SAID_Supporting StatementA_OMB_10-16-18

Department of Commerce

United States Census Bureau

OMB Information Collection Request

Spatial, Address, Imagery, Data Program

OMB Control Number 0607-XXXX

Part A – Justification

Question 1. Necessity of the Information Collection

The U.S. Census Bureau requests the approval of a new collection from the Office of Management and Budget for the Spatial, Address and Imagery Data (SAID) Program. The SAID Program, formerly known as the Geographic Support System Partnership Program (GSS), is one of seven voluntary geographic partnership programs that collects data to update the U.S. Census Bureau’s geographic database of addresses, streets, boundaries, and imagery, known as the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geocoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) System. The data within the MAF/TIGER System supports the Census Bureau’s geographic framework for data collection, tabulation and dissemination. This framework enables the Census Bureau field personnel to navigate to the appropriate locations for data collection and it enables the Census Bureau to accurately link demographic data from surveys and the decennial census to locations and areas, such as cities, school districts, and counties for data tabulation and dissemination. The GSS program was previously included in the Geographic Partnership Programs Generic Clearance (OMB Control Number 0607-0795).

Question 2. Needs and Uses

The data collected in the SAID Program may be used to define geographic boundaries, including census blocks, and to place households and group quarters in a specific census block.

The SAID Program complements efforts from the 2020 Census In-Office Address Canvassing Operation and 2020 Census Local Update of Census Addresses Operation (LUCA) by continuing improvements to address coverage, collecting and updating street features, and enhancing the overall quality and integrity of the MAF/TIGER System after major Census update programs have concluded.

The SAID Program provides the Census Bureau with a continuous method to obtain current, accurate, and complete spatial, address, and imagery data. The purpose of the SAID Program is to help maintain the Census Bureau’s geographic framework for data collection, tabulation, and dissemination between decennial censuses and to support ongoing programs, such as the American Community Survey and the Population Estimates Program.

Over the past six years, the SAID Program, under the name of the Geographic Support System Partnership Program, has enabled the Census Bureau to update addresses and street centerlines across the country, with participation covering nearly 94 percent of the housing units in the nation. Moving forward, the SAID Program will continue to focus on acquiring addresses, street centerlines, and imagery in targeted areas.

Question 3. Use of Information Technology

SAID Program participants utilize their own IT systems and Geographic Information System software to create and manage their data. Participants utilize the Census Bureau’s secure file transfer protocol (FTP) services in order to share their data. Uploading the data via FTP is more secure and cost efficient compared with having data mailed on DVDs or external hard drives. For imagery, where files are too large for transfer using FTP, other data transfer mechanisms may be employed. Finally, where possible, Census Bureau employees directly download openly available spatial data from the local government’s website, provided it meets program guidelines and there are no use constraints.

Question 4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

Where possible, the SAID Program will attempt to eliminate duplicative calls for data by identifying the partner with the greatest geographic coverage. For example, the Census Bureau will attempt to work with the state or county before reaching out to all of the municipalities within the state. Additionally, data collected in the SAID Program is carefully managed in geographic control systems and jurisdictional overlap is monitored. In terms of duplication of data collection, the SAID Program attempts to complement existing data collection programs. For example, SAID Program data collection occurs annually, whereas LUCA happens once every ten years as part of the census cycle.

Question 5. Minimizing Burden

The data that is being requested has already been created by the participants and was not created specifically for the SAID Program. All the participants have to do is provide access to pre-existing data.

Question 6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection

The data collected in the SAID Program is used to update and enhance spatial, address, and imagery data within the MAF/TIGER System and is vital to the success of the decennial census and other surveys that depend on address and spatial data from the MAF/TIGER System. Not collecting this information, or collecting less frequently, could result in undercounts and less accurate estimates for some geographic areas.

Question 7: Special Circumstances

Data collection for the SAID Program follows the guidelines of OMB when conducting the collection.

Question 8: Consultations Outside the Agency

The purpose, methodology, and problems of the SAID Program are discussed with tribal, state, and local officials, regional government associations, plus a network of frequent users of Census Bureau data, during periodical national and local meetings. Discrepancies in maps are periodically discussed with governmental officials during problem resolution.

The public had the opportunity to review and submit comments on the SAID Program during the 60-Day Notice of the Proposed Information Collection. The notice for public comment, titled “Spatial, Address, and Imagery Data Program,” was published in the Federal Register July 10, 2018 (Vol 83., FR 31947, pp. 31947-31949) with a consideration period ending on September 10, 2018. The SAID Program received one public comment on the 60-day Federal Register Notice, which was in favor of the program.

Question 9. Paying Respondents

The Census Bureau does not pay respondents or provide them with gifts for responding to this survey.

Question 10. Assurance of Confidentiality

The law requires the Census Bureau to maintain the confidentiality for all of the information that it collects. The Census Bureau takes its responsibility to protect the confidentiality of the information it collects very seriously. Respondents place their trust in the Census Bureau each time they complete a survey or an interview. This trust in confidentiality is critical to the success of the Census Bureau's mission to collect and report the most accurate data possible. To uphold the law, the Census Bureau requires that all individuals who work with the Census Bureau's confidential materials read, understand, and agree to abide by the confidentiality and security guidelines.

Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.) provides for the confidential treatment of census-related information, including individual addresses and map structure points that identify the location of housing units and group quarters.

Title 13 also requires that the Census Bureau maintain the confidentiality for all of the information that it collects.

The penalty for violating Title 13, U.S.C. is a fine of up to $250,000 and/or five years’ imprisonment.

Question 11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

There are no questions of a sensitive nature in this survey.

Question 12. Estimate of Hour Burden for Collection

Calculation of Total Burden	Burden hours per contact	Estimated number of respondents	FY 2019 Total Burden	FY 2020 Total Burden	FY 2021 Total Burden	FY19-FY21 Total Burden
Contact with Local Governments	2	1,000	2,000	2,000	2,000	6,000
Acquisition of Local Data	10	500	5,000	5,000	5,000	15,000
Total Burden	12		7,000	7,000	7,000	21,000

Question 13. Estimate Cost Burden

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of respondents’ time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services required specifically by the collection.)

Question 14. Cost to Federal Government

The estimate to conduct the SAID Program for one fiscal year is approximately $12,765,000. This estimate may fluctuate based on budgetary issues, changes in technology, or other factors unforeseen at this time.

Question 15. Reason for Change in Burden

This is a new collection.

Question 16. Project Schedule for Survey Year

SAID FY 2020 Schedule	Activity
October (2019)	Start FY 2020 File Acquisition
November	Continue File Acquisition
	Start FY2020 Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
December	Continue File Acquisition
	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Start FY2020 Feedback to Par
January (2020)	Continue 2020 File Acquisition
	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
February	Continue File Acquisition
	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
March	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
April	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
May	Continue Address & Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
June	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
July	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
August	Continue Address, Imagery, and Spatial Data Updates
	Continue Feedback to Partners
September	End FY2020 File Acquisition
	End FY 2020 Address, Imagery, Spatial Data Updates
	End FY 2020 Feedback to Partners

Question 17. Request to Not Display Expiration Date

No exemption is expected.

Question 18. Exception to the Certification

There are no exceptions.