Quality: A Cornerstone of the Census
For the 2030 Census, we are taking a long-term, holistic approach to quality for an accurate and efficient census. We have accumulated decades of quality assurance procedures that are the basis for our quality framework. Using this framework early in the decade helps us organize and coordinate quality assurance and monitoring activities.
During the Design Selection Phase of the census life cycle, we researched quality improvements through research projects in conjunction with ongoing improvements and small-scale testing. New strategies are being implemented to integrate and support cross-operational quality-related efforts.
Also new for the 2030 Census is near real-time response processing, where data results are tallied as the data are collected. The advantage of compiling data continuously is that anomalies can be investigated and corrected during data collection, thereby improving data quality and accuracy.
Improve Quality Using Administrative and Supplemental Data
Administrative and supplemental data are key to improving the quality and accuracy of the 2030 Census. These data are used for frame development, motivating response, processing self-response, and validating the Census Bureau field staff's work. In this context, administrative and supplemental data refer to data collected and maintained by federal, tribal, state, and local governments, some commercial entities, and publicly available data sources, in addition to the Census Bureau's macro-datasets and micro-datasets.
Administrative and supplemental data are central to our efforts to modernize and improve the efficiency of the 2030 Census design. These examples highlight where administrative and supplemental data can help modernize and improve the efficiency of the 2030 Census:
- Resolve coverage gaps in the address frame.
- Support self-response, including matching non-ID responses to the appropriate address.
- Supplement field enumeration for people living in nontraditional or unique living arrangements.
- Support in-field enumeration and quality follow-up activities.
- Determine advertising and contact strategies to motivate the public to respond to the census and support hiring of workers in the field for enumeration work.
- Evaluate census data quality by comparing final census results to other population measures.
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