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Update on the 2010 CensusThis Year and Next

Oregon State Data Center MeetingPortland State University

April 14, 2009

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2010 Census Strategy

Count everyone,

count them once, and

count them in the right place.

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Census History

1790 – The first census

1850 – Counting individuals

1920 – No reapportionment

1940 – First use of sampling

1970 – Mailout / mailback

2000 – Increased response rates

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Why a Census?

• The Constitution requires a census every 10 years to determine the number of representatives to Congress for each state based on the population.

$3,000,000,000,000+

• In the next decade, over $3 trillion in federal funding will be allocated to tribal, state and local governments using census data.

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Ensuring the Confidentiality of Your Information

• By law, the Census Bureau does not share personal information with ANYONE

• Not even with other federal or law enforcement agencies

• The Census Bureau strips all identifying information and publishes only summary data

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Seven Topics on the2010 Census Form

• Name• Age• Gender• Race

• Ethnicity• Relationship• Rent/own house

Takes an average household ten minutes to complete

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Update on the Census in Oregon

• Address Canvassing– Checking all addresses in the field– Capturing GPS coordinates– Schedule

• Portland Local Census Office (LCO)– April 6 through June 19, 2009

• Eugene Local Census Office (LCO)– April 20 through July 3, 2009

• Recruiting / staffing– 2100 people will be hired for 2009

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What’s Next?

• Address List Development

• Questionnaire Delivery

• Mail Back Phase

• Enumeration• Transitory locations

• Group Quarters

• Households

• Language Assistance

• Recruiting Efforts

• Communications Campaign• Paid advertising

• Partnerships

• Census in Schools

• Earned media

• Public relations

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Address List Development

2008 Local Update of Census Addresses

2009 Address Canvassing (Spring / Summer)

2009 Group Quarters Validation (October 2009)

2010 Update/Leave (March 1 – April 2, 2010)

700,000 applicants are needed in 2009 for Address Canvassing

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Questionnaire Delivery

• Questionnaires delivered or mailed to all housing units in March 2010

• March 8-10March 8-10 Advance Letter Advance Letter• March 15-17 Questionnaires MailedMarch 15-17 Questionnaires Mailed• March 22-24 Reminder PostcardMarch 22-24 Reminder Postcard

• APRIL 1APRIL 1 CENSUS DAY CENSUS DAY• April 1-10April 1-10 Replacement Questionnaire Replacement Questionnaire

• Bilingual questionnaires (Spanish / English) delivered or mailed in tracts with more than 40% Spanish-speaking households - - 15 million housing units in 44 states

• We expect a 64% mail response 10

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Group Quarters Enumeration

• Group Quarters Validation (October 2009)  

• Group Quarters Advance Visit (February – March 2010)

• Service-Based Enumeration (March 29 – 31, 2010)

– Targeted Non-Shelter Outdoor Locations

– Shelters

– Soup Kitchens

– Regularly Scheduled Mobile Food Vans

• Military Group Quarters Enumeration (April – May 2010)

• Group Quarters Enumeration (April – May 2010)

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Transitory Locations Enumeration

• Locations include RV parks, campgrounds, hotels, motels, marinas, racetracks, circuses, and carnivals

• Designed for people who do not have a “Usual Home Elsewhere” at time of census operations

• Transitory locations are identified through Address Canvassing and local knowledge

• March 22 to April 16, 2010

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Household Enumeration

• Nonresponse Followup (NRFU)•Most costly component of the census•Enumerators visit close to 47 million addresses •Multiple attempts made with households•700,000 field staff hired locally in 2010•Multilingual enumerators•Late April through June 2010

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Language Assistance Program

• Targeted mailing of bilingual Spanish/English questionnaire

• Questionnaires display both English and Spanish Telephone Questionnaire Assistance (TQA) telephone numbers

• Bilingual TQA operators available in the 5 primary non-English languages

• Language Assistance Guides available online in 59 languages and through Telephone Questionnaire Assistance and Questionnaire Assistance Centers

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Language Assistance Program (continued)

• Language identification flashcards to be provided to all enumerators and Questionnaire Assistance Center Representatives

• Be Counted forms available in 6 primary languages: • English• Spanish• Chinese (Simplified)• Korean• Vietnamese• Russian

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Language Flash Cards

• Provided to enumerators and QAC Representatives during enumeration phase

• Assists Census worker with identification of respondent’s language

• Bilingual enumerator or translator is then used to conduct interview

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Language Assistance Guides (59)

AlbanianAlbanian

AmharicAmharic

ArabicArabic

ArmenianArmenian

BengaliBengali

BulgarianBulgarian

BurmeseBurmese

CambodianCambodian

CebuanoCebuano

ChamorroChamorro

Chinese (simplified)Chinese (simplified)

Chinese (traditional)Chinese (traditional)

ChuukeseChuukese

CroatianCroatian

CzechCzech

DariDari

DinkaDinka

DutchDutch

FarsiFarsi

FrenchFrench

GermanGerman

GreekGreek

GujaratiGujarati

Haitian CreoleHaitian Creole

HebrewHebrew

HindiHindi

HmongHmong

HungarianHungarian

IlocanoIlocano

ItalianItalian

JapaneseJapanese

KoreanKorean

LaotianLaotian

LithuanianLithuanian

MalayalamMalayalam

MarshalleseMarshallese

NavajoNavajo

NepaliNepali

PanjabiPanjabi

PolishPolish

PortuguesePortuguese

RomanianRomanian

RussianRussian

SamoanSamoan

SerbianSerbian

SomaliSomali

SpanishSpanish

SwahiliSwahili

TagalogTagalog

TamilTamil

TeluguTelugu

ThaiThai

TigrinyaTigrinya

TonganTongan

TurkishTurkish

UkrainianUkrainian

UrduUrdu

VietnameseVietnamese

YiddishYiddish

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Recruitment Efforts

• Approximately 3.8 million applicants needed

• Two major recruitment drives– Address Canvassing - December 2008 to April 2009

- - 700,000 applicants needed– Nonresponse Followup - October 2009 to April 2010

- - 3,100,000 applicants needed

• Toll-free jobs line launched nationwide

• Recruiting Web site18

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Recruitment Efforts (continued)

• Recruitment advertising

• Local recruiting and testing

• Multilingual applicants needed

• Hiring waivers

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Challenges in Achievingan Accurate Count

• Charged political environment

• Hyper-charged immigration debate

• Growing diversity in the Nation’s population

• Measuring up to the “Best Census Ever” in 2000

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2010 CensusCommunications Campaign:

It’s In Our Hands

• Paid advertising

• Earned media

• Public relations

• Census in Schools

• Partnerships

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Paid Advertising

• Paid advertising in 14 languages

• Ads to be on radio, television, Out of Home (OOH), newspapers, magazines, and interactive as well as nontraditional media in places such as barbershops

• Ads to be tested with intended audiences

• Ads scheduled to run from January through April 2010

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• Renters• Crowded housing• Immigrants• Non-English

speakers• Female-headed

households

• Public assistance recipients

• Poverty• Low education• High

unemployment

Hard to Count (HTC) Populations

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Partnership Methods• Complete Count Committees

• Specialized outreach to HTC populations

• Language support

• Faith-based outreach

• Census in Schools implementation

• Be Counted and Questionnaire Assistance Centers

• Targeted special events

• Media buzz

• 680 Partnership staff

– January 2009 through June 201024

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Partnership Tools

• 2010 Census public Web site

• Partnership toolkits

• Promotional materials - - electronic and print

• Customizable materials

• Promotional giveaway items

• 2010 Census Planning Database

• Complete Count Committee training materials

• Partner Support Program25

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Complete Count Committees

• Volunteer committees established by local or tribal governments

• Urge community participation in census

• Conduct targeted outreach

• Give true expression to “It’s in Our Hands” campaign theme

NeighborhoodAssociations

GovernmentAgencies

Churches Businesses

Schools

Communityorganizations

LocalMedia

CCC

Census 2000 = 11,800 Complete Count Committees

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Questionnaire Assistance Center (QAC) and Be Counted (BC) Sites

Questionnaire Assistance Centers are locations where individuals receive help completing their questionnaire

Be Counted sites are locations where people go to get a blank questionnaire if they feel they were missed

March 19 – April 19, 2010March 19 – April 19, 2010

Paid Paid Questionnaire Assistance Questionnaire Assistance Center Center RepresentativesRepresentatives

30,000 30,000 Questionnaire Questionnaire Assistance CentersAssistance Centers

40,000 40,000 Be Counted Be Counted sitesites

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What Your Community Can Doto Get the Best Count

• Form a local Complete Count Committee

• Analyze 2010 Census Planning Database and develop strategic mobilization plan

• Convene a 2010 Census Community Kick-off with trusted leaders

• Create venue for Mayor’s participation as Census advocate

• Motivate high-level trusted community leaders to support Census

• Urge local residents to apply for Census jobs 28

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What Your Community Can Doto Get the Best Count (continued)

• Educate residents about importance of being counted

• Identify Be Counted / Questionnaire Assistance Center sites

• Publicize Census through community-level communication networks

• Publicize Census at community festivals, parades, and special events

• Use all local resources to mobilize your residents to be counted

• Create your own 2010 Census promotional materials

• Engage local media to promote Census participation 29

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Questions to Contemplate

• Who are the hardest to count in our community?

• How can we use existing communication channels in our community to increase mail response?

• What strategies can we implement to reach the hardest to count populations in our community?

• Where can the best local spokespersons we recruit advocate for full census participation?

• When should we mobilize our local campaign?

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Supporting the 2010 Census

is like writing a check

to your community

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Thank you!

Seattle Regional Census Center19820 North Creek Parkway

Bothell, WA 98011

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Linda ClarkInformation Services Specialistlinda.clark@census.gov(425) 908-3062

Gladys RomeroPartnership Specialistgladys.romero@census.gov(206) 478-2449