1 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

An Introduction to the CE Gemini 

Redesign

Parvati Krishnamurty

CE Survey Methods Symposium

July 17, 2018
2 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

What is the Gemini Project?

“...aims to redesign the Consumer Expenditure (CE) survey to 

improve data quality through a verifiable reduction in 

measurement error—particularly error caused by underreporting.”
3 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Current CE Design

Consumer Expenditure Survey 

Estimates

- 4 waves of personal interviews

- 3 month recall

- Large or recurring expenditures

- 2 one-week household paper diaries

- Contemporaneous recall

- Small, frequently purchased items
4 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Gemini Redesign Plan

Post Wave

Non-monetary Incentive:

Spending Summary Report

Respondent 

engagement 

mailings

Diary Week

& Records Collection

Advance Mailing

Wave 1

Visit 1: Recall Interview

Visit 2: Records Interview

Wave 2

12 months 

between waves

Advance Mailing

Visit 1: Recall Interview

Diary Week

& Records Collection

Visit 2: Records Interview
5 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Gemini Redesign Original Plan

2013: 

Redesign 

Plan 

approved

2015: Proof 

of Concept 

test 

complete

2016: 

Incentives 

test 

complete

2017: Large 

Scale 

Feasibility 

Test Kickoff

2019: Large 

Scale 

Feasibility 

Test Fielded

Implementation 

of the CE 

redesign as a 

whole
6 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Gemini Redesign Revised Plan

2013: 

Redesign 

Plan 

approved

2015: Proof 

of Concept 

test 

complete

2016: 

Incentives 

test 

complete

2017: Large 

Scale 

Feasibility 

Online Diary 

Test Kickoff

2019-20: 

Large Scale 

Feasibility 

Online Diary 

Test Fielded

2022 onwards 

Phased 

Implementation
7 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Revised Plan: Phased Implementation

 Fielding costs higher than expected

 Redesign plan not budget neutral as anticipated

 Some redesign elements not supported strongly in the field tests 
8 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Elements

 Online Diary

 Personal diaries

 Streamlined CAPI instrument (lower level of detail)

 Incentives

 Two visits per wave

 Two waves per household

 Single sample
9 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Online Diary

Current 

Production:

Redesign 

Plan:
10 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Online Diary

Revised plan

Online diary with Paper diary 

back-up (two one week diaries)

Status

Keep. Continue with 

development and large-scale 

test of online diary. 
11 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Personal “Individual” Diaries

Household

Current 

Production:

Redesign 

Plan:
12 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Personal “Individual” Diaries

Revised plan

Household diary

Status

Remove. Previous tests have 

not shown improved data 

quality for personal diaries and 

have received negative 

feedback from respondents and 

interviewers.

Household
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Design Element: Level of Detail

$9.99

$500

$32.98

$299

$59

$900.97

Redesign 

Plan:

Current 

Production:
14 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Level of Detail

Revised plan

Less expenditure detail

Status

Keep.
15 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Incentives

Current 

Production: Redesign 

Plan:

Up to $105 for a family of 2

Thanks!
16 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Incentives

Revised plan

Token incentives with priority 

mail. 

Incentive for record use.

Status

Modify. Recent results show 

that the planned incentive 

structure does not provide large 

enough increases to response 

rates or data quality and does 

not reduce the number of 

contacts. However, record use 

improved with the record use 

incentive. 
17 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Visits per Wave

Current 

Production:

Redesign 

Plan:

One CEQ visit

Two CEQ visits:

Recall (visit 1)

Records (visit 2)
18 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Visits per Wave

Revised plan

One interview per wave, but 

increased focus on records (e.g., 

record checklist or worksheet 

provided post wave, 

introductory text highlighting 

useful records, select questions 

asked differently if records 

present).

Status

Pending. This is the main 

component that increased costs 

in the design due to the 

requirement of two visits per 

wave. 
19 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Total Number of Waves

Current 

Production:

Redesign 

Plan:

4 waves, one 

per quarter

Two waves, 12-

months apart
20 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Total Number of Waves

Revised plan

Four waves, 3 months apart. 

Pending available funding for 

testing a two-wave design and an 

evaluation of sample size 

requirements. 

Status

Pending. 

4 waves, one 

per quarter
21 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Single Sample

Current 

Production:

Redesign 

Plan:

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

CEQ Sample CED Sample

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Single sample
22 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Element: Single Sample

Revised plan

Two samples for Diary and 

Interview. Pending future funding 

levels (or changed sample size 

requirements), test a single-sample.

Status

Pending. This is the main 

component that increased costs in 

the design due to the requirement 

of two visits per wave. 

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

Household

CEQ Sample CED Sample
23 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Where we’re going

 Phased implementation of the redesign plan to maintain 

effective design elements and implement them directly into CE’s 

CEQ and CED.

 Online diaries, streamlined questionnaire with a record focus, 

and token/records use incentives.

Online diary in 2022 (pending testing)

Streamlined CAPI instrument in 2023

 Postpone single sample design pending changed requirements 

and/or additional funding and further testing
Contact Information

24 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Parvati Krishnamurty

Senior Economist

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

202-691-5727

krishnamurty.parvati@bls.gov
25 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Extra slides
26 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Design Elements

 Online Diary -keep

 Personal diaries -remove

 Streamlined CAPI instrument -keep

 Incentives -only keep token and records incentive

 Single sample -pending

 Two visits per wave -pending

 Two waves -pending
27 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Phased Implementation Timeline

FY 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Gemini 

redesign

Sign IAA for 

LSF

Develop 

materials for 

LSF

Prepare for 

LSF fielding

LSF test 

fielded

Dress 

rehearsal

Dress 

rehearsal

Redesign in 

production

Revised 

plans

Sign IAA for 

online diary 

LSF

Develop 

materials for 

online diary 

and CAPI 

Prepare for 

online diary 

LSF test

LSF online 

diary field 

test

Analysis of 

online diary 

LSF results

Online diary 

in 

production

Streamlined 

CAPI in 

production