2018EndtoEndCensusTest GQAdvanceContact Study Plan

The 2018 End-to-End Census Test is an important opportunity for the Census Bureau to ensure an accurate count of the nation’s increasingly diverse and rapidly growing population. It is the first opportunity to apply much of what has been learned from census tests conducted throughout the decade in preparation for the nation’s once-a-decade population census. The Address Canvassing portion of the 2018 End-to-End Census Test will be held in three locations: Providence County, Rhode Island; Pierce County, Washington; and Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill, West Virginia. The remaining operations 2018 End-to-End Census Test, including the self-response phase, will take place in Providence County, Rhode Island.

The 2018 End-to-End Census Test will test and validate the 2020 Census operations, procedures, systems, and field infrastructure to ensure proper integration and conformance with functional and non-functional requirements. The test will also produce a prototype of geographic and data products, and will validate the 2020 Census design and cost estimate. Note that the 2018 End-to-End Census Test results are based on three sites that were purposely selected and cannot be generalized to the entire United States. Additionally, because it is not conducted in a “full decennial census environment,” the results may not foreshadow what will occur in the 2020 Census.

The purpose of the Group Quarters Advance Contact (GQAC) operation is to prepare Group Quarters (GQ) for the upcoming census enumerations. Before we can enumerate people in GQs, we first let the GQ administrators know that we are coming, explain the enumeration process, and collect certain information about each GQ to plan for a successful enumeration during the Service-Based Enumeration (SBE) operation and the Group Quarters Enumeration (GQE) operation. For the 2018 End-to-End Census Test, the GQAC will be conducted in Providence County, Rhode Island. The GQAC operation will occur June 18 through July 10, 2018. This study plan documents how the 2018 End-to-End Census Test GQAC will be assessed, as guided by the questions to be answered.

II. Background

2010 Census Group Quarters Advance Visit

For the 2010 Census, the Group Quarters Advance Visit (GQAV) was a paper-based operation in which field staff visited each GQ to inform, explain, interview and record information on paper forms called Advance Visit Interview Records (AVIR). Information from the AVIR for each GQ was transferred to an Enumeration Record (FORM D-352.1). This form contained updated information that was collected during GQAV, such as the updated GQ name, address, contact person information, and the appointment date for enumeration. This information was necessary for staff at the Local Census Office (LCO) to prepare enumerators for the enumeration.

III. Methodology

A primary objective for the 2020 Census is to lower costs compared to that of the 2010 Census while maintaining high quality and to utilize technology, as defined in the 2020 Census Business Plan. One way to accomplish this is to reduce personal visits to the field. For the 2020 Census, and the 2018 End-to-End Census Test, our plan for the GQAC operation is to conduct telephone interviews with the GQ contact person to prepare group quarters staff for the upcoming SBE and GQE operations.

The Group Quarters Advance Contact (GQAC) operation is an in-office operation in which clerks in the Area Census Offices (ACOs) will call group quarter facilities to verify the GQ name, address, and contact information. During this contact, clerks will schedule a date and time for the Census Bureau to conduct the enumeration, address any confidentiality concerns and identify any special instructions or security issues. In addition, clerks collect the approximate population of the GQ on Census Day; the preferred method of enumeration as appropriate; and whether the GQ services females only, males only, or both.

One of the main reasons a “complete” interview cannot be obtained, depends on the quality of the phone number provided on the MAF at the time of the call. If the phone number is missing, disconnected, incorrect or there is no answer after several attempts, the ACO clerks will attempt to find the correct phone number for the GQ by searching the internet using the GQ name, address, GQ type, and other information such as local knowledge to call the GQ to conduct the GQAC interview. If the clerks’ attempt to find a phone number was unsuccessful, then these cases will be marked as not complete with a status of unresolved. All unresolved cases will be sent to the SBE or GQE operation for field enumeration.

As part of GQAC, prior to making phone calls, the Census Bureau will mail letters to all addresses in the GQAC universe. The letter will inform the GQ facility manager about the upcoming 2018 Census Test and let them know that a Census Bureau worker will contact them by telephone between June 18, 2018 and July 10, 2018 to verify and collect information about their group quarters.

Creating the Group Quarters Advance Contact (GQAC) Universe

An important recommendation from the 2010 Census was to include GQ frame development into the reengineered Address Canvassing operation and create an In-Office GQ Review for the 2020 Census. However, Address Canvassing and the In-Office GQ Review operations will not play a part in determining the GQ universe for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. Instead, the GQAC universe will consist of the GQs that are on the MAF as of January 2018 for Providence County, Rhode Island.

College/University Student Housing GQ Types 501 & 502

As colleges and universities change to keep pace with students, so do the different types of living arrangements available to them. Because of this, the Census Bureau found it necessary to revisit the definition for college/university student housing. Research was conducted to assess and support the following revised definitions for college/university student housing.

GQ type 501 -College/University Student Housing (owned/leased/managed by the college/university): Includes residence halls, and other buildings, including apartment-style student housing, designed primarily to house college and university students in a group living arrangement either on or off campus. These facilities are owned, leased, or managed by the college, university, or seminary. Fraternity and sorority housing recognized by a college or university are included as college student housing. Students attending the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy are counted in military group quarters.

GQ type 502 -College/University Student Housing (owned/leased/managed by a private company/agency): Includes buildings designed primarily to house college and university students in a group living arrangement either on or off campus. These facilities are owned, leased, or managed by a private company or agency (i.e., not owned/leased/managed by a college/university). This category includes apartment-style student housing. Residents typically enter into “by the bed” leases (i.e., single-liability leases).

For GQ Type 501, clerks will ask the GQ contact person whether the GQ is owned, leased, or managed by the college or university or privately owned, leased or managed. If privately owned, leased or managed, the clerk will update the GQ Type from 501 to the new GQ Type 502.

The Production Control System

The set of GQ addresses and other information from the MAF will be uploaded to the Production Control System (PCS), a web-based application that was designed and developed specifically to support the GQAC operation.

Office staff in the Providence County, Rhode Island ACO will conduct telephone interviews to verify or to update the GQ information about the GQAC universe by contacting every GQ facility using the phone number on the MAF. They will enter the GQ contact person’s responses directly in the PCS.

GQ address records eligible for GQAC that were verified, updated or could not be verified (i.e., after unsuccessful attempts to contact someone by telephone during GQAC) will be sent to the field during the applicable GQ enumeration operation, that is the 2018 End-to-End Census Test SBE or GQE operation.

Interview Calling Scripts

ACO clerks will use a predefined interview paper calling script specific to the GQ type being contacted to verify the GQ name, address, and the GQ person’s contact information. In addition, staff will collect information to assist enumerators in conducting the upcoming enumerations. Staff will schedule a date and time for the Census Bureau to conduct the enumeration, collect the expected population at the time of enumeration for SBE GQs or the approximate population on Census Day for non-SBE GQs, the preferred enumeration method, whether the GQ serves females only, males only, or both, and address any privacy or confidentially concerns. Staff will conduct the interview and record the responses and notes directly in the PCS. The four predefined interview calling scripts are for the following types of GQs:

Emergency and Traditional Shelters (with sleeping facilities for people experiencing homelessness), which includes shelters for children who are runaways, neglected or experiencing homelessness (Shelters), except Domestic Violence Shelters

Soup Kitchens

Regularly Scheduled Mobile Food Vans (Mobile Food Vans)

Non-SBE GQ types except Military GQs and Merchant and Maritime Vessels

Types of Enumeration Methods Offered

Lessons learned from the 2010 Census recommended that the Census Bureau explore offering the GQ contact person the option to select an enumeration method of their choice. For the 2018 End-to-End Census Test GQAC operation, the ACO staff will offer the GQ contact person one of the following enumeration methods eligible for the GQ type:

Electronic Response Data Transfer (eResponse): The GQ contact person will be provided with a unique user ID and password to electronically submit response data to a secure portal for each person who was staying at this facility on Census Day. The data that will be requested for each person includes name, sex, date of birth, age on Census Day, race, ethnicity, and an alternate address where the person lives or stays when not at this facility. The requested data must be entered using the Census Bureau’s format and uploaded to our website. The GQ Contact person can submit their eResponse data starting July 30, 2018 through August 24, 2018. Only non-SBE GQs can select this enumeration method.
In-Person Interview: A census worker will conduct a face-to-face interview with each person who was served or was staying at this facility on enumeration day for SBE GQs or and for each person staying at this facility on Census Day, April 1, 2018 for Non-SBE GQs. Soup Kitchens and Mobile Food Vans will be enumerated by In-Person Interviews only. Shelters and non-SBE GQs will be allowed to select this method.
Drop Off/Pick Up of Questionnaire: A census worker will leave census questionnaires with the GQ contact person to distribute to each person who was staying at this facility on Census Day. The contact person is instructed to ensure that each person completes and returns the questionnaires. A census worker will pick up the completed forms from the contact person at an agreed-upon time. Only Non-SBE GQs can select this enumeration method.

Facility Self-Enumeration: A census worker will swear in and train the GQ contact person on how to conduct the enumeration. The census worker will also leave census enumeration materials to conduct the enumeration for each person who was staying at this facility on Census Day. A census worker will pick up the completed questionnaires at an agreed upon time. Only correctional and health care facilities can select this option.

Paper-Response Data Collection: A census worker will meet with the GQ contact person of this facility to obtain a paper listing of response data for each person who was served or was staying at this facility on Census Day. The response data that will be requested for each person includes name, sex, date of birth, age on Census Day, race, ethnicity, and an alternate address where they live or stay when not at this facility. Shelters and non-SBE GQs will be allowed to select this method.

Internal Systems Flow

The following list describes an overview of the internal system flow from which we will obtain data to assess the GQAC operation.

The Master Address File /Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing Database (MAF/TIGER) system creates the GQ universe in a MAF Extract, which includes both SBE and non-SBE GQ information.

The GQ MAF Extract is delivered to the Control and Response Data System (CaRDS) to create the GQ Sample Delivery File (GQ SDF), which determines the universe for enumeration and, if applicable, mailing letters and promotional material.

The Survey Operational Control System (SOCS) receives the GQ SDF from CaRDS and runs the validation according to a set of rules from DSSD.

The SOCS creates the GQAC workload from the GQ SDF and sends the cases to the Product Control System (PCS). This is a one-time transfer.

Clerks in the ACO will access the PCS to verify, update and enter GQ information. Once the GQAC operation is finished, PCS will send a file to SOCS to update the GQ universe.

The Decennial Information Technology Division (DITD) will deliver the updated GQAC output data from the SOCS/PCS to the DSSD for analysis.

IV. Assumptions

The following assumptions pertain to the 2018 End-to-End Census Test GQAC operation.

The GQAC operation at the ACO has the benefit of local knowledge that enables an overall personal approach to obtain information.

The GQ contact person will provide responses to the GQAC calling script.

Census Bureau headquarters will have the capability to receive knowledge of the progress of the GQAC operation.

Census Bureau headquarters (DSSD) will receive output data from the GQAC operation for data analysis.

The PCS will be fully developed, tested, and available throughout the dates of the GQAC operation.

V. Questions To Be Answered

This document outlines the study plan to assess the GQAC operation for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. It presents details about the questions to be answered in the final operational assessment report. This study will quantify and analyze the results from the in-office interviews as well as check that the data are collected and processed as intended. The 2018 End-to-End Census Test GQAC Assessment will also include variance analysis on schedule and budget, production and training workloads, field staffing workloads, enumerator debriefings and lessons learned from the Group Quarters Operations-Integrated Project Team (GQO-IPT).

This assessment marks the first time that we will conduct and assess the results of the in-office GQ Advance Contact operation.

For all of the assessment questions presented in this section, we will provide the counts and percentages by the four GQ script types i.e., Shelters, Soup Kitchens, Mobile Food Vans and Non-SBE GQs, as appropriate. Table shells provided.

We will also break down the counts and percentages for Non-SBE GQs by GQ type for the same appropriate assessment questions that were broken down by GQ Script Type. See the table on the next page for the GQ types that are eligible for GQAC. The authors will determine how best to display the non-SBE GQ results by GQ type when preparing the assessment report.

Non-SBE GQ Types Eligible for 2018 GQAC
GQ Type Code	GQ Type Description
101	Federal Detention Centers
102	Federal Prisons
103	State Prisons
104	Local Jails and Other Municipal Confinement Facilities
105	Correctional Residential Facilities
201	Group Homes for Juveniles (non-correctional)
202	Residential Treatment Centers for Juveniles (non-correctional)
203	Correctional Facilities Intended for Juveniles
301	Nursing/Skilled Nursing Facilities
401	Mental (Psychiatric) Hospitals and Psychiatric Units in Other Hospitals
402	Hospitals with Patients Who Have No Usual Home Elsewhere
403	In-Patient Hospice Facilities
405	Residential Schools for People for People with Disabilities
501	College/University Student Housing (owned/leased/managed by the college/university)
502*	College/University Student Housing (owned/leased/managed by a private company/agency)
801	Group Homes Intended
802	Residential Treatment Centers for Adults
901	Worker’s Group Living Quarters
902	Religious GQs
*New GQ Type approved October 2017

Note: We may need to revise, update, or remove questions or tables from the assessment report to reflect the information that is actually available from the data collected during the 2018 End-to-End Census Test GQAC operation.

Questions

How many GQAC interviews were “complete”? What were the reasons for not completing an interview? How many of these were because the GQ Contact Person refused the interview?

Table 1 will provide the number of “complete” and “not complete” interviews. We will calculate the number of “complete” interviews by type of enumeration mode selected, (i.e., eResponse or paper enumeration). Interviews that are not completed will be broken down by the reasons listed in Table 1. The PCS system will mark an interview as “complete” for paper enumerations if the case has both a scheduled visit and an enumeration method selected. For those GQ administrators that selected eResponse as their preferred enumeration method, the PCS will mark the interview as “complete”.

Table 1. Reasons for Not Completing the Interview by GQ Script Type
GQ Contact Person Interview Result	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans		Non-SBE GQs
GQ Contact Person Interview Result	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Complete Interviews
eResponse			NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Paper Enumeration
Not Complete
Refusal by GQ Contact Person
Language Barrier
Hearing or Comprehension Barrier
Not a GQ
Housing Unit
Transitory Location
Nonresidential
Phone Number Issues
No Phone Number Available
Wrong Phone Number
No Answer
GQ Moved
Other
TOTAL GQ WORKLOAD

What were the reasons the GQ Contact person refused the interview?

One of the reasons for a non-interview is that the GQ contact person refuses the GQAC interview. Table 2 will provide the number of GQ contact persons who refused the interview and the reasons for the refusal by GQ Script Type.

Table 2. Reason the GQ Contact Person Refused the Interview by GQ Script Type
Refusal Reason	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans		Non-SBE GQs
Refusal Reason	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
GQ Contact Person too busy, not interested or does not want to be bothered
Privacy concerns or the facility cannot comply due to legal restrictions/company policy
Survey complaints such as survey is a waste of time and money, done enough surveys, survey is voluntary (i.e., they do not have to do interview)
Anti-government concerns or question the legitimacy of the Census
Hostile GQ Contact person/dangerous situation/threatening language
Claims they already completed an interview
Other Reasons
Reason Unknown
TOTAL Refusals

Of the GQs that completed the GQAC interview, how often was the GQ information updated during verification? How many GQ Type 501 (college/university owned, leased or managed) was updated to GQ Type 502 (privately owned, leased, or managed)?

Of the number of completed interviews, Table 3 will show how often the ACO clerks updated the facility name, GQ name, GQ type, GQ contact information and the address information. The PCS will allow clerks to make minor changes, such as correcting misspellings of the street name and correcting location descriptions. If during verification, the GQ contact person tells the clerk the address is incorrect or if the GQ has moved to another location, the clerk will click on the “GQ Address Update” button on the edit screen of the PCS to reveal a dropdown menu which shows “No Update”, “Apt/Unit ID”, “New Address”, or some “Other” address update was made to the address. If “Other” is selected, a textbox will open for the user to enter the type of update made. If no update was made, then the clerk will select “No Update”. Clerks will also verify or update the maximum number of people who can stay or be served by the GQ. Table 3 will show how often GQ Type 501 were updated to 502 during GQAC.

Table 3. Updates to GQ Information by GQ Script Type
GQ Information	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans		Non-SBE GQs
GQ Information	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Completed Interviews
Facility Name
GQ Name
GQ Type
501 to 502			NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Other GQ Type Updates
Max Pop
Primary Contact Person
Name
Phone Number
Secondary Contact Person
Name
Phone Number
Street Name
Location Description
GQ Address Updates
No Update
Apt/Unit ID
New Address
Other Updates
TOTAL GQs with one or more updates

What is the distribution of GQs by the type of enumeration method selected?

Table 4 will tally the number of GQs by the preferred method of enumeration eligible for the GQ type.

SBE GQs - The GQ contact person at shelters can choose one of the two methods that is In-Person Interview or Paper-Response Data Collection. Soup kitchens and mobile food vans will be enumerated by In-Person Interview only.

Non-SBE GQs - The GQ contact person at non-SBE GQs is eligible to select any of the methods offered. They can select Facility Self Enumeration for correctional and health care facilities only.

Table 4. Type of Enumeration Method Selected by GQ Script Type
Enumeration Method	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans		Non-SBE GQs
Enumeration Method	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
eResponse			NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
In-Person Interviews
Drop Off/Pick Up ICQs			NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Facility Self- Enumeration			NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	Certain GQ Types
Paper-Response Data Collection					NA	NA	NA	NA
TOTAL

How many SBE GQs scheduled their enumeration for July 25, July 26, or July 27, 2018?

The SBE will occur July 25 through July 27, 2018. ACO clerks will ask the GQ contact person if their facility will be open or operating during one or more of the three enumeration dates. Based on the answer, the clerk will schedule a date for the Census Bureau to visit the GQ to conduct the enumeration. If the facility is not open or operating during these three days or if none of these dates are acceptable to conduct the enumeration, the people at the GQ will not be enumerated in the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. The enumeration appointments cannot be scheduled outside of July 25, 26 or 27, 2018.

Table 5. SBE GQs Enumeration Date Scheduled

Scheduled Visit Date	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans
Scheduled Visit Date	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
July 25, 2018
July 26, 2018
July 27, 2018
Not Scheduled
TOTAL

How many non-SBE GQs scheduled their paper enumeration for the first, second, third, or last week of GQE by type of paper enumeration methods?

The GQE will occur July 30 through August 24, 2018. ACO clerks will ask the GQ contact person if their facility will be open or operating during this period for the paper enumeration method the GQ contact person selected. Based on the answer, the clerk will schedule a date and time for the Census Bureau to visit the GQ to conduct in-person interviews, leave paper questionnaires, or pick up paper listings. If the facility is not open or operating or if none of these dates are acceptable, the people at the GQ will not be enumerated in the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. The enumeration appointments cannot be scheduled outside of July 30 through August 24, 2018.

Table 6. Non-SBE GQs Enumeration Scheduled by Selected Paper Enumeration Method

Scheduled Visit Week	Total		In-Person Interview		Drop off/Pick up Questionnaires		Pick up Paper Listings		Facility Self Enumeration
Scheduled Visit Week	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Week 1: July 30 – August 4
Week 2: August 6 – August 11
Week 3: August 13 – August 17
Week 4: August 19 – August 24
Not Scheduled
TOTAL

How many GQs serve males only, females only, or both?

Table 7 will show the number of GQs that serve males only, females only, or both. This information is important to collect in preparation for the enumeration. For example, an ACO may opt to send only male enumerators instead of female enumerators to conduct in-person interviews for a particular GQ based on whether the facility serves males only, the type of the GQ (such as a shelter), and local knowledge.

Table 7. GQs by Sex of Population Served by GQ Script Type

Sex of Population Served	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans		Non-SBE GQs
Sex of Population Served	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Males Only
Females Only
Both Males and Females
Not Provided
TOTAL

Are there any clients who do not speak or understand English? What are the languages they speak?

Table 8 will show the number of GQs that have clients that do not speak or understand English broken down by specific languages they do speak. This information will help the ACO to prepare for the enumeration. If the GQ does have clients who do not speak or understand English, the ACO may plan to hire bi-lingual enumerators who can verbally translate the ICQ in the language the respondent understands.

Table 8. GQs by Whether Clients Speak or Understand English

Any clients at GQ who do not speak or understand English?	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans		Non-SBE GQs
	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Yes
Spanish
Other Non-Spanish
No
Don’t Know
TOTAL

How long, on average, did it take clerks to complete the interview using the Production Control System (PCS)?

ACO clerks will call each GQ to verify and update the necessary GQ information using paper calling scripts specific to the GQ type. We will calculate the number of minutes from the time the clerk opens a case until the case ends. Table 9 will provide the average time it took for a clerk to complete the interview in the PCS. We will also examine the average time it took to conduct an interview for different categories, such as “refusals” and cases that were “not a GQ.” We will combine both the complete and incomplete interviews, for an overall estimate of the number of minutes to obtain and enter information in the PCS during GQAC.

Table 9. Average Number of Minutes to Complete an Interview using the PCS by GQ Script Type

Average Time (In Minutes)	Total		Shelters		Soup Kitchens		Mobile Food Vans		Non-SBE GQs
Average Time (In Minutes)	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent	Count	Percent
Total Complete Interviews
Average minutes per complete interview
Total Incomplete Interviews
Average minutes per incomplete interview
Total Interviews
Average minutes per interview

What were the operational expenses to conduct the 2018 End-to-End Census Test GQAC operation? What was the difference between the budget and the actual costs? What was the cost by case?

Table 10. Group Quarters Advance Contact Operational Expenses

Component	Total Budget	Actual Total Costs	% Total Budget Used	Variance	% Variance
Production Total
Cost per Case

What were the training costs by employee type? What was the training cost per employee type?

Table 11. Group Quarters Advance Contact Training Costs
Employee Type	Actual Training Costs	% Training Budget Used	Variance	%Variance
Clerks
Office Operations Supervisor (OOS)
Census Field Manager (CFM)
Total Field Staff

What were the training hours by employee type? What were the training hours per employee type?

Table 12. Group Quarters Advance Contact Training Hours
Employee Type	Planned Training Hours	Actual Training Hours	% Training Hours Used

Clerk
Office Operations Supervisor (OOS)
Census Field Manager (CFM)
Total Field Staff

What was the cost for actual work?

Table 13. Group Quarters Advance Contact Work Costs
Component	Planned Work Budget	Actual Work Cost	% Work Cost
Production Total

What were the planned work hours?

Table 14. Group Quarters Advance Contact Work Hours
Component	Planned Work Hours	Actual Work Hours	% Work Hours Used
Production Total

How did actual start and completion dates compare to the planned start and completion dates?

We will compare the actual start and completion dates to the planned start and completion dates scheduled for conducting GQAC. We will report and document any departures from the original schedule and document the reasons for schedule variances between actual milestone dates and planned dates.

What were the key lessons learned that can inform the GQAC operation in the 2020 Census?

During a series of debriefings with the GQ Contact persons, ACO staff, and the GQO-IPT will discuss and identify key lessons learned for improving operational processes for the 2020 GQAC operation. Some debriefing questions should include:

What challenges or issues were noted during GQAC data collection using the telephone?
How well did ACO clerks follow the paper calling script specific to the GQ type being contacted, conduct the interview, and enter the responses into the PCS?
What issues were noted during the processing of the GQAC data? Was this data transmitted and captured in the PCS?
Were there any issues using the paper scripts?
How well did the PCS work?
How well did the training prepare the ACO clerks to conduct telephone interviews? Were there any issues that arose that training did not cover?

VI. Risks/Limitations

Several risks must be managed for this project. The risks are as follows:

Budget may limit the ability to contact a broad range of GQ types.
OMB approval to conduct the test must be received in time.
No contingency plan to collect interview data using paper in the event that the PCS encounters issues or fails to collect and retain data.

Limitations to this research approach appear below:

Actual budget to support the project may exceed the planned budget.
GQAC conducted in English only.
No data to evaluate new GQs because finding and processing new addresses (Adds) were removed from the scope for all 2018 End-to-End Census Test Operations.

VII. Measures of Success

The 2018 End-to-End Census Test is the first opportunity to test the GQAC operation using new systems, applications, and procedures. If the systems do not function as intended or the data are not received as specified, we will use the lessons learned from this test to update the systems, applications, and procedures to prepare for a successful 2020 Census GQAC operation. We will consider the general occurrence of the following as indicators of success.

Clerks are able to contact GQ administrators by telephone, when numbers are available.

Clerks are able to use the paper calling scripts to enter the responses in the correct data fields in the PCS.
GQ administrators participate in the interview, verify the address and contact information, and update or provide an expected population count.
GQ administrators successfully select an enumeration method.
Clerks are able to schedule a date and time for enumeration, as appropriate.
Clerks are able to complete the GQAC a scheduled.
GQAC data are passed to the enumeration operations to allow the enumeration activities to begin on schedule.
Data are available to calculate GQAC costs at an acceptable level of detail.

VIII. Data Requirements

Metadata and paradata as specified in the 2018 End-to-End Census GQAC Census Test Product Control System Software Requirements Specifications.

IX. Division Responsibilities

Below indicates participating divisions and responsibilities for the analysis of data from the 2018 Census End-to-End Test GQAC.

Division	Division Members	Description of Responsibilities
DCMD	Dora Durante Belkines Arenas-Germosen GQO IPT	Project Management Document Review Providing content to the study plan and the analysis report Reviewing and providing comments to the study plan and analysis report
	Diane F. Barrett	Specifying requirements for data products needed to conduct the analysis Developing the study plan, conducting the analysis, and documenting the final results Reporting status updates to DCMD
DITD	George David Tarr	Delivering GQAC data from the Survey Operational Control System (SOCS) output data for analysis to DSSD
FLD	Census Field Manager (CFM) Office Operations Supervisor (OOS) ACO Clerks	Conducting the in-office GQ Advance Contact

X. Milestone Schedule

Below are the standard schedule activities for the development of the research study plan and report. Definitions of acronyms are noted in the glossary section. Dates for the operational assessment report are to be determined.

Activity ID	Activity Name	Orig Duration	Start	Finish
Group Quarters Advance Contact (GQAC) Assessment Study Plan
First Draft
	Prepare First Draft of GQAC Assessment Study Plan
	Distribute First Draft of GQAC Assessment Study Plan Study Plan to the Assessment Sponsoring DCMD ADC and Other Reviewers			Jan-27-17A
	Incorporate DCMD ADC and Other Comments to <<Title>> Study Plan			Feb-21-17A
Initial Draft
	Prepare Initial Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan			Jun-16-17A
	Distribute Initial Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan to Evaluations & Experiments Coordination Branch (EXC)			Sep-26-17A Oct-23-17A
	EXC Distributes Initial Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan to the DROM Working Group for Electronic Review			Sep-26-17A
	Receive Comments from the DROM Working Group on the Initial Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan		Oct-16-17A	Nov-6-17A
	Schedule the Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan for the IPT Lead to Meet with the DROM Working Group
	Discuss & Incorporated DROM Comments on Initial Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan			Nov-27-17A
Final Draft
	Prepare Final Draft of GQAC Study Plan
	Distribute Final Draft SBE Assessment Study Plan to the DPMO and the EXC
	Schedule and Discuss Final Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan with the 2020 PMGB			Dec-13-17
	Incorporate 2020 PMGB Comments for Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan
	Prepare FINAL Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan Study Plan
	Distribute FINAL Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan to the EXC
	EXC Staff Distributes the Draft GQAC Assessment Study Plan and 2020 Memorandum to the DCCO
	DCCO Staff Process the Draft 2020 Memorandum and the GQAC Assessment Study Plan to Obtain Clearances (DCMD Chief, Assistant Director, and Associate Director)
	DCCO Staff Formally Release the GQAC Assessment Study Plan in the 2020 Memorandum Series
GQAC Assessment Report
First Draft of GQAC Assessment Report

	Receive, Verify, and Validate GQAC Data
	Examine Results and Conduct Analysis
	Prepare First Draft of the GQAC Assessment Report
	Distribute First Draft of GQAC Assessment Report to the Assessment Sponsoring DCMD ADC and Other Reviewers
	Incorporate DCMD ADC and Other Comments to the GQAC Assessment Report
Initial Draft of GQAC Assessment Report
	Prepare Initial Draft of the GQAC Assessment Report
	Distribute Initial Draft of the GQAC Assessment Report to Evaluations & Experiments Coordination Br. (EXC)
	EXC Distributes Initial Draft of the SBE Assessment Report to the DROM Working Group for Electronic Review
	Receive Comments from the DROM Working Group on the Initial Draft of the SBE Assessment Report
	Schedule the SBE Assessment Report for the IPT Lead to Meet with the DROM Working Group
	Discuss DROM Comments on Initial Draft of the SBE Assessment Report
Final Draft of GQAC Assessment Report
	Prepare Final Draft of the GQAC Assessment Report
	Distribute Final Draft of the GQAC Assessment Report to the DPMO and the EXC
	Schedule and Discuss Final Draft of the GQAC Assessment Report with the 2020 PMGB
	Incorporate 2020 PMGB Comments on the GQAC Assessment Report
Final of GQAC Assessment Report
	Prepare FINAL GQAC Assessment Report
	Deliver FINAL GQAC Assessment Report to the EXC
	EXC Staff Distribute the FINAL GQAC Assessment Report and 2020 Memorandum to the DCCO
	DCCO Staff Process the Draft 2020 Memorandum and the FINAL SBE Assessment Report to Obtain Clearances (DCMD Chief, Assistant Director, and Associate Director)
	DCCO Staff Formally Release the FINAL GQAC Assessment Report in the 2020 Memorandum Series
	EXC Staff Capture Recommendations of the FINAL GQAC Assessment Report in the Census Knowledge Management SharePoint Application

XI. Review/Approval

Role	Electronic Signature	Date
Fact Checker or independent verifier
Author’s Division Chief (or designee)
Judy Belton
DROM DCMD co-executive sponsor (or designee)
DROM DSSD co-executive sponsor (or designee)
Associate Director for R&M (or designee)
Associate Director for Decennial Census Programs (or designee)
2020 PMGB

XII. Document Revision and Version Control History

VERSION/EDITOR	DATE	REVISION DESCRIPTION	EAE IPT CHAIR APPROVAL
v. 01/Diane F. Barrett	01/09/2017	First Draft for Review & Comment
v. 02/Diane F. Barrett	01/23/2017	Incorporated comments from 01/09.2017 First Draft & sent for GQAC Team Review & Comment by 02/07/2017.
v. 0.3/Diane F. Barrett	02/16/2017	Incorporated comments from the 01/23/2017 First Draft Prepared Initial Draft for Review & Comment by 02/24/2017.
v. 04/Diane F. Barrett	03/29/2017	Incorporated comments, waited to update report to include de-scoped decision. Prepared Final Draft for review and comment by 04/06/2017
v.05/Diane F. Barrett	07/17/2017	Send Initial Draft to DSSD for comments and approval. Send to GQO-IPT for comments.
v.1.0/Diane F. Barrett	09/26/2017	Incorporates comments from DSSD and GQO IPT. Sent Initial Draft to EAE to send to DROM.
v.1.1/Diane F. Barrett	09/27/2017	Revised to incorporate comments from Field and update limitations. Adds have been de-scoped for all 2018 E2E CT operations. GQAC to be conducted in two phases.
v.1.2/Diane F. Barrett	10/24/2017	Revised to incorporate the approved ESC decision to conduct a full GQAC for both SBE and non-SBE GQs. Sent to EAE to send to DROM for review.
V.1.3/Diane F. Barrett	12/11/2017	Incorporates DROM comments. Sent final draft to EAE to send to PMGB

Acronym	Definition
ACO	Area Census Office
DCMD	Decennial Census Management Division
DITD	Decennial Information Technology Division
DSSD	Decennial Statistical Studies Division
EXC	Experiments and Evaluations Branch
eResponse	Electronic Response Transfer
GEO	Geography Division
GQ	Group Quarters
GQAC	Group Quarters Advance Contact
GQE	Group Quarters Enumeration
GQAV	Group Quarters Advance Visit
GQV	Group Quarters Validation
MAF	Master Address File
SBE	Service-Based Enumeration

XIV. References

Barrett, D. F., Williams, J. and Williams, A. (2013), “2010 Census Group Quarters Validation Operation Assessment Report,” 2010 Census Planning Memorandum Series, No. 193 (Reissue), January 8, 2013.

Barrett, D. F., Williams, J., Williams, A., DeVos, B., and Russell, D. (2013), “2010 Census Group Quarters Enumeration Assessment Report,” 2010 Census Planning Memorandum Series, No. 243 (Reissue), January 29, 2013.

Barrett, D. F., and Russell, D. (2013), “2010 Census Service-Based Enumeration Assessment Report,” 2010 Census Planning Memorandum Series, No. 250, January 3, 2013.

Tarr, George D. (2017), “2018 Group Quarters Advance Contact Production Control System

Requirements Specification,” September 25, 2017.

Wang, C. J., Jones-Puthoff, M., and Butler, N. (2017), “Field Test on Revised and

Research and Evaluation Report Memorandum Series” DRAFT August 2017.

File Type	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Author	Robert Charles Fitzsimmons (CENSUS/DSSD FED)
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2021-01-21

2018EndtoEndCensusTest GQAdvanceContact Study Plan

2018 E2ECT GQAC Study Plan Final _v1.3_121117_OMB.docx

2018 End-to-End Census Test – Peak Operations