To determine whether the Bureau has since developed Bureau-wide data  quality standards, and, if so, whether they would likely address for the  2010 Census the data quality problems raised after the 2000 Census,  we interviewed census officials responsible for developing agencywide  standards, examined documents related to the development of new  standards on data quality review, and reviewed the agency’s Internet site  for information on data quality review standards available to the public. Instead of  agencywide, written guidance, professionals within the different parts of  the Bureau primarily used their judgment and program-specific practices to  decide when and whether data should be released and what supporting  information, if any, should accompany them. The Bureau Lacked Agencywide, Written Standards and Guidelines on the Quality of Census Data Disseminated to the Public

At the time the Bureau was making decisions about disseminating data  from the 2000 Census, it did not have written, agencywide guidelines or  standards to help inform its decisions on whether the data were of  sufficient quality to be released. Lack of Data Quality Review Guidelines Led to Inadequate Analysis of Potential Errors and Release of Data without Adequate Disclosure

As noted earlier, decennial census data are used to apportion and redistrict  Congress. Faced with similar quality problems in data from the 2000 Census,  Bureau officials made different decisions about disseminating data and did  not explain the reasons for their decisions. The Bureau Has Made Limited Progress in Publicly Issuing New Standards on the Quality of Data Disseminated to the Public since the 2000 Census

Since the first results of the 2000 Census were released, the Bureau has  publicly issued a set of information quality guidelines and one new  standard on the quality of data disseminated to the public. Also as required by the Information Quality Act and  the OMB guidelines, the Bureau published a standard that described a  procedure allowing individuals to seek correction of certain errors in data  disseminated by the Bureau. However, the Bureau has not provided information on the scope or  the time frame for developing these standards. Bureau Working Group Has Begun Developing Additional Standards on Data Quality Review, but None Have Been Issued

In response to our recommendations from reports on both homeless and  Hispanic subgroup data from the 2000 Census, the Bureau established an  interdirectorate working group on March 3, 2003, with the broad mandate  to develop Bureau-wide standards for quality in data releases. Greater Commitment to New Standards for Public Dissemination of Data Could Help Bureau Avoid Problems in Disseminating 2010 Census and Other Data

The standards that the Bureau has under development and activities of the  working group are steps in the right direction. Until spring 2004, no additional resources were provided  to support the working group, and a year and a half after it began, the group  has not developed any new standards or guidelines or indicated when it  will be ready to do so. A publicly issued, comprehensive, Bureau-wide data  quality framework, with interrelated standards, and specific procedures  (as evident in NCES, ESS, and Statistics Canada) could help ensure  consistency of decisions about the quality of data from the next decennial  census and the conditions under which the data will be disseminated. The benefits the Bureau can achieve by implementing data quality review  standards should not be limited to the decennial census. Because the  standards could apply to all of the data publicly distributed by the Bureau,  the sooner they are developed and implemented across the Bureau, the  sooner the Bureau will begin to reap their benefits. Because the cooperation and trust of the  public is essential to a successful census, the Bureau must work to avert  any loss of public confidence in the quality of data and in the integrity and  objectivity of the Bureau.
Why GAO Did This Study

Data from the decennial census are used to apportion and redistrict seats in the House of Representatives, distribute billions of dollars of federal funds, and guide the planning and investment decisions of the public and private sectors. Given the importance of these data, it is essential that they meet high quality standards before they are distributed to the public. After questions arose about the quality of certain data from the 2000 Census, the requesters asked GAO to review U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) standards on the quality of data disseminated to the public.

What GAO Found

The Bureau did not have detailed agencywide standards for the review of data from the 2000 Census to determine if the data were of sufficient quality for public dissemination. Instead, analysts and managers in different parts of the Bureau primarily used their own judgment and unwritten, program-specific guidance to decide when and whether data should be released and what supporting information should accompany the data. The lack of sufficient data quality review standards led to a variety of problems, including missed opportunities for correcting data before release, inconsistent decisions on disseminating data with similar quality issues, and inadequate communication to users about the reasons for dissemination decisions. As a result, some users of data from the 2000 Census lost confidence in the quality of the data and in the Bureau's review procedures. In the 4 years since the 2000 Census, the Bureau has publicly issued general information quality guidelines, including eight performance principles, and one new standard that allows individuals to request correction of certain errors in data disseminated by the Bureau. Both of these documents resulted from the enactment of the Information Quality Act in 2000 and the subsequent guidelines issued by the Office of Management and Budget in 2002. However, except for the one standard, the Bureau did not provide any specific guidelines or procedures on the implementation of the general guidelines. The Bureau also began work on other standards, including one on minimal information that must be provided with data and another on discussion of errors in data released to the public. Neither has been issued in final form. In response to our earlier recommendations, the Bureau created an interdirectorate working group charged with developing and publicly issuing Bureau-wide standards for quality in data releases. The working group has taken some steps, but the Bureau has not provided information on the scope or the time frame for its efforts to develop these standards. The standards that the Bureau has under development and the activities of the working group are encouraging. However, it will be important for the Bureau to proceed with greater urgency to ensure that fully tested standards are in place for the 2010 Census. Until spring 2004, no additional resources were provided to support the working group, and over a year after it began, it has not issued any new standards or said when it will be ready to do so. A comprehensive, Bureau-wide data quality framework, with interrelated standards, and specific implementing procedures could help ensure consistent decisions about the quality of the data from the next decennial census and conditions under which the data will be disseminated. Moreover, the benefits the Bureau can achieve by developing and effectively implementing comprehensive data quality standards would not be limited to the decennial census. Because they would apply to all data disseminated by the Bureau, it will be important for any new standards to be developed promptly, implemented across the Bureau, and released to the public.