2010 Census: Census Bureau Generally Follows Selected Leading Acquisition Planning Practices, but Continued Management Attention Is Needed to Help Ensure Success
Published: 2006-05-18T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: 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.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: 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. 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.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: 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  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 process 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.
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.
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. See the Related GAO Products  section for a list of selected reports we have issued to date.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: 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. 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.
Although the contractors generally performed well, 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.
section_title: The Bureau Has Made Progress on Major Decennial Contracts, but Adherence to Contract Milestones Will Be Essential
paragraphs: 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.
subsections: section_title: The Bureau Has Awarded Three Contracts and Is Working to Achieve Contract Milestones
paragraphs: 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  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.
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  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.
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.
section_title: Tight Time Frames May Affect the Bureau’s Ability to Properly Test Key Systems
paragraphs: Condct 2004  Census Tet  (2 field ite)
Condct 2005  Ntionl  Census Tet  (content nd  repone  option)
Condct 2006  Census Tet  (2 field ite)
Condct dress  rehesand  egin to  implement  2010 Census  opertion(e.g., egin  opening field  office)
Contine to  implement  opertion(e.g., condct  ddressnvassing)
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  DRIS contractor to be consistent with data from other sources, such as the  Internet or telephone.
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  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. 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, 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.
section_title: The Bureau Is Generally Following Five Leading Acquisition Planning Practices, but Continued Management Focus Will Be Critical
paragraphs: 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).
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.
subsections: section_title: The Bureau Has Developed a Strategic Plan Linked to Program Goals but Needs to Fully Address Systems Integration
paragraphs: 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  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  internal milestones. This integration will decrease the chance for  unanticipated cost increases as well as technical and programmatic risks.
section_title: To Date, the Bureau Has Monitored the Acquisition Planning Process for Individual Contracts
paragraphs: 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.
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 testimony 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.
section_title: The Bureau Has So Far Involved Relevant Stakeholders in the Acquisition Planning Process
paragraphs: In our previous work, we found that engaging relevant stakeholders 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  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-contract- award 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 contract that in at least one case, the Bureau has  not yet obtained written stakeholder buy-in on a project plan for managing  the contract.
section_title: The Bureau Has Implemented Actions to Address Changes in Business Processes Resulting from Its Increasing Reliance on Contractors
paragraphs: 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 study 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.
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.
section_title: The Bureau Has Taken Steps to Plan for Its Decennial Acquisition Workforce, but Needs to Fully Incorporate Key Strategic Workforce Planning Principles
paragraphs: 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. During the  2000 Census, the Bureau experienced some difficulty managing its  contracts because of a lack of skilled acquisition and contract- management personnel.
For example, the Commerce Office of Inspector General reported that,  because the Bureau’s Decennial Systems and Contracts Management  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. (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.
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  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.
The Bureau has incorporated some key strategic workforce planning  principles in planning for its acquisition workforce, 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  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, 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.
section_title: Conclusion
paragraphs: 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  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.
section_title: Recommendations for Executive Action
paragraphs: 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:    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.
section_title: Agency Comments and Our Evaluation
paragraphs: 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.
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. 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  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.
section_title: Appendix I: Scope and Methodology
paragraphs: 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 function as well as external works, such as the Capability  Maturity Model® Integration (CMMISM) 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  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.
section_title: Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Commerce
section_title: Appendix III: MAF/TIGER Accuracy Improvement Project (MTAIP) Contract Details
paragraphs: Appendix III:  Improve Details ment Project (MTAIP) Contract  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).
subsections: section_title: • Census 2000: The Bureau developed a functionally integrated set of computer ﬁles and applications—MAF/TIGER—that required
paragraphs: 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.
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.
F Ct.
A St.
section_title: • 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.
paragraphs: M St.
A Ct.
section_title: Appendix IV: Decennial Response Integration System (DRIS) Contract Details
paragraphs: ppendix IV: Decennial Response Integration stem (DRIS) Contract Details  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.
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.
section_title: Appendix V: Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) Contract Details
paragraphs: tomation (FDCA) Contract Details ppendix V: Field Data Collection  FDCA will rovide the automtio for the Breau to capre iformtio collected  dring ernal iterview, eliminating the eed for paper maps anddress li for  ddressanassng anrespnse follow-up. The FDCA cotrctor will rovide  office automtio for 12 reional census ceter, the Perto Rico re office,     anapproimtel 00 office;  the telecommunictionsfrastrctre for hedquarter, reional, and locl office;  mobile computing device for field worker;  itetio with other 2010 Cnsus system; and  develomet, delomet, techicsupport, deinslltio, and dispsaervice.
Activitie associted with creting mgement pl nd ddressing in detil the firt mjor phase  (Exection Period #1) of FDCA implementtion Activitie propoed y the FDCA contrctor to support field opertion to condct the 200 Dress Rehesal  (Mr. 2006 – Mr. 2009)
All ctivitie propoed y the FDCA contrctor to support field opertion to condct the 2010 Census  (April 2006 – Sept. 2010)
Census 2000: Field d collectioas redominantlandled througpaper ddress     li, maps, and qtionnaire.
2010 Census: FDCA i degned to support the Breau’s field d collectio ctivitie     ano iterfce with the DecennRspnse Itetio System, the Breau’sapre system.
Activities to date: The Breau moved the rd dte for FDCA from the ed of the 200ler to Mrch 2006 to enable otetil cotrctor to develo, t their owxpnse,  “nrodctio rey” rototypsystem for ddressanassng, which will     be evuated as part of rce electio.
section_title: Appendix VI: Data Access and Dissemination System (DADS II) Contract Details
paragraphs: stem (DADS II) Contract Details  Appendix VI: D SyDADS, 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.
subsections: section_title: • 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.
paragraphs: 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.
section_title: Appendix VII: Summaries of Major Decennial Contracts Planned for Award in 2007 or Later
paragraphs: ppendix VII: Summaries of Major Decennial  ontracts Planned for Award in 2007 or Later 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 consid- ered 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 Communi- cations 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.
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)
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.
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.
section_title: Appendix VIII: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
subsections: section_title: Acknowledgments
paragraphs: 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.
section_title: Related GAO Products
subsections: section_title: Selected GAO Reports on the 2010 Decennial Census
paragraphs: 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. GAO- 04-37. 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.
section_title: Selected GAO Reports on Acquisition Planning
paragraphs: Framework for Assessing the Acquisition Function at Federal Agencies.  GAO-05-218G. Washington, D.C.: September 2005.
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.