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Gemini Redesign Project High Level Timeline 

March 7, 2014 

Overview 

The Gemini project was started in 2009 to devise a plan for redesigning the survey. In July 2013, a 

redesign plan was approved. Over the next 10 years the redesign plan will be further detailed and tested, 

leading to implementation. The major milestones of the timeline are listed in this document. 

The timeline makes assumptions regarding the availability of funding. Adjustments to the timeline may 

be required based on test results. Tests are all designed to be iterative with each test building on its 

predecessor. 

Major Milestones 

2013 Web Diary Test 

A test of a web-based diary to collect expenditures was fielded in 2013. The test was designed to 

evaluate the feasibility and impact of using a web diary to collect CE diary expenditures. Lessons 

learned from this test have been incorporated into the Individual Diaries test (2014) and will be 

incorporated into the Proof-of-Concept test (2015). 

2014 Individual Diaries Test 

This study will test the feasibility and impact of using both individual diaries and multiple modes 

to collect CE diary expenditures and will be fielded in late 2014. Results from the Individual 

Diaries test will assist in building the Proof-of-Concept test (2015). 

2015 Expenditure categories 

Based on a combination of cognitive testing, expert judgment, and requirements, the final number 

of expenditure categories will be decided and made available. The minimum number of 

expenditure categories required in the redesign is 126, reduced from current survey level of over 

900. 

2015 Proof-of-Concept Test 

A small-scale proof-of-concept (POC) test will be fielded with a main objectives to validate the 

single-sample design, consisting of 2 personal visits with a diary week in between. The test will 

also provide information on the effectiveness of incentives, length of interviews, and respondents’ 

willingness and ability to complete each component of the interview. 
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2017 Questionnaire Revisions 

The last major biennial questionnaire revisions of the current surveys will be in 2017. This will 

free up systems and program office staff from work normally conducted for 2019 and 2021 

revisions. 

2018 Large-Scale Feasibility Test 

The large-scale feasibility test (LSF) will be designed to closely reflect all of the components of 

redesign; incorporating lessons learned from the web and individual diaries test, the proof-ofconcept test, and cognitive lab studies and additional research. Findings from the test will be 

used in planning the dress rehearsal. 

TBD Dress Rehearsal 

There will be a two-year dress rehearsal two years prior to the planned implementation date. This 

will be conducted as a dry-run of all procedures and systems developed for implementation. The 

first year of the dress rehearsal will focus on the content collected from the first wave, and 

validate each of the components is working as expected and as tested in the LSF. The second 

year of the dress rehearsal will focus on the results of the two-wave design. The end of the dress 

rehearsal test is designed to roll into full production implementation with the expectation that any 

required changes based on the LSF and wave 1 dress rehearsal analysis will have been previously 

implemented. Remaining processing and complete analysis of dress rehearsal data will occur 

after the implementation of the production sample in the field. The dress rehearsal will also 

provide a comparison to the production data so that any breaks in data series resulting from the 

redesign can be identified and documented. 

TBD Implementation 

Full implementation of the redesign will be dependent on funding availability and test results. 

Some of the previous dates may also adjust based on levels of funding. 

TBD Microdata and Publications 

Final systems work will be conducted following the implementation for Microdata and 

Publications. The first release of the redesigned production data will be expected the year 

following implementation.