planning and organizing the u.s. economic census c. harvey monk, jr. associate director for economic...

Planning and Planning and Organizing theOrganizing the U.S. Economic U.S. Economic

Census Census C. Harvey Monk, Jr.

Associate Director for Economic ProgramsU.S. Census Bureau

Second International Workshop on Economic Census Seoul, Republic of Korea

July 6 - 9, 2009

2Second International Workshop on Economic Census

July 6-9, 2009

Scope & CoverageScope & Coverage

GoalsGoals

Processes & MilestonesProcesses & Milestones


July 6-9, 2009

U.S. Economic Census U.S. Economic Census

Every 5 years for years ending in “2” and “7”

Content development in cooperation with business and government

Response required by law

Covers 27 million businesses, collects data from 4.4 million business locations

FY 2008 is the data collection year

Product release begins in FY 2009


July 6-9, 2009

Economic Census Scope and CoverageEconomic Census Scope and Coverage

Economic Census programs

Covers 27 million business locations and 96% of economic activity• 7 million with paid employees• 20 million without paid employees

Data for 1,060 NAICS industries • their inputs: labor, capital, purchased materials & services• what they produce & sell: 8,000 products & 3,500 different merchandise & service lines• who they sell to• where they are located: detailed subnational information

MineralsConstructionManufacturesWholesaleRetailTransp, Comm, UtilitiesFinance, Insurance, Real EstateServices

Survey of Business Owners Business Expenditures SurveyEconomic Census of Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern

Mariana Islands, American SamoaCommodity Flow Survey (BTS partially funds)


July 6-9, 2009

Census Coverage of GDPCensus Coverage of GDP

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

1Agriculture

2Utilities

13Manufacturing

7Retail Trade

5Information

12Real Estate & Rental and Leasing

2Management of Companies & Enterprises

1Educational Services

1Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

2Other Services

1 Mining

5Construction

6Wholesale Trade

2Transportation & Warehousing

8Finance & Insurance

7Professional, Scientific & Technical Services

3Administrative & Waste Management Services

7Health Care & Social Assistance

3Accommodation and Food Services

12Government

Source: www.bea.gov

11

21

22

31-33

42

23

44-45

48-49

52

53

51

54

56

6162

81

7172

55

92

[Covered by USDA]


July 6-9, 2009

Economic Census Costs

2007 Economic Census costs expected to be $513 million

60% higher than 2002 costs of $320 million

2012 Economic Census costs estimated to be $695 million

Higher costs related to expanded content, maintaining response, and inflationary increases associated with staff, postage and contracted services that occur over a 6-year period


July 6-9, 2009

2007 Economic Census Goals2007 Economic Census Goals

Provide the Nation with comprehensive and detailed information about the changing structure of the U.S. economy• detailed industry and geographic data• expanded content and coverage

Establish and maintain the statistical foundation for continuing economic analysis by government and business• 3/4 of source data for our National Accounts• benchmarks for composite measures of economic

activity• sample frame and benchmark for Census current

economic surveys


July 6-9, 2009

2007 Economic Census Goals 2007 Economic Census Goals (continued)(continued)

Extend Economic Census detail and coverage in areas of special National interest• businesses owned by women and minorities• information on commodity movement• expenditures and expenses for service, manufacturing,

retail, wholesale and industries• economic census of Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands,

Northern Mariana and American Samoa


July 6-9, 2009


Improve timing of response for large companies• Provided improved electronic reporting tools early• Started mailing to large “L” companies in October

2007• Started visiting 200 L companies in October 2007 to

explain census and introduce electronic reporting tools

Improve Response Rates• Targeted additional follow-up activities for single units• Escalated follow-up to reduce non-compliance• Offered electronic reporting to business who receive

standard economic census forms


July 6-9, 2009


Improve internal efficiency of key operations• Deployed new Business Register interactive routines to

improve clerical processing of economic census responses• Consolidated microdata editing systems within a common

framework and increase use of editing best practices• Put systems in place early to process census receipts

through microdata edit processing (front- and back-end edits)

Improve timeliness of statistical products• Decided to disseminate all data products electronically• Deployed tabulation and analysis systems for industry

reports in October 2008• Replaced custom-coded table composition process with

COTS software


July 6-9, 2009

Program Management 2007 Economic Census program comprised a complex set of

interrelated activities carried out over a span of nearly 6 years Project charters were used to manage and carry out work that

entailed substantial development of new systems or substantial revision/redevelopment to existing systems

Project management best practices were used that were consistent with Census Bureau standards and guidelines. These included:• Scalable Methodology for Project Management (commonly known

as the “Project Red Book”),• Census Software Process Improvement (CSPI) Program• Economic Programs Directorate’s Project Management

Environment. Additionally, selected IT projects used variations of the Team

Software Process (TSP) and the Personal Software Process (PSP)


July 6-9, 2009

2007 Economic CensusMajor Processes

Direction - $29 million Content Determination and Design - $45

million Mail List Development and Mail-out - $39

million Collection and Processing - $280 million Publication and Dissemination - $120 million

»Total Cost $513 Million


July 6-9, 2009

04/07 Advance mailing to 15,000 largest companies

09/07-12/07 Preparation and assembly of 4.4 million mailing packages

10/07-03/08 Run first wave of Economic Census promotional materials

11/07 Mail 400,000 forms to 1,200 largest companies

12/09-12/17 Mail Economic Census Single Units and remaining Multi Units

report forms

09/07 Business Help Site in production

12/10/07 Toll-free assistance and Electronic Reporting site goes into production

02/12/08 Economic Census due date

03/08 Begin first of 3 form follow ups to delinquents

2007 Economic Census Milestones2007 Economic Census Milestones


July 6-9, 2009

05/08 Mail first wave (1.2 million) Survey of Business Owners forms

08/08 Special 4th follow up of delinquent large companies

09/08 National Processing Center units complete work

10/08 Complete initial tabulations for all NAICS sectors and begin Head Quarters review

03/09 First Economic Census data product (Advance report)

05/09 Mail second wave (1.2 million) Survey of Business Owners forms

4Q/09 Industry series completed

2Q/11 Final product released

2007 Economic Census 2007 Economic Census MilestonesMilestones


July 6-9, 2009

2007 Economic Census2007 Economic CensusLifecycle Process ChartLifecycle Process Chart

Direction

Content Determination and Design

Consultation with Users & Suppliers

Content Development

OMB Clearance

Forms Design (Layout)

Forms Printing

Mail List Development and Mailout

2006 Classification (Refile) Survey

Collection and Processing

Large (L-) Company Initial Mailout

Classification Form Initial Mailout

Other Initial Mailout (Balance of Forms)

Late Birth Mailings

Follow-up for Nonresponse

Data Capture & Processing

Publication and Dissemination

Macro-Analytical Review

Advance Report

Industry Series

Geographic Area Series

Subject Series

2008 2009 20102004 2005 2006 2007


July 6-9, 2009

Direction

Began 10/2007 and ends 9/2010 Includes planning and support

activities necessary to conduct the census

Provides overall direction and coordination for the planning, design, collection, processing, and dissemination

Economic Planning & Coordination Division is primarily responsible

Over 100 staff work on this full time


July 6-9, 2009

Content Determination/Design

Began 10/2004 and ended 4/2006 Activities include review of census

components Meeting with stakeholders to assess

and determine content Designing and cognitively testing

forms Printing more than 550 industry

specific forms


July 6-9, 2009

Mail List Development & Mail-out

Began 10/2006 and ended 9/2008 Activities include developing

computer specifications, procurement and processing administrative records

Labeling and assembling mailing 4.4 million business locations mailed

forms• 550 different forms tailored to industry groups• sample small businesses• mail “classification forms” to 0.8M small

businesses


July 6-9, 2009

Collection and Processing

Began 10/2007 and ended 2/2009 Includes collection and clerical

operations conducted at our National Processing Center including staff training, form check-in, data capture, customer support, follow-up, and data correction

Also includes development, testing, and maintenance of processing systems including electronic reporting option


July 6-9, 2009

Collection MethodsCollection Methods

Direct collection

Electronic Reporting

Administrative Records Data


July 6-9, 2009

Direct Collection Oct ’07 - Large Companies, 800K

Classification Forms Dec 12 ’07 - Mail remainder of 4.7 MM

mailout Feb 12 ’08 Forms due April 1 ’08 - First form follow-up May 1 ’08 - Second form follow-up June 1 ’08 - Third form follow-up July ’08 - Phone follow-ups begin August ’08 - Legal letters to single/multi

units Sept ’08 - Remaining legal letters


July 6-9, 2009

Receipts


July 6-9, 2009

Electronic ReportingElectronic Reporting

Electronic reporting available to 3.6 million businesses can report using 500 different report forms• spreadsheet compatible (export/import)• facilitates and simplifies reporting• secure and encrypted

2007 Economic Census saw over 25% ofthe total responses and more than 50%of the large company responses collected electronically

2012 plans call for an interactive web-based application


July 6-9, 2009

Administrative RecordsAdministrative Records

Extensive use of administrative record data• use IRS data in lieu of direct reporting

for- 3.1 million small employers- 20.0 million businesses with no paid

employees- employment, payroll & receipts data for

Survey of Business Owners sample• use IRS data for editing Economic

Census employment, payroll & receipts


July 6-9, 2009

Publication and Dissemination

Began 11/2007 and ends 9/2010 Activities include all operations related

to final table review of tabulated data, development of products, and dissemination of census results

More than 1,700 census products will be developed and delivered electronically via American Fact Finder

Products will profile industries, geographic areas, and special subjects


July 6-9, 2009

2007 Economic Census Dissemination Schedule


July 6-9, 2009

Questions ??Questions ??

planning and organizing the u.s. economic census c. harvey monk, jr. associate director for economic...

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