2010 Census: Fundamental Building Blocks of a Successful Enumeration Face Challenges
Published: 2009-03-05T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: The decennial census is a constitutionally-mandated activity that produces data used to apportion congressional seats, redraw congressional districts, and allocate billions of dollars in federal assistance. In March 2008, GAO designated the 2010 Census a high-risk area in part because of problems with the performance of handheld computers used to collect data. The U.S. Census Bureau has since strengthened its risk management efforts and made other improvements; however, the Bureau curtailed a dress rehearsal scheduled for 2008 and was unable to test key operations under census-like conditions. This testimony discusses the Bureau's readiness for 2010 and covers: (1) importance of reliable cost estimates; (2) building a complete and accurate address list; (3) following up on missing and conflicting responses to ensure accuracy; (4) targeting outreach to undercounted populations; and (5) designing, testing, and implementing technology for the census. The testimony is based on previously issued and ongoing GAO work.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: The decennial census is an inherently fragile undertaking, requiring many moving parts to come together in a short time frame. For example, accurate cost estimates help ensure that the Bureau has adequate funds, and that Congress, the administration, and the Bureau itself have reliable information on which to base advice and decisions. However, as GAO has reported before, the Bureau has insufficient policies and procedures and inadequately trained staff for conducting high-quality cost estimation for the decennial census. A successful census requires a complete and accurate address list. The Bureau sends thousands of census workers (listers) into the field to collect and verify address information, and this year for the first time, listers will use handheld computers to collect data. During the dress rehearsal there were significant technical problems. A small-scale field test showed that these problems appear to have been addressed; however, the test was not carried out under full census-like conditions and did not validate all address canvassing requirements. Nonresponse follow-up, the Bureau's largest and most costly field operation, was initially planned to be conducted using the handheld computers, but was recently changed to a paper-based system due to technology issues. The Bureau has not yet developed a road map for monitoring the development and implementation of nonresponse follow-up under the new design. Such a plan is essential to conducting a successful nonresponse follow-up. Furthermore, the system that manages the flow of work in field offices is not yet developed. Lacking plans for the development of both nonresponse follow-up and this management system, the Bureau faces the risk of not having them developed and fully tested in time for the 2010 Census. In an effort to reduce the undercount, the Bureau is implementing a program of paid advertising integrated with other communications strategies, such as partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments and community organizations. Moving toward 2010, the Bureau faces long-standing challenges with the nation's linguistic diversity and privacy concerns, which can contribute to the undercounting of some groups. Since 2005, GAO has reported concerns with the Bureau's management and testing of key IT systems. GAO is reviewing the status and plans for the testing of key 2010 Census systems, and while the Bureau has made progress in conducting systems, integration, and end-to-end testing, critical testing still remains to be performed before systems will be ready to support the 2010 Census, and the planning for the testing needs much improvement. In short, while the Bureau has made some noteworthy progress in gearing up for the enumeration, with just over a year remaining until census day, uncertainties surround the Bureau's overall readiness for 2010.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: We are pleased to be here today to discuss with you the progress the U.S.  Census Bureau (Bureau) has made in implementing the 2010 Census, and  some of the critical challenges that lie ahead. We have been reviewing the  national enumeration for decades on behalf of Congress. Over the years,  through scores of reports and testimonies, we have acquired broad  institutional knowledge that gives us a historical view of lessons learned  for implementing a successful census. As requested, our remarks today  will focus on the current challenges the Bureau faces and how lessons  learned from prior decennials can help produce a more cost-effective  headcount.
Perhaps the most important lesson learned from past enumerations is that  the census is large, complex, and its many procedures are interrelated,  thus making it inherently fragile. An accurate population count requires  the alignment of a myriad of factors that include the successful execution  of dozens of census-taking operations, the public’s willingness to  cooperate with enumerators, and the Bureau’s ability to effectively partner  with thousands of state, local, and tribal governments, as well as  community and other organizations. The bottom line is that while the  census is under way, the tolerance for any breakdowns is quite small. In  light of this difficult operational environment, effective stewardship of the  Bureau is essential to help ensure the census stays on track and the  agency continues to embrace a culture of performance and accountability.  Key to this will be the timely appointment of a Census Director who is an  efficient administrator, a respected technical professional, a strategic  leader, and capable of working constructively with Congress, officials at  all levels of government, as well as nongovernmental organizations and the  statistical community.
Other key valuable lessons learned include the importance of (1) sound  risk management, (2) staying on schedule, (3) and conducting the census  as a shared national undertaking involving Congress, government agencies  at all levels, and the public at large. One or more of these lessons learned  can be applied to the challenges the Bureau currently faces as it gears-up  for the 2010 Census.
As you know, the census has encountered several significant operational  challenges to date. Today is the first anniversary of when we first put the  2010 Census on our high-risk list because of (1) long-standing weaknesses  in the Bureau’s information technology (IT) acquisition and contract  management function, (2) problems with the performance of handheld  computers used to collect data, and (3) uncertainty over the ultimate cost  of the census, currently estimated at more than $14 billion. In the past  year, the Bureau has made progress on these challenges, in part by  strengthening its risk management efforts. Still, the census remains high  risk because a critical risk management exercise planned for 2008—a  “dress rehearsal” of all census operations—was curtailed. As a result, key  operations and systems, including some that will be used for the first time  in a census, were not tested in concert with one another or under census- like conditions.
This year, 2009, will be one of the most crucial time periods in this decade- long census cycle. The Bureau has already initiated large-block  canvassing—an operation where temporary field workers validate address  lists and maps for census blocks with more than 1,000 housing units in  them. Next month, the Bureau is scheduled to conduct address canvassing  for remaining census blocks when about 140,000 temporary employees  will walk every known street in the country trying to update and verify the  Bureau’s address list and maps for the country. Later in the year, in a  separate effort, the Bureau is scheduled to update the locations of  approximately 200,000 “group quarters” including homeless shelters,  college residence halls, and group homes. The Bureau will also be opening  hundreds of local census offices and refining plans for later operations.
As requested, in our remarks today, we will discuss the state of the census,  paying particular attention to the following:  the importance of reliable cost estimates and justifications for  spending on census activities;    building a complete and accurate address list to know where to count  people;  following up on missing and conflicting responses to ensure  completeness and accuracy;  targeting communications and outreach efforts to reduce the  differential undercount; and    designing, testing, and implementing technology to support the census.
Because the effectiveness of these activities will determine in large part  the final cost and accuracy of the 2010 enumeration, they are important  building blocks of a successful enumeration.
Our testimony today is based on our ongoing and recently completed  work. See the last page of this statement for a list of our recently issued  census reports. To identify key issues the Bureau faces as it approaches  the 2010 Census, we reviewed and analyzed scheduling, design,  operational, and testing plans for the various census operations, data from  the dress rehearsal sites, and documents related to the December 2008  field test of the handheld computers in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and  we interviewed Bureau staff. At the field test, we observed the handheld  computers’ ability to collect and transmit address data by accompanying  census workers as they went door-to-door. In February 2009, we also  observed census workers conduct large-block canvassing using laptop  computers. We conducted our work in accordance with generally  accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we  plan and perform the audits to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to  provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our  audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a  reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions.
In summary, the Bureau has made commendable progress in rolling out  key components of the census, making improvements to the handheld  computers, certain risk management efforts, and how it will print the 80  million maps needed by temporary field staff to carry out the enumeration.  Nevertheless, at a time when planning activities should be reaching  completion, major testing should be winding down, and there should be  confidence in the functionality of census-taking activities, the Bureau  instead finds itself lacking sufficient policies, procedures, and trained staff  to develop high-quality cost estimates, and a number of operations and  support systems still need to be designed, planned, or tested. In the 13  months leading up to Census Day, the Bureau will be challenged to  implement early operations, complete the final preparations for various  activities, make refinements, and address any glitches that arise. With little  time remaining, uncertainties surround the Bureau’s readiness for 2010.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: As you know, Mr. Chairman, the decennial census is a critical national  effort mandated by the Constitution. Census data are used to apportion  seats in the Congress, redraw congressional districts, allocate billions of  dollars in federal assistance to state and local governments, and for  numerous other public and private sector purposes.
The Bureau estimates that the 2010 Census will cost more than $14 billion  over  its life-cycle, making it the most expensive census in our nation’s  history. According to the Bureau, the increasing cost of the census is  caused in part by various societal trends—such as increasing privacy  concerns, more non-English speakers, and people residing in makeshift  and other nontraditional living arrangements—making it harder to find  people and get them to participate in the census.
In light of these challenges, it will be important for the Bureau to draw  upon the lessons learned from previous decennials and apply them to the  operational environment it faces today.
Some broad lessons learned that we have identified from our past work  that directly affect the cost and accuracy of the census include the  following:    Sound risk management is critical to a successful census as the risks to  a cost-effective enumeration are interrelated, and a shortcoming in one  operation could trigger subsequent activities to spiral downward. Of  course the reverse is also true, where a success in one operation could  have a number of positive effects later in the process. Rigorous up- front preparations, testing, and where feasible, contingency planning,  are the best ways to stave off problems. Likewise, management  information systems capable of tracking key operations with real-time  measures are essential because they enable the Bureau to quickly  address trouble spots.
It is important for the Bureau to stay on schedule, as the census is  conducted against a backdrop of immutable deadlines, and an  elaborate chain of interrelated pre- and post-Census Day activities are  predicated upon those dates. Specifically, the Secretary of Commerce  is legally 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 April 1 of the year following  Census Day. To meet these reporting requirements, it is absolutely  critical for the Bureau to stay on schedule. The figure shows some  planned dates for selected decennial events.
Finally, the decennial census is a shared national undertaking, where  Congress; other federal agencies; state, local, and tribal governments;  nonprofit and private organizations; and, ultimately, the American public,  all play vital roles in securing a complete and accurate population tally.  Recognizing this, the Bureau fosters partnerships with these various  entities to help with such activities as recruiting census workers, boosting  participation, and building the Bureau’s master address list. Mobilizing and  coordinating these organizations requires an enormous effort on the  Bureau’s part.
section_title: Providing Reliable Cost Estimates and Justifications for Spending as 2010 Approaches Presents a Major Challenge for the Bureau
paragraphs: Accurate cost estimates are essential to a successful census because they  help ensure that the Bureau has adequate funds, and so that Congress, the  administration, and the Bureau itself can have reliable information on  which to base or advise decisions. However, as we have reported before,  the Bureau has insufficient policies and procedures and inadequately  trained staff for conducting high-quality cost estimation for the decennial  census. The Bureau does not have cost estimation guidance and  procedures in place or staff that is certified in cost estimation techniques.  The Bureau is developing a new budget management tool that will support  the cost estimation process beyond 2010. As part of that effort, the Bureau  will need to establish rigorous cost estimation policies and procedures and  use skilled estimators to ensure that future cost estimates are reliable and  of high quality.
For example, to help manage the 2010 Census and contain costs, over 5  years ago we recommended that the Bureau develop a comprehensive,  integrated project plan for the 2010 Census that should include the  itemized, estimated costs of each component and a sensitivity analysis  and an explanation of significant changes in the assumptions on which  these costs were based. In response, the Bureau provided us with the  2010 Census Operations and Systems Plan, dated August 2007. This plan  represented an important step forward by including operational inputs and  outputs and describing linkages among operations and systems. However,  that document did not include itemized cost estimates of each component  or sensitivity analyses, and thus did not provide a valid baseline or range  of estimates for the Bureau and Congress. The Bureau has provided  annual cost updates as part of its budget submission process, but these too  have lacked cost analyses to support them. As the Bureau approaches the  final surge in the current decade-long decennial spending cycle, providing  reliable cost estimates accompanied by sound justification, as we have  recommended, will be important if Congress is to make informed  decisions on the levels at which to fund the remainder of the 2010  Decennial Census.
section_title: Effective Address Canvassing Is Essential for a Complete and Accurate Count
paragraphs: A complete and accurate list of all addresses where people live in the  country is the cornerstone of a successful census because it identifies all  households that are to receive a census questionnaire and serves as the  control mechanism for following up with households that fail to respond.  The Bureau goes to great lengths to develop a quality address list and  maps, working with the U.S. Postal Service; federal agencies; state, local,  and tribal governments; local planning organizations; private sector; and  nongovernmental entities. For example, under the Local Update of Census  Addresses (LUCA) program, the Bureau is authorized to partner with state,  local, and tribal governments, tapping into their knowledge of local  populations and housing conditions in order to secure a more complete  count. Between November 2007 and March 2008, over 8,000 state, local,  and tribal governments provided approximately 8 million address updates  through the LUCA program. The Bureau will send thousands of temporary  census workers, known as listers, into the field to collect and verify  address information and update maps on-site, including verifying address  updates provided through the LUCA program.
Despite the Bureau’s efforts, an inherent challenge is locating  unconventional and hidden housing units, such as converted basements  and attics. For example, as shown in figure 2, what appears to be a small,  single-family house could contain an apartment, as suggested by its two  doorbells. The Bureau has trained listers to look for extra mailboxes,  utility meters, and other signs of hidden housing units and is developing  training guides for 2010 to help listers locate hidden housing. Nonetheless,  decisions on what is a habitable dwelling are often difficult to make—what  is habitable to one worker may seem uninhabitable to another. According  to Bureau estimates, approximately 1.4 million housing units were missed  in the 2000 Census. If an address is not in the Bureau’s address file, its  residents are less likely to be included in the census.
subsections: section_title: Performance of Handheld Computers Have Improved in Field Testing, but More Information Is Needed to Evaluate Readiness for Address Canvassing
paragraphs: A nationwide address canvassing operation for the 2010 Census is  scheduled to begin this spring, when listers will use handheld computers  for the first time to collect address data. Listers will add addresses that do  not already appear on the Bureau’s list and mark for deletion any that they  cannot verify according to the rules and guidance developed by the  Bureau.
When the handheld computers were tested during the dress rehearsal of  the address canvassing operation, the devices experienced such problems  as slow or inconsistent data transmission, freeze-ups, and difficulties  collecting mapping coordinates. The software that managers used to  review work productivity and assign work was also troublesome. For  example, management reports were unreliable because they pulled data  from incorrect sources, and Bureau staff had difficulty using the work  management software to reassign work.
The Bureau took steps to fix these issues, and in December 2008  conducted a limited field test in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to test the  functionality and usability of the handheld computer, including whether  the handheld computer problems encountered earlier had been resolved.  Although the Bureau’s final evaluation of the field test was due by the end  of February 2009, we were not able to review it for this testimony. From  observations of the December 2008 field test and interviews with Bureau  officials, the Bureau appears to have addressed many of the handheld  computer performance issues, as well as the problems with the work  management software, observed during the dress rehearsal. This is an  important and noteworthy development.
Nonetheless, more information is needed to determine the Bureau’s  overall readiness for address canvassing as the field test was not an end- to-end systems evaluation, did not validate all address canvassing  requirements, such as training and help desk support, and did not include  urban areas. Additionally, the scale of the field test was a fraction of that  of the address canvassing operation. The Bureau was to conduct a review  of the readiness of the handheld computers in January 2009, but has not  yet reported the results of that review. Finally, the Bureau’s actual  workload for address canvassing—about 144.7 million addresses—is 11  million addresses more than the Bureau had planned for, leaving the  Bureau with too few handheld computers to complete the workload in the  time originally scheduled. In response, the Bureau will be extending the  amount of time listers will be working in the field in affected areas,  although not extending the end date of the operation, to compensate for  the larger workload.
During dress rehearsal, listers experienced problems using handheld  computers when collecting address data for large blocks having more than  1,000 housing units. According to the Bureau, the handheld computer did  not have the capacity to efficiently collect data for large blocks. The  Bureau has taken steps to mitigate this problem. In January 2009, the  Bureau began using laptop computers and software already used in other  operations to canvass the 2,086 blocks it identified as large blocks and by  the end of February, the Bureau had completed approximately 80 percent  of large block canvassing. In February 2009, we observed large-block  canvassing in Atlanta, Georgia; Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New  York; San Francisco, California; and Washington, D.C. Based on our  preliminary observations, the laptops appear to work well and listers  reported their training was satisfactory. We are in the process of  discussing these and other observations with the Bureau.
section_title: Bureau Needs to Finalize Field Data Collection Plans
paragraphs: The Bureau’s largest and most costly field operation is nonresponse  follow-up. The Bureau estimates that it will employ over 600,000  temporary workers to collect data from about 47 million nonrespondening  households over the course of 10 weeks in 2010. On April 3, 2008, the  Bureau announced that it would no longer use handheld computers for  nonresponse follow-up and would instead change to a paper-based  nonresponse follow-up operation. According to the Bureau, this change  added between $2.2 billion to $3 billion to the total cost of the census.
In May 2008, the Bureau issued a plan that covered major components of  the paper-based nonresponse follow-up. Bureau officials said that they are  developing a more detailed plan that would describe 2010 nonresponse  follow-up operations and systems, workflow, major milestones, and roles  and responsibilities of different census divisions. Although the plan was  due in January 2009, it has yet to be completed. Because this plan serves  as a road map for monitoring the development and implementation of  nonresponse follow-up, it will be important for the Bureau to complete  this plan.
The Bureau has changed plans for many aspects of nonresponse follow-up,  and officials are determining which activities and interfaces will be tested  and when this testing will occur. Although the Bureau has carried out a  paper-based follow-up operation in past decennials, the 2010 Census  includes new procedures and system interfaces that have not been tested  under census-like conditions because they were dropped from the dress  rehearsal. Bureau officials acknowledged the importance of testing new  and modified nonresponse follow-up activities and system interfaces to  reduce risk, but have not yet developed detailed testing plans. Given the  number of tasks at hand and the increasingly shorter time frame in which  to accomplish them, it will be important for the Bureau to monitor the  development of these testing plans, coordinate this testing with other  activities, and ensure that testing occurs in time to take corrective actions,  if needed.
In our previous work, we have highlighted the importance of sound risk  management in planning for the decennial census. The Bureau has  strengthened aspects of its risk management process. For example, in July  2008, the Bureau identified 31 nonresponse follow-up risks, such as lower  than expected enumerator productivity. However, it has not developed  mitigation plans for these risks. Officials said that they are reevaluating  these risks and plan to develop mitigation plans for high- and medium- priority nonresponse follow-up risks starting in spring 2009. However, the  Bureau has not yet determined when these plans will be completed.
subsections: section_title: Coverage Follow-up Operation Needs to Be Finalized
paragraphs: One of the Bureau’s long-standing challenges is resolving conflicting  information respondents provide on census forms. This problem can  occur, for example, when the number of household members reported on  a completed form differs from the number of persons for whom  information is provided. In such instances, the Bureau attempts to  reconcile the data during the coverage follow-up operation. For 2010, the  Bureau plans to expand the scope of this operation and include two  questions—known as coverage probes— on the census form to identify  households where someone may have been missed or counted incorrectly  (see fig. 3).
However, after testing the probes earlier in the decade, the Bureau found  that one of the probes was problematic in identifying persons potentially  missing from the count. Although these probes were included on the forms  mailed out during the dress rehearsal, the coverage follow-up operation  did not include cases from nonresponse follow-up, which was canceled  from the dress rehearsal. In the absence of a final test of the coverage  probes in nonresponse follow-up, the effectiveness of the information  generated by the probes is uncertain.
section_title: Fieldwork Management System for Most Operations Still Needs to Be Specified and Programmed
paragraphs: A successful census depends, in large part, on the work carried out in the  local census offices. For the 2010 Census, this field work cannot be  accomplished without a properly functioning Operations Control System  (OCS). This system is intended to provide managers with essential real- time information, such as worker productivity and completion rates for  field operations. It also allows managers to assign or reassign cases among  workers. If the system does not work as intended, it could bog down  or  delay field operations and introduce errors into data collected.
Initially, the Bureau had planned to use a contractor to develop OCS to  manage the workflow for those operations relying on paper-based  processes, such as group quarters enumeration and nonresponse follow- up. However, in August 2008, the Bureau created an internal program to  develop OCS and other related infrastructure that are needed to support  these operations. The Bureau is still in the process of developing OCS for  paper-based operations.
Although the Bureau has established a high-level schedule for testing of  OCS, it has not yet finalized the requirements needed to begin its  programming or developed a detailed schedule for conducting additional  tests. Further, the Bureau has not yet fully defined how OCS will work  together with other systems. Bureau officials said that the lack of detailed  plans for operations, such as nonresponse follow-up, makes it difficult to  finalize requirements for OCS or its testing plans. Our work on IT systems  testing has shown that without adequate oversight and more  comprehensive guidance, the Bureau cannot ensure that it is thoroughly  testing its systems and properly prioritizing testing activities before the  2010 Census.
section_title: The Bureau Has Taken Steps to Improve Map Production, but Faces a Tight Schedule
paragraphs: The Bureau estimates that it will need to produce approximately 30 million  different map files from which 80 million paper maps will be printed to  assist census workers in locating addresses in major census operations.  The quality of maps and the timing of map printing are critical to the  success of the census. In addition, many map production and printing  activities must be conducted in sequence with no time to spare, putting at  risk the Bureau’s ability to print its maps on time. The Bureau has taken  positive steps to meet its requirements for map production and printing for  2010. For example, in June 2008, the Bureau decided to produce a generic  map type in lieu of several operation-specific versions to reduce the  number of map files to be produced. Furthermore, the Bureau is preparing  to print most of its maps at the local census offices rather than at the  regional offices, reducing the need to coordinate map delivery to the local  census offices. In addition, the Bureau has replaced its labor-intensive  quality assurance process with integrated, automated processes. These  steps taken to improve workflow will become particularly important as  the Bureau works to produce and print maps on an already compressed  schedule.
The Bureau’s schedule for producing and printing maps does not allow for  any delays in receiving data from other operations or from the contractor  delivering map files. For example, the Bureau intends to include map  information from address canvassing, which ends in July 2009, in maps  that will be used to validate locations of group quarters, which begins in  September 2009. Bureau officials have stated that the turnaround time  between these operations allows no slippage, and if these data are  received late, an entire chain of subsequent map production steps would  be thrown off schedule. Furthermore, according to the Bureau, local  census offices need to receive map files from the contractor in time to  print maps for certain field operations by January 8, 2010. However, the  contractor is not scheduled to finish delivering the map files until   January 19, 2010. Bureau officials said that they have taken steps to ensure  that the necessary map files are delivered in time for printing but are still  working to resolve the discrepancy.
section_title: Census Marketing Programs Will Need to Improve Response Rates of Historically Undercounted Groups
paragraphs: The Bureau goes to great lengths to reduce the undercount, especially  among those groups likely to be undercounted at a higher rate than others,  such as minorities and renters. For example, the Bureau plans to provide  language assistance guides in 59 languages for completing the census, an  increase from 49 languages in 2000. For the first time in 2010, the Bureau  plans to send bilingual questionnaires to approximately 13 million  households that are currently likely to need Spanish language assistance,  as determined by analyzing recent data from a related Bureau survey  program.
The Bureau also plans to deploy a multifaceted communications campaign  consisting of, among other efforts, paid advertising and the hiring of as  many as 680 partnership staff who will be tasked with reaching out to local  governments, community groups, and other organizations in an effort to  secure a more complete count. Overall, the Bureau estimates it will spend  around $410 million on its communication efforts for the 2010 Census;.  However, in constant 2010 dollars, this amount is somewhat less than the  approximately $480 million that the Bureau spent marketing the 2000  Census.
Although the effects of the Bureau’s communication efforts are difficult to  measure, the Bureau reported some positive results from its 2000 Census  marketing efforts with respect to raising awareness of the census. For  example, four population groups—non-Hispanic Blacks, non-Hispanic  Whites, Asians, and Native Hawaiians—indicated they were more likely to  return the census form after the 2000 Census partnership and marketing  program than before its onset. However, a Bureau evaluation  demonstrated only a limited linkage between the partnership and  marketing effort and improvements in actual census mail return behavior  for these or other groups. Put another way, while the Bureau’s marketing  activities might raise awareness of the census, a remaining challenge is  converting that awareness into an actual response. Other marketing  challenges include long-standing issues such as the nation’s linguistic  diversity and privacy concerns, as well as a number of newly emerging  concerns such as local campaigns against illegal immigration and a post- September 11 environment that could heighten some groups’ fears of  government agencies.
section_title: Managing and Testing of Information Technology Systems Remain a Concern
paragraphs: Since 2005, we have reported on weaknesses in the Bureau’s management  of its IT acquisitions, and we remain concerned about the Bureau’s IT  management and testing of key 2010 Census systems. For example, in  October 2007, we reported on the status of and plans for key 2010 Census  IT acquisitions and whether the Bureau was adequately managing  associated risks. We found critical weaknesses in the Bureau’s risk  management practices, including those associated with risk identification,  mitigation, and oversight. We later presented multiple testimonies on the  Bureau’s progress in addressing significant risks facing the 2010 Census. In  particular, the Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) program, which  includes the development of handheld computers for the address  canvassing operation and the systems, equipment, and infrastructure that  field staff will use to collect data, has experienced significant problems.
For example, in March 2008, we testified that the FDCA program was  experiencing schedule delays and cost increases, and was contributing  significant risk to the 2010 Census. At that time, we highlighted our  previous recommendations to better manage FDCA and the other IT  acquisitions.
In response to our findings and recommendations, the Bureau has taken  several steps to improve its management of IT for the 2010 Census. For  example, the Bureau has sought external assessments of its activities from  independent research organizations, implemented a new management  structure and management processes and brought in experienced  personnel to key positions, and improved several reporting processes and  metrics. In part, due to our review of the FDCA program, the Bureau  requested a revised cost proposal for the FDCA program which resulted in  a cost reduction of about $318 million for the remaining 5-year life-cycle of  the program.
As we have previously reported, operational testing planned during the  census dress rehearsal would take place without the full complement of  systems and functionality that was originally planned, and it was unclear  whether the Bureau was developing plans to test all interrelated systems  and functionality. At your request, we reviewed the status and plans of  testing of key 2010 Census systems. As stated in our report, which we are  releasing today, we found that the Bureau has made progress in  conducting systems, integration, and end-to-end testing, but critical testing  still remains to be performed before systems will be ready to support the  2010 Census, and the planning, execution, and monitoring of its testing  needs much improvement. We are making 10 recommendations for  strengthening the Bureau’s testing of 2010 Census systems. Those  recommendations address improvements needed in test planning,  management, and monitoring. In response to our report, the Department  of Commerce and Bureau stated they had no significant disagreements  with our recommendations.
section_title: Concluding Observations
paragraphs: In summary, little more than a year remains until Census Day. At a time  when major testing should be completed and there should be confidence  in the functionality of key operations, the Bureau instead finds itself  managing late design changes and developing testing plans. The Bureau  has taken some important steps toward mitigating some of the challenges  that it has faced to date, yet much remains uncertain, and the risks to a  successful decennial census remain.
Addressing these risks and challenges will be critical to the timely  completion of a cost-effective census, and it will be essential for the  Bureau to develop plans for testing systems and procedures not included  in the dress rehearsal, and for Congress to monitor the Bureau’s progress.
As always, we look forward to working with Congress in assessing the  Bureau’s efforts to overcome these hurdles to a successful census, and  providing regular updates on the rollout of the decennial in the critical  months that lie ahead.
Mr. Chairman and members of this Subcommittee, this concludes our  statement. We would be happy to respond to any questions that you or  members of the Subcommittee may have at this time.
If you have any questions on matters discussed in this testimony, please  contact Robert Goldenkoff at (202) 512-2757 or David A. Powner at (202)  512-9286 or by e-mail at goldenkoffr@gao.gov or pownerd@gao.gov. Other  key contributors to this testimony include Sher’rie Bacon, Thomas Beall,  Steven Berke, Vijay D’Souza, Elizabeth Fan, Richard Hung, Andrea Levine,  Signora May, Ty Mitchell, Catherine Myrick, Lisa Pearson, Kathleen  Padulchick, Crystal Robinson, Melissa Schermerhorn, Cynthia Scott, Karl  Seifert, Jonathan Ticehurst, Timothy Wexler, and Katherine Wulff.
section_title: Related GAO Products
paragraphs: High-Risk Series: An Update. GAO-09-27. Washington, D.C.: January 2009.  2010 Census: The Bureau’s Plans for Reducing the Undercount Show  Promise, but Key Uncertainties Remain. GAO-08-1167T. Washington,  D.C.: September 23, 2008.  2010 Census: Census Bureau’s Decision to Continue with Handheld  Computers for Address Canvassing Makes Planning and Testing  Critical. GAO-08-936. Washington, D.C.: July 31, 2008.  2010 Census: Census Bureau Should Take Action to Improve the  Credibility and Accuracy of Its Cost Estimate for the Decennial Census.  GAO-08-554. Washington, D.C.: June 16, 2008.  2010 Census: Plans for Decennial Census Operations and Technology  Have Progressed, But Much Uncertainty Remains. GAO-08-886T.  Washington, D.C.: June 11, 2008.  2010 Census: Bureau Needs to Specify How It Will Assess Coverage  Follow-up Techniques and When It Will Produce Coverage Measurement  Results. GAO-08-414. Washington, D.C.: April 15, 2008.  2010 Census: Census at Critical Juncture for Implementing Risk Reduction  Strategies. GAO-08-659T. Washington, D.C.: April 9, 2008.
Information Technology: Significant Problems of Critical Automation  Program Contribute to Risks Facing 2010 Census. GAO-08-550T.  Washington, D.C.: March 5, 2008.
Information Technology: Census Bureau Needs to Improve Its Risk  Management of Decennial Systems. GAO-08-259T. Washington, D.C.:  December 11, 2007.  2010 Census: Planning and Testing Activities Are Making Progress.  GAO-06-465T. Washington, D.C.: March 1, 2006.
This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the  United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety  without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain  copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be  necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.