About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

GAO-20-551R 1 (2020-06-09)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaebey0001 and id is 1 raw text is: A Report to Congressional Requesters 2020 Census COVID-19 Presents Delays and Risks to Census Count This correspondence is the third in a series of updates reporting on the Census Bureau's (Bureau) 2020 Census activities and operations. This update includes information from GAO's ongoing work on the status of 2020 Census operations and challenges raised by COVID-1 9. In March 2020, the Bureau decided to delay, suspend, or extend its upcoming operations. In April, the Bureau suspended all field operations until June 1, 2020, and extended its data collection through nonresponse follow-up (NRFU)-which was originally planned to end on July 31-until October 31. In May, the Bureau announced the restart of selected operations at 211 area census offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico based on an assessment of local conditions. The Bureau has requested statutory relief on the required dates for delivering data to apportion seats in the House of Representatives among states to the President and data for redistricting for elections to states, and proposed delivering this information approximately 4 months later than originally planned. In recent years, GAO has identified challenges to the Bureau's ability to conduct a cost-effective count of the nation, including new innovations, acquisition and development of information technology (IT) systems, and other challenges. In 2017, these challenges led us to place the 2020 Census on GAO's High-Risk list. Challenges to 2020 Census Operations Raised by COVID-1 9 Delays and changes to operations as a result of COVID-1 9 present further risks to an accurate, timely, and cost-effective count. As operations resume, the Bureau will need to consider multiple factors to ensure the implementation and quality of the count, including: Continued attention to self-response. Self-response rates-the percentage of households that respond by internet, phone, or mail prior to receiving a visit-affect the quality and overall cost of conducting the census. The Bureau's self-response operation began on March 12. The Bureau's expected self-response rate was to reach 60.5 percent by June 10, 2020. The Bureau has received responses from 60.1 percent of households as of May 25. As part of its response to COVID-1 9, the Bureau has extended its self-response operation-which was originally planned to end July 31-until October 31. * Communicating pandemic plans to ensure continued operations. In response to COVID-19, the Bureau updated its Continuity of Operations Plan and made a number of procedural changes to operations. GAO has previously recommended that the Bureau develop a contingency plan for all risks requiring one, including major disasters such as a pandemic. As operations resume, the Bureau will need to distribute information to its area census offices that is timely, clear, and consistent regarding operational changes, work status, and pay. Less than half of respondents to our early April survey of area census office managers expressed satisfaction on survey questions about the clarity and timeliness of the Bureau's communication related to the pandemic. * Achieving and maintaining sufficient staffing levels. The census cannot be implemented effectively without sufficient staff. At the time the Bureau __ United States Government Accountability Office June 2020

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most