Group Quarters Research Plan

The Census Bureau plans to conduct research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). We will conduct in-depth interviews and focus groups with group quarters (GQ) administrators and residents living in different types of GQs. This is part of a larger research project that aims to collect information on the 2010 Census GQ enumeration, and document and understand the issues that may arise if a second enumeration of GQ is included as part of the Census Bureau’s coverage measurement program in 2020.

These in-depth interviews and focus groups will be conducted after census enumeration and will provide details on the staff’s and residents’ perceptions of the enumeration process, their experiences with the enumerators, the census operations, and the impact of the enumeration on the facilities. A sample copy of the draft interview questions is included in Appendix A. The questions will be modified slightly to adapt to the situation for each specific type of facility.

From mid-April through the end of August, a team of researchers under contract will conduct in-depth interviews and focus groups with administrators and residents at 25 facilities comprised of the following types: adult and juvenile correctional facilities, health care facilities (such as skilled nursing homes and hospices), university residence halls, group homes for adults, homeless shelters and soup kitchens, and military installations. These facilities are located all across the country and are currently the subject of observational studies by the researchers. Table 1 shows the number of in-depth interviews and focus groups by type of group quarters. The number of in-depth interviews ranges from 4 interviews at military installations and health care facilities to 138 interviews at adult correctional facilities. No monetary incentive will be provided to the subjects for their participation in these interviews.

Approximately ten focus groups will be conducted. The respondent payment will vary by type of facility. Participants residing at college residence halls will receive a $50 incentive while those residing in shelters will receive a $10 incentive. No monetary incentive will be provided to the group home residents for their participation in the focus group. The use and amount of incentives is at the discretion of the researcher.

Interview and focus group respondents will be informed that the information they provide is confidential and the collected information will be seen only by researchers involved in the research project. All the interviews and focus groups will be tape-recorded, with the participants' permission, to facilitate analysis of the results.

Table 1 also shows the estimated burden hours by the type of group quarters. The estimated time for completing the in-depth interviews varies from ten minutes to one hour depending on the type of facility. The estimated time for the focus groups varies from one to one-and-a-half hours. Column 4 contains the total number of hours for each type of facility. The total estimated burden for this portion of the group quarters study is about 152 hours.

In addition, up to 15 GQ administrators who participated in previous in-depth interviews conducted by Census Bureau staff in the fall of 2009 may be re-interviewed by the same staff. Approval for these in-depth interviews was requested of OMB on June 11, 2009 and granted on June 18, 2009. The estimated time for completion of this interview is 30 minutes, for a maximum burden of 8 hours.

Thus, the maximum burden for all the in-depth interviews and focus groups is 160 hours (152+8).

The contact person for questions regarding this data collection is:

Anna Y. Chan

Research Social Scientist

Statistical Research Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-8462

[email protected]

Table 1. Estimated respondent burden hours: In-depth Interviews and Focus Groups by Group Quarters’ Type

	Number of In-depth interviews & Burden hours	Focus Groups & Burden Hours	Total Number of Burden Hours
Adult correctional facilities (n=7)	Staff: 23 interviews * 1 hr = 23 hrs Inmates: 110 interviews * 10 mins = 18.3 hrs Enumerators: 5 interviews * 1 hr = 5 hrs	NA	46.3
Juvenile correctional facilities (n=1)	Staff: 2 interviews * 1 hr = 2 hrs Residents: 10 interviews * 20 mins = 3.3 hrs Enumerators: 5 interviews * 1 hr = 5 hrs	NA	10.3
Health care facilities (n=4)	Staff: 4 interviews * 0.5 hours = 2 hrs	NA	2
University residence hall (n=3)	Staff: 10 interviews * 45 mins = 7.5 hrs Residents: 20 interviews * 30 mins = 10 hrs	1 group: 8 residents * 1.5 hrs = 12 hrs ($50 incentive)	29.5
Group Homes (n=5)	Staff: 16 interviews * 1 hr = 16 hrs	4 groups: 4 staff * 1 hr = 16 hrs	32
Shelters and Soup kitchens (n=6)	NA	4 groups: 6 residents * 1 hr = 24 hrs ($10 incentive)	24
Military (n=1)	Staff: 4 interviews * 1 hr = 4 hrs	1 group: 4 staff * 1 hr = 4 hrs	8
	Total Number of Interview = 209 Total # of burden hrs = 96.1 hours	Total Number of Focus Group = 10 Total # of burden hrs = 56 hours	152.1

APPENDIX A

Sample questions for post-census in-depth interviews and focus groups at GQ facilities

• How did it go?

  • Probes: success/problems

  • What surprised you?

• What did you learn about the Census process?

  • What do you still not know?

  • What would you do differently? The same?

• What would you like the Census staff to know about the correctional environment?

• What kind of impact did Census Day make on the facility? On you? On your staff?

• What is your impression of the Census staff? Their work process?

• Anyone else I should talk to so I understand this better?

• Anything else? Other questions I should be asking?

• What suggestions or recommendations?

  • Recommendations for the Census Bureau; facility managers/headquarters/institution