Generic Clearance MAF TIGER Part A_final

Department of Commerce

United States Census Bureau

OMB Information Collection Request

MAF TIGER Generic Clearance

OMB Control Number 0607-0809

Part A. Justification

1. Necessity of the Information Collection

The Census Bureau requests approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the generic clearance for a number of activities it plans to conduct to update its Master Address File (MAF) and maintain the linkage between the MAF and the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding Referencing System (TIGER) of address ranges and associated geographic information. This MAF/TIGER database (MTdb) serves as the national repository for all of the spatial, geographic, and residential address data needed for census and survey data collection, data tabulation, data dissemination, geocoding services, and map production. The MAF contains all known living quarters and serves as the base of the census frame, to deliver questionnaires and postcards and to facilitate in-person data collection. The goal is to have each address in the MAF linked to a geographic location in TIGER, the Census Bureau’s mapped spatial database. This linkage also ensures that the census data are processed and tabulated in the correct geographic location.

The Census Bureau established the first MAF/TIGER System to support the Census 2000 enumeration. The objective was to build and maintain a permanent housing unit address list and linked spatial database for future use. The 1990 Census Address Control File was the initial base for the MAF. The United States Postal Service (USPS) Delivery Sequence File (DSF) provided regular updates to the MAF in city-style address areas. Census 2000 frame operations were the first decennial census operations to update the MAF. Census 2000 enumeration operations supplied additional updates to the MAF.

After Census 2000, the advent of the American Community Survey (ACS), an ongoing census survey to collect community information, strengthened the need for MTdb updates throughout the decade. Between 2000 and 2010, the Census Bureau continued to use the USPS’s DSF to update the MAF at least twice a year. In addition, the ACS established the Community Address Updating System, a program that provides field verified address updates to the MAF particularly in areas where the DSF is deficient. The Census Bureau used the addresses in the MTdb for the address frame for the 2010 Census and all frame-building operations and will do so again for the 2020 Census. These addresses are also used as a sampling frame for the American Community Survey and our other demographic current surveys. Maintenance activities for the MTdb are ongoing.

The generic clearance has proved to be very beneficial to the Census Bureau. The generic clearance has allowed us to utilize our limited resources on actual operational planning and development of procedures. The extension will be especially beneficial over the upcoming three years by enabling us to focus on the efforts to improve procedures and continue updating the MTdb for the 2020 Census and current surveys.

The Census Bureau will follow the protocol of past generic clearances: 30 days before the scheduled start date of each census activity, we will provide OMB with a detailed background on the activity, estimates of respondent burden and samples of pertinent forms. After the close of each fiscal year, we will also file a year-end summary report with OMB, presenting the results of each activity conducted.

The following sections describe the activities to be included under the clearance. The Census Bureau has conducted these activities (or similar ones) previously and the respondent burden remains relatively unchanged from one time to another. The estimated number of respondents is based on historical contact data and applied to the number of Census blocks in sample.

Demographic Area Address Listing (DAAL)

The Demographic Area Address Listing (DAAL) program encompasses the geographic area updates for the Community Address Updating System (CAUS) and the National Health Interview Survey, the area and group quarters (GQ) frame listings for many ongoing demographic surveys (the Current Population Survey, the Consumer Expenditures Survey, etc.), and any other operations that use the MTdb as a frame for data collection. As noted above, the CAUS program was designed to address quality concerns relating to areas with high concentrations of noncity-style addresses and to provide a rural counterpart to the update of city-style addresses the Census Bureau will receive from the U.S. Postal Service’s DSF. The ongoing demographic surveys, as part of the 2000 Sample Redesign Program, use the MTdb as one of several sources of addresses from which they select their samples.

The DAAL program is a cooperative effort among many divisions at the Census Bureau; it includes automated listing software, systems, and procedures that allow us to conduct address listing operations in a dependent manner based on information contained in the MTdb. The DAAL operations are conducted on an ongoing basis in potentially any county across the country. Census Bureau field staff canvass selected 2010 Census tabulation blocks in an effort to improve the address list in areas where substantial address changes may have occurred that have not been added to the MTdb through regular update operations, and/or in blocks in the area or group quarters frame sample for the demographic surveys. Staff update existing information and, when necessary, contact individuals to collect accurate location and mailing address information. In general, contact with a household occurs only when the staff is adding a unit to the address list, there is a missing mailing address flag, and/or the individual’s address is not posted or visible to the staff. There is no pre-determined or scripted list of questions asked for households as part of this listing operation. If an address is not posted or visible to the staff, they inquire about the address of the structure, the mailing address, and in some instances, the year the structure was built. If the occupants of these households are not at home, the staff may attempt to contact a neighbor to obtain the correct address information. DAAL collects Group Quarters information from all GQs in the selected blocks, and although there is not a scripted list of questions, the staff will ask information about the GQ such as the number of beds, the GQ name, and so on.

DAAL is an ongoing operation. Listing assignments are distributed regularly, with the work conducted throughout the time period. We expect the DAAL listing operation will be conducted throughout the entire time period of the extension of this clearance.

MAF Coverage Study

The MAF Coverage Study (MAFCS) is planned as an ongoing Census Bureau effort to update the MTdb for current surveys and the Decennial Census, as well as to produce MTdb coverage estimates at national and sub-national levels. The coverage estimates produced as a result of the MAFCS design will allow the Census Bureau to establish a baseline coverage measure for the MTdb and yearly measures to assess the impacts of ongoing address updates on the MTdb. In addition to the traditional updates from the United States Postal Service and current surveys, the Census Bureau now continuously updates the MTdb with data from local data providers through the Geographic Support Systems (GSS). The MAFCS estimates will allow the Census Bureau to assess the updates from the GSS as well as other ongoing updates. MAFCS will leverage existing Census Bureau programs and systems to achieve these objectives. MAFCS data are collected by DAAL staff; hence, there will be a large increase to the DAAL operation workload.

During Fiscal Year 2016, the bulk of the production field data collection (18,500 blocks) will occur from April 2016 through September 2017. In subsequent fiscal years, the field data collection will be spread over a 12-month period from October through September. The MAFCS uses probabilistic sampling methods to select blocks to canvass in the United States (except remote areas of Alaska) and Puerto Rico. Blocks for Puerto Rico will be selected for Fiscal Year 2017 and canvassing will not begin until April 2017. Blocks that are known to include public lands, nonresidential military facilities, or only street medians are out of scope for the MAFCS.

The listed activities are not exhaustive of all activities that may be performed under this generic clearance. We will follow the approved procedure when submitting any additional activities not specifically listed here.

2. Needs and Uses

All activities described above directly support the Census Bureau’s efforts to update the MTdb on a regular basis so that the most current MTdb will be available for use in conducting and evaluating statistical programs the Census Bureau undertakes on a monthly, annual, or periodic basis.

Information Quality

Information quality is an integral part of the pre-dissemination review of the information disseminated by the Census Bureau (fully described in the Census Bureau’s Information Quality Guidelines). Information quality is also integral to the information collections conducted by the Census Bureau and is incorporated into the clearance process required by the Paperwork Reduction Act.

3. Use of Information Technology

Laptops and other mobile electronic devices are used by the field staff in collecting responses or data in some of the activities we conduct. Field staff includes those managing field activities and the staff responsible for address listing activities. The specific information technology used may vary by role.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

These efforts do not duplicate information collected by any other agency. Further, there is no similar current information available that could be used or modified for these purposes.

5. Minimizing Burden

Using the Delivery Sequence File provided by the U.S. Postal Service, along with address information provided by state, local, and tribal governments, to update the MAF will allow us to verify existing information in appropriate areas instead of collecting all the information during the field listing. When contact with respondents is required, the information requested is minimal, to require only the address or physical location of the housing unit, plus householder name and telephone number for some operations. For GQs the requested information also includes information sufficient to identify the GQ and include it appropriately in subsequent enumeration operations, such as GQ name, number of beds, and GQ contact person.

6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection

Response to each of these activities is on a one-time basis. However, the activities will be conducted periodically in conjunction with Census tests, dress rehearsals, and other interim Census efforts to maintain a current and accurate list of addresses and geographic features. If these activities were not conducted, the accuracy of the MAF and the TIGER database would suffer, resulting in increased cost for, and problems in, conducting the Decennial Census and other Census Bureau statistical programs.

7. Special Circumstances

There are no special circumstances preventing the meeting of all guidelines.

8. Consultations Outside the Agency

While planning for the mid-decade activities and the 2020 Census, we have consulted with outside parties, including the U.S. Postal Service. Consultations specific to the activities described above generally are not deemed necessary because the methodologies are well proven.

The notice for public comment, entitled, “Generic Clearance for Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) Update Activities,” was published in the Federal Register October 7, 2015 (Vol. 80, No. 2015-25506, pp. 60623-60624). There were no public comments received.

9. Paying Respondents

Respondents will not be paid or provided with gifts.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality

All information tending to identify individuals will be held in strict confidence according to the provisions of Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 193. The Census Bureau staff on site will give a notice to each person contacted. Since some activities are mandatory and others are voluntary, separate notices will be used (see Attachments 1 and 2). The notices inform respondents about the operation and explain that any information given to the Census Bureau will be held in strict confidence. Additionally, the OMB number, expiration date, respondent burden, and other required disclosures will be provided to respondents in these notices or by other means. Specific forms, notices, and any other respondent materials will be provided to the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs and to OMB in advance of each activity conducted under the generic clearance.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

None of the questions asked during the activities described above are of a sensitive nature, and they should not pose any problem for respondents in that respect.

12. Estimate of Burden Hours

The following table shows the calculation of estimated burden in FYs 2016, 2017, and 2018 for all operations conducted as part of the DAAL program.

	Estimated Respondents and Burden Hours per Fiscal Year
Type of Respondent	Time per Response	Number of Respondents in FY2016	Burden in FY2016	Number of Respondents in FY2017	Burden in FY2017	Number of Respondents in FY2018	Burden in FY2018
Households	3 min	60,000	3,000	60,000	3,000	60,000	3,000
Group Quarters	10 min	2,000	333	2,000	333	2,000	333
Totals		62,000	3,333	62,000	3,333	62,000	3,333

All estimates of burden per response are derived from the Census Bureau’s experience conducting the same or similar activities previously.

13. Estimate of Cost Burden to Respondents

There are no costs to respondents other than that of their time to respond.

14. Cost to Federal Government

The annual cost to the Federal Government associated with each activity will be provided in the letter to the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs and OMB that will precede the activity.

15. Reason for Change Burden

The numerous activities we conduct each fiscal year directly cause fluctuations in the burden hours we report.

16. Project Schedule

The table in Question 12 and the description of each activity in Question 1 give an approximate time frame for each activity. A schedule for completing each activity will be provided in the letter to OMB that will precede the activity.

17. Request to Not Display Expiration Date

We will display the expiration date on the “Your Answers are Confidential” form given to respondents (see Attachment 1).

18. Exceptions to the Certification

There are no exceptions.

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