[Federal Register: June 20, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 120)]
[Notices]
[Page 35121-35123]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jn08-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2010 Decennial
Census-American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)).
DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on
or before August 19, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet
at dHynek@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of questionnaires and instructions should be directed to Frank
Vitrano, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 3H174, Washington, DC 20233-9200,
301-763-3961 (or via Internet at: frank.a.vitrano@census.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau will conduct the 2010 Census operations in
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam,
and the U.S. Virgin Islands (collectively referred to as the Island
Areas) in partnership with the Government of each Island Area.
The United States Constitution mandates that a census of the
Nation's population be taken every ten years. In Title 13, U.S. Code,
the Congress gave the Secretary of Commerce (delegated to the Director
of the Census Bureau) authority to undertake the decennial census. The
geographic scope of the decennial census is specified in Title 13
U.S.C., Section 191 as covering the 50 states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands of the United States,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and any other
areas as may be determined by the Department of State. In the 2010
Census, Census also will enumerate the Pacific Island Area of American
Samoa.
The Census Bureau's goal in the 2010 Census is to take the most
accurate and cost-effective census possible. The goal in selecting the
2010 Census questionnaire content for the Island Areas is to fulfill
the many statutory data requirements of Federal agencies, as well as
the needs of the Island Areas to administer governmental programs.
Census data are the definitive benchmark for virtually all demographic
information used by the Island Areas and local governments, policy
makers, educators, journalists, and community and nonprofit
organizations.
Each Island Area government was asked to form an Interagency
Committee, composed of data users from the public, and private sectors,
to review the Census 2000 questionnaire and make recommendations for
the 2010 Census. Based on the Census Bureau's review of the subject
recommendations submitted by the Island Areas Interagency Committees,
there will be one questionnaire for the Pacific Island Areas and a
separate one for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Census Bureau will collect demographic, social, economic, and
housing characteristics from the Island Areas population. Many of the
questions included on the questionnaires are the same as those on the
stateside decennial census short form and the American Community Survey
long-form questionnaires. Other questions, as recommended by the Island
Areas Interagency Committees, are modifications of stateside questions,
or questions that reflect the unique social, economic, and climatic
characteristics of these areas. There will be no sampling for content
in the Island Areas; all forms distributed will be long-forms.
In the process of developing the data collection forms, the Census
Bureau has tried to reduce respondent burden by including only those
questions that are required in Federal or local law, or implied in the
data requirements for the participation in Federal or local government
programs.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau will develop and sign a Memorandum of Agreement
with the Governor of each of the Island Areas that outlines the mutual
roles and responsibilities of each party in the conduct of the 2010
Census for each Island Area.
[[Page 35122]]
A. Delivery Strategy for Questionnaires and Letters
The Census Bureau will conduct a blanket mailing of unaddressed
Advance Census Reports (ACRs) to residential customers in each of the
Island Areas. Housing units also will receive an advance letter before
questionnaire delivery. Enumerators will visit each housing unit and
pick up a completed ACR or conduct an interview with an Enumerator
Questionnaire (EQ), if the respondent did not complete the ACR.
Enumerators also will develop an address list for the area and map spot
the location of each housing unit at the time of enumeration. This
operation is called list/enumerate.
In summary, mailings will include:
An advance notice letter that alerts households that the
census form will be sent to them soon, and
An initial mailing package that includes the ACR
If the mailed ACR is not completed upon arrival, the enumerator
will conduct an interview using an EQ.
B. Group Quarters (GQ) Operation
1. Group Quarters Advance Visit (GQAV): The GQAV operation informs
the GQ contact person of the upcoming GQ enumeration, addresses privacy
and confidentiality concerns relating to personal identifiable
information, and identifies any security issues, such as restricted
access, required credentials, etc. Crew leaders visit all GQs and
conduct an interview with the designated contact person to verify the
GQ name, address, contact name, and phone number, and obtain an agreed
upon date and time to conduct the enumeration and an expected Census
Day population. The information collected during the interview is used
to prepare the correct amount of census materials needed to conduct the
enumeration at the facility.
2. Group Quarters Enumeration (GQE): The GQE operation will be
conducted at the Group Quarters on the date agreed upon during the
Advance Visit. During the GQE, three different enumeration methods can
be used to enumerate the population: (1) Interview residents in group
quarters like college dormitories; (2) distribute questionnaire packets
for residents in colleges and universities to complete; and (3) use
administrative records in places where it is disruptive or unsafe for
Census personnel, such as prisons. Enumerators will visit group
quarters to develop a control list of all residents and distribute
census questionnaires (Individual Census Reports or ICRs) for residents
to complete, interview the residents and enter the data on the ICR, or
use administrative records to complete the ICR. Enumerators collect and
review completed ICRs to ensure that they are complete and legible.
They also will complete an ICR for any resident on the control list who
did not complete one.
3. Service-Based Enumeration (SBE): The SBE is designed to
enumerate people experiencing homelessness and who may otherwise be
missed during the enumeration of housing units and group quarters.
People are enumerated at places where they receive services and at
targeted non-sheltered outdoor locations. SBE locations likely will
include shelters for people experiencing homelessness (emergency and
transitional shelters, and hotels and motels providing shelter for
people experiencing homelessness), domestic violence shelters, soup
kitchens, regularly scheduled mobile food van stops, and targeted non-
sheltered outdoor locations. This operation is conducted to provide an
opportunity for people experiencing homelessness to be included in the
census.
4. Military Group Quarters Enumeration: Military Group Quarters
Enumeration is a special component of the GQE designed to enumerate
military personnel assigned to barracks, dormitories, military
treatment facilities, and disciplinary barracks and jails. Military
Census Reports (MCRs) are distributed to the residents of the military
facilities. (Military families living in housing units on bases are
enumerated using the list/enumerate methodology.) For people living or
staying in Military GQs, the Census Bureau provides enumeration
procedures, training and questionnaires to military personnel on the
base who then conduct the actual enumeration. During the military
enumeration, designated base personnel distribute census questionnaires
to all military personnel assigned to the GQs, including all people in
the disciplinary barracks and jails. Within a few days, base personnel
collect the completed questionnaires, obtaining census information for
any missing cases. Census staff return to the base to collect the
completed questionnaires.
5. Military/Vessels Enumeration (MVE) in the Pacific Island Areas
(PIAs): The MVE is a special component of Group Quarters Enumeration
designed to enumerate people residing on U.S. military ships in
operation in the PIAs at the time of the census. This is also sometimes
called ``Shipboard Enumeration.'' The MVE uses questionnaires which are
distributed to every military vessel home-ported in the PIAs. The
Census Bureau provides enumeration procedures, training, and
questionnaires to personnel on the vessels who then conduct the actual
enumeration. Designated vessel personnel distribute the census
questionnaires to those living on the vessels, collect the completed
questionnaires, and return them to the Local Census Offices in the
PIAs.
C. Field Follow-Up (FFU) Operations
The field follow-up operation tries to improve data quality and
coverage by correcting Assignment Areas (AAs) with failed edit or
missing questionnaires. Additionally, enumerators will also confirm
that housing units are correctly classified as vacant units.
1. Failed-Edit Questionnaires: During the clerical edit operation,
questionnaires are examined by the Local Census Office (LCO) clerks for
completeness. Missing person or housing data are identified.
Questionnaires which fail the office edit operation are assigned to LCO
clerks to attempt a telephone interview with the households for which
telephone numbers were provided on the questionnaires. Households that
did not provide telephone numbers must be visited by enumerators to
obtain the missing data.
2. Missing Questionnaires: After the initial field office merge
operation is conducted, addresses are identified in the address
registers for which there are no questionnaires. Enumerators will visit
these addresses and complete questionnaires for each address.
3. Vacant/Delete Check (VDC) Field Operation: The VDC Operation is
an independent follow-up of selected addresses that are classified as
vacant or delete. These addresses are assigned to a different
enumerator than the enumerator who made the original classification.
Enumerators will verify the Census Day (April 1, 2010) status of the
assigned addresses and complete a census questionnaire for all VDC
cases. In cases where a housing unit looks visibly demolished, the
enumerator must conduct an interview with a proxy respondent (e.g.,
neighbor or mailman) to confirm that the housing unit was vacant on
Census Day. If the housing unit looks occupied, an interview will be
conducted with a household member to confirm the status of the unit on
Census Day. Although the VDC workload is comprised of only cases
identified as vacant, the VDC enumerator may determine that a case is
vacant or occupied.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: None.
[[Page 35123]]
Form Numbers:
Letters:
D-5(L) AS, Advance Letter--AS
D-5(L) CNMI, Advance Letter--CNMI
D-5(L) G, Advance Letter--Guam
D-5(L) VI, Advance Letter--USVI (English, Spanish)
D-13(L) AS, Cover Letter for Advanced Census Report--AS
D-13(L) CNMI, Cover Letter for Advanced Census Report--CNMI
D-13(L) G, Cover Letter for Advanced Census Report--Guam
D-13(L) VI, Cover Letter for Advanced Census Report--USVI (English,
Spanish)
Questionnaires
D-13 AS, Advanced Census Report--AS
D-13 CNMI, Advanced Census Report--CNMI
D-13 G, Advanced Census Report--Guam
D-13 VI, Advanced Census Report--USVI
D-2(E) AS, Enumerator Questionnaire--AS
D-2(E) CNMI, Enumerator Questionnaire--CNMI
D-2(E) G, Enumerator Questionnaire--Guam
D-2(E) VI, Enumerator Questionnaire--USVI (English)
D-2(E) VI Spanish, Enumerator Questionnaire--USVI (Spanish)
D-2(E) SUPP AS, Enumerator Continuation Questionnaire--AS
D-2(E) SUPP CNMI, Enumerator Continuation Questionnaire--CNMI
D-2(E) SUPP G, Enumerator Continuation Questionnaire--Guam
D-2(E) SUPP VI, Enumerator Continuation Questionnaire--USVI
D-2(E) SUPP VI Spanish, Enumerator Continuation Questionnaire--USVI
Spanish
D-20 PI, Individual Census Report--Pacific Islands
D-20 VI, Individual Census Report--USVI
D-21 PI, Military Census Report
D-23 PI, Shipboard Census Report--Pacific Islands
Job Aids:
D-1(F) PI, Enumerator Job Aid--Pacific Islands
D-1(F) VI, Enumerator Job Aid--USVI
Notices:
D-26 PI, Notice of Visit--Pacific Islands
D-26 VI, Notice of Visit--USVI
D-31 PI, Confidentiality Notice--Pacific Islands
D-31 VI, Confidentiality Notice--USVI.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 11,100 households in American
Samoa; 19,400 households in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands; 52,500 households in Guam; 55,300 households in the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
Estimated Time Per Response: American Samoa Census Form: 64
minutes; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Census Form:
47 minutes; Guam Census Form: 43 minutes; the U.S. Virgin Islands
Census Form: 42 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: American Samoa Census Form:
11,840 hours; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Census
Form: 15,197; Guam Census Form: 37,625 hours; the U.S. Virgin Islands
Census Form: 38,710 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $0.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 141 and 191.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: June 16, 2008.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-13906 Filed 6-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P