	Background

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 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. Providing Reliable Cost Estimates and Justifications for Spending as 2010 Approaches Presents a Major Challenge for the Bureau

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 goes to great lengths to develop a quality address list and  maps, working with the U.S. 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. Performance of Handheld Computers Has Improved in Field Testing, but More Information Is Needed to Evaluate Readiness for Address Canvassing

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. From  our 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. 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. Bureau Needs to Finalize Field Data Collection Plans

The Bureau’s largest and most costly field operation is nonresponse  follow-up. In May 2008, the Bureau issued a plan that covered major components of  the paper-based nonresponse follow-up. 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. 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 in  order to reduce risk but have not yet developed detailed testing plans. The Bureau has  strengthened aspects of its risk management process. However, the  Bureau has not yet determined when these plans will be completed. 3). Managing and Testing Information Technology Systems Remain a Concern

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. 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. In summary, little more than a year remains until Census Day. 2010 Census: The Bureau’s Plans for Reducing the Undercount Show  Promise, but Key Uncertainties Remain.
Why GAO Did This Study

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) the 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.

What GAO Found

The Bureau estimates the 2010 Census will cost more than $14 billion over its life-cycle, making it the most expensive census in the nation's history, even after adjusting for inflation. 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 detailed 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, we have reported concerns with the Bureau's management and testing of key IT systems. We have reviewed the status and plans for the testing of key 2010 Census systems. 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 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.