[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4235-4236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-1422]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Census Coverage Measurement Housing Unit Followup Operation

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 2, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork 
Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington DC 20230 (or via the internet at 
[email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Magdalena Ramos, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver 
Hill Rd., Room 4H265, Washington, DC 20233, 301-763-4295 (or via the 
Internet at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    In preparation for the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau will 
conduct a Census Coverage Measurement (CCM) test as part of the 2008 
Census Dress Rehearsal. The 2008 Census Dress Rehearsal will be 
conducted in two sites, one urban, and the other one, a mix of urban 
and suburban. San Joaquin County, California is the urban site. South 
Central North Carolina has been selected as the urban/suburban mix test 
site. This area consists of Fayetteville and nine counties surrounding 
Fayetteville (Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, 
Moore, Richmond, and Scotland). As is typical, the CCM operations and 
activities will be conducted separate from and independent of the 
census operations. The CCM program for the dress rehearsal is designed 
to test that all planned coverage measurement operations are working as 
expected, that they are integrated internally, and that they are 
coordinated with the appropriate census operations. This is 
particularly important because the dress rehearsal is the first time in 
the 2010 census cycle that CCM operations for housing units will be 
conducted. The CCM operations planned for the dress rehearsal, to the 
extent possible, will mirror those that will be conducted for the 2010 
Census to provide estimates of Net Coverage Error and Components of 
Coverage Error (omissions and erroneous enumerations) for housing units 
and persons in housing units (see Definition of Terms). The purpose of 
this effort in both the DR and 2010 is to evaluate the coverage of the 
census. The data collection and matching methodologies for previous 
coverage measurement programs were designed only to measure net 
coverage error, which reflects the difference between omissions and 
erroneous inclusions.
    The 2008 CCM test will be comprised of two samples selected to 
measure census coverage of housing units and the household population: 
the population sample (P sample) and the enumeration sample (E sample). 
The P sample is a sample of housing units and persons obtained 
independently from the census for a sample of block clusters. The E 
sample is a sample of census housing units and enumerations in the same 
block cluster as the P sample. The independent roster of housing units 
is obtained during the CCM Independent Listing, the results of which 
will be matched to census housing units in the sample block clusters 
and surrounding blocks. A separate OMB register notice was previously 
submitted for the Independent Listing operation.
    After the CCM Independent Listing and matching operations have 
taken place, some cases will be identified to receive the CCM Housing 
Unit Followup (HUFU) interview. Generally, these will be cases where 
additional information is needed to determine housing unit status (for 
example, clarify if the addresses refer to a housing unit, identify 
duplicate addresses) or resolve inconsistencies observed during the 
matching operations between the CCM and census addresses in the block 
cluster. Using a paper questionnaire tailored for the type of followup 
required, interviewers will contact a member (or proxy, as a last 
resort) of each housing unit needing followup to answer questions that 
might allow a resolution of housing unit status or clarify 
discrepancies. We also will conduct a quality control operation of the 
HUFU called the Housing Unit Followup Quality Control (HUFU QC) of ten 
percent of the HUFU workload to ensure that the work performed is of 
acceptable quality. There will be one Housing Unit Followup Form, DX-
1303, that will be used for HUFU and HUFU QC.

Definition of Terms

    Components of Coverage Error--The two components of census coverage 
error are census omissions (missed persons or housing units) and 
erroneous inclusions (persons or housing units enumerated in the census 
that should not have been). Examples of erroneous inclusions are: 
housing units built after Census Day and persons or housing units 
enumerated more than once (duplicates).
    Net Coverage Error--Reflects the difference between census 
omissions and erroneous inclusions. A positive net error indicates an 
undercount, while a negative net error indicates an overcount.
    For more information about the Census 2000 Coverage Measurement 
Program, please visit the following page of the Census Bureau's 
website: http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/refroom.html

II. Method of Collection

    The housing unit followup operation will be conducted using person-
to-person interviews.

III. Data

    OMB Number: None.
    Form Number: DX-1303.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 16,000 Housing units (HUs) for 
Housing Unit Followup, and 1,600 HUs for Housing Unit Followup QC.
    Estimated Times Per Response: 3 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 880.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Public: No cost to the 
respondent except for their time to respond.
    Respondent Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 141, 193, and 221.

[[Page 4236]]

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: January 24, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-1422 Filed 1-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P