In fact,  scheduling and planning are so important that the Bureau has already  established a high-level schedule for planning the 2020 Census. As we have previously reported, the  Bureau had initially planned to carry out major field data collection  activities using hand held computing devices. However, the Bureau does not link within its schedule estimates  of resource requirements—such as labor hours and materials—to  respective activities. Bureau Plans to Deliver Two Key Systems on a Tight Schedule

The automated control system that the Bureau plans to use to help manage  the data collection operations of the decennial census still faces significant  development and testing milestones, some of which are scheduled to be  completed just before the system needs to be deployed before respective  field operations begin. Further, software developers may not have the  required information to meet the Bureau’s needs. Quality Control Matching and Coding Software for Nonreponse Follow-up and Update/Enumerate Faces Testing Delays and Revisions to Requirements

The Bureau has experienced delays in the development and testing of  software that will play a key role along with PBOCS in controlling and  managing field data collection activity for the quality assurance programs  of NRFU and Update/Enumerate. The compressed testing schedule leaves little time for additional delays in  writing software or conducting tests. Conclusions

Our review of the Bureau’s master schedule for conducting the 2010  Census and the processes the Bureau uses to manage it suggests that it is  doing a commendable job conducting such a large and complex  undertaking consistent with leading scheduling practices. Yet,  the Bureau’s generally well-defined and integrated schedule provides an  essential road map for the systematic execution of the census and the  means by which to gauge progress, identify and address potential  problems, and promote accountability. Recommendations for Executive Action

We recommend that the Secretary of Commerce require the Director of  the U.S. Census Bureau to take the following three actions:  To improve the Bureau’s use of its master schedule to manage the 2020  decennial census:  Include estimates of the resources, such as labor, materials, and  overhead costs, in the 2020 integrated schedule for each activity as the  schedule is built, and prepare to carry out other steps as necessary to  conduct systematic schedule risk analyses on the 2020 schedule. To improve the Bureau’s ability to manage paper-based field operations in  the 2010 Decennial Census,  finalize and prioritize detailed requirements and implement reliable  progress reporting on the development of the paper-based operations  control system, including estimates of effort needed to complete  remaining development.
Why GAO Did This Study

To carry out the decennial census, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) conducts a sequence of thousands of activities and numerous operations. As requested, The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined (1) the Bureau's use of scheduling tools to maintain and monitor progress and (2) the status of two systems key to field data collection: the control system the Bureau will use to manage the work flow for paper-based operations, including nonresponse follow-up, and the system used to manage quality control of two major field operations. GAO applied schedule analysis tools; reviewed Bureau evaluations, planning documents, and other documents on work flow management; and interviewed Bureau officials.

What GAO Found

The Bureau's master schedule provides a useful tool to gauge progress, identify and address potential problems, and promote accountability as the Bureau carries out the census. GAO found that the Bureau's use of its master schedule generally follows leading scheduling practices that enable such high-level oversight. However, errors GAO found in the Bureau's schedule hinder the Bureau's ability to identify the effects of activity delays and to plan for the unexpected. The Bureau has recently begun taking systematic steps to identify and correct remaining errors. However, within its schedule, the Bureau does not identify the resources needed to complete activities, making it difficult for the Bureau to evaluate the costs of schedule changes or the resource constraints that may occur at peak levels of activity. Leveraging the 2010 scheduling experience and including resource needs in the 2020 schedule should facilitate planning for the 2020 Census, already underway. The automated control system that the Bureau plans to use to help manage major field data collection operations has significant development and testing milestones remaining, with some scheduled to finish shortly before the system needs to be deployed. This aggressive schedule leaves little time for resolving problems that may arise, and without prioritized and final software specifications and reliable progress measures, the Bureau may not get what it needs from the system to conduct the operations. Additionally, development of quality control software for two major field operations faces delays, although detailed specifications and test plans are final.