Correcting Information that Does
not Comply with Census Bureau Section 515 Information Quality
Guidelines
Census Bureau
Standard
Version 1.2
Issued: 09 Mar 06
Authored for:
Cynthia Z.F.
Clark
Associate Director
for Methodology and Standards
Document Management & Control
Version
|
Issue Date
|
Approval
|
Description
|
1.0
|
16 May 02
|
Associate Directors
|
Initial Release
|
1.1
|
14 Jan 05
|
Configuration Mgr.
|
Reformatted to comply with Census Bureau Identity
Standard and Quality Program Document Management Plan
|
1.2
|
09 Mar 06
|
Configuration Mgr.
|
Update formatting.
|
1.3
|
21 Jan 09
|
Qual. Prog. Mgr.
|
Correct references to the Associate Director for
Methodology and Standards and the Methodology &
Standards Directorate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Census Bureau Standard: Correcting Information That Does Not
Comply with Census Bureau Section 515 Information Quality
Guidelines
Introduction
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government-wide guidelines at 67 FR
8452-8460 (February 22, 2002) that provide policy and procedural guidance to federal agencies
for ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information,
including statistical information that these agencies disseminate. Agencies are required to issue
their own implementing guidelines, including correction procedures, and to make the guidelines
available on individual agency websites. Written or electronic requests for correction
communicated to an agency must specifically identify the information or procedures of concern,
explain why the information is not in compliance with the information quality guidelines,
indicate any potential adverse impact, and provide a return address for response. If the agency
agrees that an error was made, it will determine the appropriate level of correction, within
available resources.
The Census Bureau has preexisting procedures for correcting errors, within available resources,
in many programs: the Count Question Resolution (CQR) Program; the Local Update of Census
Addresses (LUCA) Program; Governmental Unit Boundaries; Street and Address Range
Information; the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program; Annual Estimates
of the Total Population; and Foreign Trade Statistics. This document describes the procedures
the Census Bureau will follow if a party outside of the Census Bureau, alleging that the Census
Bureau has not adhered to its information quality guidelines, requests correction of data
disseminated by the Census Bureau and the data are not covered by the programs listed above.
Scope
These standards apply to statistical information disseminated by the Census Bureau in programs
other than those listed above. They do not apply to routine revisions of data.
Standard
1. Requests for correction received by the Census Bureau will be forwarded to the program area
responsible for the information being questioned..
2. Based on the explanation and evidence submitted, the Census Bureau will review the
information being challenged, the processes that were used to create and disseminate it, and
how it conforms to the Census Bureau=s Information Quality Guidelines. After its review, the
Census Bureau will determine whether a correction is warranted.
3. The Census Bureau will respond in writing to the affected person within 60 days of receiving
the complaint. If the Census Bureau has completed its review, the response will explain the
process that the Census Bureau followed in its review of the complaint, and the findings of
the review. If correction is warranted, the response will include a progress report, and a
subsequent letter will be sent when the correction action is complete. If correction is not
warranted, the Census Bureau will explain that a correction will not be made, and why.
4. If the Census Bureau has not completed its review, the response will notify the affected
person that a review is underway, and provide an expected completion date. When the
review is complete the Census Bureau will again contact the affected person in writing, and
explain the process that the Census Bureau followed in its review of the complaint, and the
findings of the review. If correction is warranted, the response will include a progress report,
and a subsequent letter will be sent when the correction action is complete. If correction is
not warranted, the Census Bureau will explain that a correction will not be made, and why.
5. If the Census Bureau concurs with an external complaint, the responsible program area will
decide what to do based on factors like the nature and timeliness of the information involved
and such factors as the significance of the error on the use of the information, the magnitude
of the error, and the cost of undertaking a correction. This will be done with the concurrence
of the program area Associate Director and Chair of the Methodology and Standards Council.
6. In all cases, corrected data will be made available on the Census Bureau website and
subsequent issues of recurring products, including subsequent annual reports, will reflect the
corrected data. Because the Information Quality Guidelines under which these corrections
will occur are for statistical information disseminated after October 1, 2002, any correction of
historical data suggested by a complaint with which the Census Bureau concurs will be done
at the discretion of the program area
7. In the case of a major error that could potentially mislead decision makers, any published
reports containing the erroneous data will be reissued.
8. If the Census Bureau responds to an external complaint by declining to correct the data in
question, and the affected party appeals, the appeal process will be managed by a panel
determined by the Chair of the Methodology and Standards Council
9. The Methodology and Standards Council will track requests for correction and resulting
actions (for programs other than those specified above), and the Methodology and Standards
Council will compile correction requests across all program areas and make annual reports to
the Office of Management and Budget.
Responsibilities
Program areas will be responsible for the following::
* The preparation of the appropriate information/materials based on these standards;:
* The implementation of items 2-6; and:
* The proper use of the standards.:
* The Methodology and Standards Council will be responsible for the following::
* The coordination of overall tracking procedures;:
* The establishment of appeals panels;:
* The initiation of evaluations, reviews and updates to the standards, as necessary; and:
* Guidance to program areas in the development and usage of the standards.
Implementation
To comply with the OMB directive, implementation should be fully phased in by October 1,
2002, with the first annual report on requests for corrections made to OMB in January, 2004 (for
fiscal year 2003).
Inquiries
Inquiries relating to the interpretation of this standard should be addressed to the Chair of the
Methodology and Standards Council
Recommended by the Census Bureau Methodology and Standards Council:
Signed Cynthia Z.F. Clark, May 16,
2002
Cynthia Z.F. Clark
Chair, Census Bureau Methodology and
Standards Council
Associate Director for Methodology and
Standards
Signed Robert N. Tinari, May 16,
2002
Robert N. Tinari
Chief, Computer Assisted Survey Research
Office
Signed David Whitford, May 16, 2002
David C. Whitford
Acting Chief, Decennial Statistical Studies
Division
Signed Alan R. Tupek, May 16, 2002
Alan R. Tupek
Chief, Demographic Statistical Methods
Division
Signed Howard Hogan, May 16, 2002
Howard Hogan
Chief, Economic Statistical Methods and
Programming Division
Signed Ruth Ann Killion, May 16
2002
Ruth Ann Killion
Chief, Planning, Research and Evaluation
Division
Signed Tommy Wright, May 16, 2002
Tommy Wright
Chief, Statistical Research
Division
Concurrence:
Signed LaVerne Vines Collins, May 16,
2002
LaVerne Vines Collins
Acting Associate Director for
Communications
Signed Gloria Gutierrez, May 16,
2002
Gloria Gutierrez
Assistant Director for Marketing
and Customer Liaison
Signed Marvin D. Raines, May 16, 2002
Marvin D. Raines
Associate Director for Field
Operations
Signed Ted A. Johnson, May 16, 2002
Ted A. Johnson
Associate Director for Finance and
Administration
Signed Richard W. Swartz, May 16, 2002
Richard W. Swartz
Associate Director for Information
Technology
Signed Preston Jay Waite, May 16, 2002
Preston Jay Waite
Associate Director for Decennial
Programs
Signed Nancy M. Gordon, May 16, 2002
Nancy M. Gordon
Associate Director for Demographic
Programs
Signed Frederick T. Knickebocker, May 16,
2002
Frederick T.
Knickerbocker
Associate Director for Economic
Programs
Signed Cynthia Z.F. Clark, May 16, 2002
Cynthia Z.F. Clark
Associate Director for Methodology
and Standards
Signed Gerald W. Gates, May 16, 2002
Chief, Policy
Office
|