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ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
High Risk Issue

Issue

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2010 Census


Problem: Automation problems and uncertain costs and plans may jeopardize the success of the 2010 Census, and warrant immediate attention. The decennial census is a Constitutionally-mandated activity that produces critical data used to apportion congressional seats and to allocate over 200 billion dollars in federal assistance each year.


Goal: Strengthen management and oversight, and reduce risks for the 2010 Census.

Challenges/Actions

  • Develop an integrated and comprehensive plan to control costs and manage operations

    • Continue to improve management practices and communications (both internal and external)
    • Manage the schedule with weekly analysis of the activities and milestones contained in the integrated project schedule
    • Finalize detailed cost estimate and assumption matrices for all operations
  • Strengthen risk management activities and systems testing

    • Develop mitigation and contingency plans to accompany the risk management plan and ensure ongoing involvement of senior management in risk review
    • Develop detailed testing plans, including gap analysis
    • Implement and monitor system testing across the 2010 Census program
  • Improve management of the field data collection automation (FDCA) effort

    • Finalize scope of FDCA contract, and finalize plan for completing work de-scoped from FDCA contract, including any additional risk reduction milestones
    • Conduct and monitor extensive testing, including coding and unit testing, field testing, production integration testing, and operational readiness testing (by the Census Bureau and contractors)
    • Oversee deployment, by the FDCA contractor, of equipment and systems to the local census office
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