[an error occurred while processing this directive] CENTRACK is an interactive control and management system which helps census managers monitor data capture operations from check-in to data entry. During data entry, CENTRACK helps avoid the duplication or omission of census enumeration areas. It also produces a report of preliminary counts and other management reports. Once the census data are keyed, CENTRACK provides the mechanism to validate the geographic identification of the keyed data. Additionally, it identifies enumerations areas which may have duplicate or missing questionnaires.
CENTRACK is the data entry management and control component of the Integrated Microcomputer Processing System (IMPS), a series of software packages for entry, editing, tabulation, estimation, analysis, and dissemination of census and survey data. IMPS was developed by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Distribution of IMPS is funded jointly by the Bureau of the Census and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
To avoid omission or duplication of persons or households, the database allows for the entry of control counts for each enumeration area. The control counts (number of persons and households in the enumeration area) are entered as each enumeration area is checked into the system. After the data have been entered, CENTRACK compares counts based on the entered data with the previously entered control counts to determine whether they agree.
CENTRACK maintains two databases. One, the Area Names File, contains one record for each administrative or geographic unit in the country down to, but not including, the enumeration area. For each geographic area, CENTRACK keeps summaries of population and housing counts and enumeration areas which have completed each data capture phase. The other database, the Phase Detail File, contains a record for each enumeration area in the country. CENTRACK keeps the completion date of each phase of the data entry process for every enumeration area. It also keeps manual and data file counts of persons and households for each enumeration area.
CENTRACK can monitor up to ten processing phases. The first phase is usually the reception by the central office of the questionnaires from the field. The last phase is usually the keying of the census data. CENTRACK does not monitor the editing and tabulation phases because they are tracked at major geographic levels rather than enumeration area.
CENTRACK can produce preliminary count reports, phase completion reports, productivity reports, and missing enumeration areas reports. Also, it can print transmittal forms indicating work to be done for a particular phase. The staff performing that phase can initial and date the work they accomplished each day. Staff can enter this information into the CENTRACK database to keep a record of what has been accomplished.
