standard if 

topic is well 

researched

Conduct experimental 

studies if there is no 

literature or gaps in 

the literature

Analyze data 

from 

experiments

Document the 

Standard
Engagement for Standards Development

• Fostered collaboration and buy-in with survey stakeholders via the 

DICE Instrument Creation Value Team. This team was made up of 

representatives from various Divisions around the Bureau to provide 

insight and feedback for their survey area needs

• Engaged internally with our Public Information Office, Policy and 

Security Offices to ensure that Census Bureau corporate branding and 

guidelines were implemented

• Gathered feedback from the development teams

• Allowed for a review period where Census Leadership was able to 

comment and provide feedback, and obtained their electronic 

signatures of acceptance

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DICE proposed timeline

• DICE will be onboarding more than 80 surveys over the next 8 

years

• First couple of surveys will be web-based self response in early 

2024

• Standards Team thus started with Web Survey Design Guidelines

• First CAPI survey (using a disconnected field device) will be in 

early 2025

• First CATI survey (web survey used by Census Bureau call 

agents) will be in early 2025

• Standards Team are beginning to develop CAPI/CATI guidelines

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Sample guideline 

allowing for some 

flexibility

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Implementation in QDM and Centurion 2

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• Default set in QDM based on 

Standards Team recommendation

• Ability to select additional values to 

meet survey needs

• How buttons display in Centurion 2
Thank you!

Leslie Miller

Leslie.Ann.Miller@census.gov

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