Release of Income and Poverty Estimates Adhered to Most of the Bureau’s Data Dissemination Practices

While not all of the Bureau’s data dissemination practices are documented,  we were able to determine through discussions with Bureau officials and  review of available documentation, that the Bureau adhered to most of its  long-standing data release practices. That said, under the Bureau’s documented data dissemination practices  (1) there is no requirement for the Bureau to release this information at a  particular location on a given day and, (2) no particular official is  designated authority to choose the release date and location. The documented practices for disseminating the Income and  Poverty Estimates are contained in a memo that is 21 years old so the  Bureau is updating them, to among other things, reflect current  technology. According to the Bureau, Several Factors Affected the Change in Location of the 2003 Release

According to a senior official we interviewed in the Bureau’s Public  Information Office, the location of the 2003 Income and Poverty Estimates  news conference was changed from the National Press Club in  Washington, D.C., at the request of the Director of the Census Bureau, to  help raise awareness of the Bureau’s new headquarters building, which  was under construction. Governmentwide Guidance Is Being Developed That May Improve Statistical Agencies’ Data Dissemination Practices

Most of the 14 statistical agencies we reviewed reported general  adherence to NRC’s guidance, important for (1) the wide dissemination of  data, and (2) maintaining a strong position of independence, although  there were some notable gaps. OMB, in concert with the statistical  agencies, has developed draft guidance on the release and dissemination  of statistical products that, according to OMB officials, parallel NRC’s  guidance. To the extent it is comparable to NRC’s guidance and other  widely accepted procedures for disseminating data, the proposed OMB  directive could promote more consistent adherence to practices that  promote broader dissemination of statistical data and enhance the data’s  credibility. Further, 6 of the 14 agencies  lacked dissemination policies that promote the regular and frequent  release of major findings from an agency’s statistical program. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

To address the extent to which the U.S. Bureau of the Census (Bureau)  adhered to its dissemination practices for the release of the 2003 annual  Income and Poverty Estimates and subsequent releases we asked Bureau  officials (in the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division and  the Bureau’s Public Information Office, among others) to identify the  Bureau and Department of Commerce officials who participated in the  data dissemination decisions, and interviewed the identified officials to  determine their role in the decision-making process, and whether they had  prerelease access to the information.
Why GAO Did This Study

In 2003, the Bureau of the Census (Bureau) changed the day and location of the release of its Income and Poverty Estimates. Some data users believed the change was an effort to suppress unfavorable news and questioned the Bureau's data dissemination practices. GAO was asked to assess whether (1) the Bureau adhered to its dissemination practices for the 2003 and later releases, and (2) the Bureau and 13 other federal statistical agencies follow data release practices recommended by the National Research Council (NRC). GAO reviewed the Bureau's dissemination process for the 2003 thru 2005 Income and Poverty Estimates.

What GAO Found

While not all of the Bureau's data dissemination practices are documented, GAO was able to determine through discussions with Bureau officials and review of available documentation, that the Bureau adhered to most of its long-standing data release practices. However, the Bureau did depart from the traditional day and location for the release of the Income and Poverty Estimates report in 2003 and subsequent years. According to the Bureau, the day of the 2003 release was changed because of a delay in producing a companion report, and the location was changed from Washington, D.C., to Suitland, Maryland, in part, because the Director of the Census Bureau stated that he wanted to raise awareness that the construction of its new headquarters had just started. Some of the Bureau's documented practices, such as guidance on who has authority to choose the release date and location, lacked specificity. Also, the Bureau's documented Income and Poverty practices are outdated as they are contained in a 21-year-old memo. The Bureau is updating it, to among other things, reflect current technology. Most of the 14 statistical agencies in GAO's review generally adhered to NRC's guidance, important for (1) the wide dissemination of data, and (2) maintaining a strong position of independence. Still, there were some notable gaps. For example, 6 of the 14 agencies lacked dissemination policies (as recommended by NRC) that promote the regular and frequent release of major findings from an agency's statistical program. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in concert with other statistical agencies, is developing governmentwide guidance on the release and dissemination of statistical products that, according to OMB officials, parallels NRC's and other generally accepted release practices. OMB's guidance could foster more consistent adherence to practices that promote broader dissemination of statistical data and enhance its credibility, especially to the extent they address gaps GAO found between agencies' data dissemination practices and NRC's guidance.