Recovery.gov - Track the Money

1.Group Quarters (GQ) Operations:
The Group Quarters Validation (GQV) Operation supports the Census Bureau’s efforts to compile the most accurate Census Bureau address file using improved methodologies for data collection and coverage. GQV verifies the address has the correct census geography, validates the address as a Group Quarter (GQ), housing unit, transient location, non-residential address, vacant unit, or address requiring deletion. If validated as a GQ, GQV determines the type of GQ and collects all pertinent information about the GQ.

The Group Quarters Advance Visit (GQAV) Operation is dependent upon the GQV Operation. Crew Leaders visit all GQs and meet with the designated contact person to verify the GQ name, address, contact name and phone number, and obtain an expected Census Day population count so that the correct amount of enumeration materials can be prepared, and arrange a date for the enumeration at the facility. The operation also researches potential GQ adds.

The Group Quarters Enumeration (GQE) Operation, census enumerators visit group quarters (including military GQs), develop a control list of all residents, assign an address status code, and distribute questionnaires for completion. Within a few days, the enumerator returns to the GQ to collect completed questionnaires, obtain information for any missing items, and obtain census information for any missing questionnaires based on the control list prepared at the initial visit.
Some types of facilities, such as jails and prisons, are “self-enumerated” facilities. These facilities use census procedures to conduct the enumeration, and the facility employees become special sworn census employees to protect the confidentiality of the census information.

2. The Update/Enumerate (U/E) Operation enumerators canvass assignment areas to update residential addresses, including adding living quarters that were not included on the address listing pages, update Census Bureau maps, and complete a questionnaire for each housing unit. For Census 2000, these areas included selected American Indian reservations, colonias (usually rural Spanish-speaking communities), and resort areas with high concentrations of seasonally vacant living quarters. Interviews are conducted using a paper questionnaire. Each housing unit is classified as Occupied, Vacant, or Delete. Completed questionnaires are shipped to the data capture centers. Registers and maps are shipped to National Processing Center (NPC) for data capture and digitizing.

3. Update/Leave (U/L) Field Operation enumerators canvass the blocks in their assignment areas, update the address list and census maps, determine if the housing unit is a duplicate or does not exist and needs to be deleted, and delivers addressed census questionnaires to each unit. They also prepare and drop off questionnaires to any added housing units that they find in their assignment areas not on existing census address lists. These questionnaires are mailed back by the respondent.

4. The Local Census Office (LCO) Staffing Operation recruits, hires, selects, and releases office and field staff; performs supervisory and non-supervisory functions for office activities and field operations; distributes training and procedural manuals for office staff; and trains employees and office staff for the field operations performed at the LCO.

The Census Bureau Chief Financial Officer’s organization establishes and operates a comprehensive financial management and internal controls program for the agency. The robust accounting structure contains detailed coding that allows obligations and expenditures for all activities and operations to be individually tracked and monitored.

The Census Investment Review Board (CIRB) serves as the senior governance body for major investments. The board consists of senior program executives and is chaired by the Deputy Director. The Senior Advisor for Project Management facilitates the review of new initiatives and ongoing programs to identify and manage risks, and to monitor progress in achieving the desired program goals and objectives. The Census Bureau’s major investments must also be presented to the Department of Commerce Investment Review Board, which conducts periodic reviews of the major programs and projects across all agencies and bureaus within the Department.

The Decennial program offices manage the 2010 Census program requirements, schedule and budget. Program management is centralized within the Decennial Management Division (DMD). The 2010 Census program is divided into projects, and a program manager is assigned to each of these projects. The program managers oversee the budgets their assigned projects and work closely with the Census offices that participate in the projects to ensure that funds are being used to meet the project’s requirements, and to address any cost or schedule issues.

Monthly briefings are held with senior officials of the Department of Commerce and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the status of the 2010 Decennial Census program. The Monthly Status Report (MSR), which is used as the basis of these briefings, includes information on status and progress of major decennial activities, including all major contracts being managed (including earned value metrics, schedule accomplishments, risks, and issues) as well as obligation and expenditure information.

Decennial management has established comprehensive project and contract management structures for the major Decennial contracts supporting the collection, tabulation, and dissemination of the 2010 Census data. During the actual conduct of the Decennial Census (fiscal years 2009, 2010 and 2011), the 2010 Census Program also uses a Cost and Progress System to monitor costs and work completed daily for all major field operations. This ensures that there are no surprises and gives us an early warning to take corrective action, if necessary.

The Census Bureau has established a new Treasury account to track the $1 billion received from the ARRA. We have also established a financial structure, including unique coding that will allow us to separately track obligations and expenditures for each activity funded through ARRA and to aid in the transparency of these expenditures. All financial transactions associated with this funding will be captured and retained in the Census Bureau’s Core Financial System.

The Census Bureau’s ARRA spend plan is being made available to the public on the recovery.gov website. In addition, weekly reports will be completed and posted on the recovery.gov website.

The Census Bureau has reporting requirements established by the Department of Commerce in response to guidelines established by OMB to monitor ARRA funding. The Census Bureau’s Comptroller, according to those established guidelines, will monitor all ARRA funds.

The Acquisitions Program Management staff will also closely monitor work and progress on a daily basis. In addition, a task manager is assigned to each task under the contract. Budget and program staff conduct detailed monthly reviews of obligations compared to the operating plans, and Census Bureau Executive Staff members, including the Director and Deputy Director are briefed regularly. Budget spending reports are also sent monthly to the Department of Commerce.

Monthly briefings are held with senior officials of the Department of Commerce and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the status of the 2010 Decennial Census program.

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