[Federal Register: January 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 1)]
[Notices]               
[Page 88-89]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ja06-37]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

 
Census Coverage Measurement Person Followup Interview and Person 
Followup Reinterview Operations

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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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: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 6, 2006.

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 the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Magdalena Ramos, U.S. Census Bureau, Building 2, 
Room 2126, Washington, DC 20233-9200, 301-763-4295.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    In preparation for the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau will 
conduct a Census Coverage Measurement (CCM) test as part of the 2006 
Census Test. The 2006 CCM operations will occur in Travis County, 
Texas; and on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. The 
purpose of the 2006 CCM test is not to measure the coverage of the 2006 
Census Test per se, but rather to test ways of improving previous 
coverage measurement methods. In particular, the focus of the 2006 CCM 
test is to test improved matching operations and data collection 
efforts designed to obtain more accurate information about where a 
person should have been enumerated according to our residence rules.
    This focus is motivated by: (1) Problems encountered with coverage 
measurement in Census 2000 in determining a person's residence 
(relative to our residence rules), (2) the significant number of 
duplicate enumerations in Census 2000, and (3) expanded goals for 
coverage measurement in the 2010 Census. The latter refers to our 
objective of producing, for the first time, separate estimates of 
coverage error components--omissions and erroneous inclusions including 
duplicates (see Definition of Terms). The data collection and matching 
methodologies for previous coverage measurement programs were designed 
only to measure net coverage error, which reflects the difference 
between omissions and erroneous inclusions (see Definition of Terms). 
In order to produce separate estimates of these coverage error 
components, we need to develop and test changes to our data collection 
and matching methods. In particular, the CCM efforts will focus on ways 
to obtain better information about addresses where people should have, 
and could have, been enumerated during the census.
    The 2006 CCM test will be comprised of two overlapping samples, a 
population sample (P sample) and a sample of census records. The P 
sample will be obtained by independently rostering persons in housing 
units within the CCM sampled block clusters. The independent roster is 
obtained during the CCM Person Interview (PI), the results of which 
will be matched to census enumerations in the sample blocks, in 
surrounding blocks and across the entire site. A separate Federal 
Register notice was previously published describing the PI operations. 
After the CCM PI and matching operations have taken place, some cases 
will receive the CCM Person Followup (PFU) interview. Generally, these 
will be cases where additional information is needed to determine 
residence status or where inconsistencies were observed during the 
matching operations. We also will conduct a quality control operation 
of the PFU called the Person Followup Reinterview (PFURI).

II. Method of Collection

    After the CCM Person Interview and the initial person matching 
operations are complete, the cases requiring a PFU interview will be 
identified. The estimated workload for the PFU is approximately 2,000 
cases in Travis County, Texas; and 200 cases on the Cheyenne River 
Reservation in South Dakota. A sample of the PFU cases will be selected 
for Person Followup Reinterview (PFURI). This sample consists of 
approximately 200 cases in Travis County, Texas; and 20 cases on the 
Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. The PFU and PFURI 
operations will be conducted from January 8, 2007 to February 3, 2007.
    The PFU operation will use an interviewer-administered paper 
questionnaire. The questionnaire will contain the English version of 
the questionnaire on one side of the form and the Spanish version on 
the reverse side. The PFU questionnaire is designed to collect 
information to determine where a person should have been counted as of 
Census Day and as of the CCM PI date (relative to our residence

[[Page 89]]

rules). In order to clarify residence status, particularly for more 
complex living situations, the questionnaire will collect additional 
addresses where a person lived or stayed in 2006. The PFU questionnaire 
also will collect information to help determine if person records with 
similar names and data collected in the PI or the census actually refer 
to the same person. This includes both possible matches between the P 
sample and census enumerations and possible person duplications in the 
P sample or census enumerations.
    The PFURI operation will use an interviewer-administered paper 
questionnaire to determine if the source of the PFU data (for example, 
a household member; a specific proxy respondent) can be confirmed. If 
the PFURI cannot confirm the source of the original PFU interview, then 
a PFURI interviewer will conduct a replacement PFU interview.

Definition of Terms

    Components of Coverage Error--The two components of census coverage 
error are census omissions (missed persons) and erroneous inclusions. 
The latter includes duplicates and persons who should not have been 
enumerated at a particular address (per our residence rules).
    Net Coverage Error--Reflects the difference between omissions and 
erroneous inclusions. A positive net error indicates an undercount, 
while a negative net error indicates an overcount.
    For more information about Census 2000 coverage measurement 
efforts, please visit the following page of the Census Bureau's Web 
site: http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/refroom.html.


III. Data

    OMB Number: None.
    Form Number: DD-1301.
    Type of Review: Regular.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2420.
    Estimated Times per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 807.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Public: There is no cost to the 
respondents except their time to respond.
    Respondent Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 of the United States Code, sections 141 
and 193.

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; (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 the information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 27, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E5-8158 Filed 12-30-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-07-P