Department of Statistics Seminar
North Carolina State University

presents

Cynthia Z. F. Clark

U.S. Bureau of the Census

"Striking a Balance Between Timeliness and Quality: Decisions Behind Plans for U.S. Census 2000"

ABSTRACT

Two major concerns guided efforts to reengineer the U.S. Census for the year 2000 -- cost reduction and increased accuracy. Since the two goals are often competing, this impetus has presented many challenges. To a great extent, cost expenditure and data accuracy are positively related, with efforts to increase accuracy resulting in increased costs. Additionally, data accuracy is correlated in many regards to the amount of time spent on a data collection effort. For example, the longer one spends on nonresponse follow-up efforts, perfection of imputation formulas, clerical coding, etc., the more accurate the numbers will be.

In planning methodology for Census 2000, managers were faced with numerous tradeoff decisions regarding cost, accuracy, and timeliness. In this paper we document challenges faced by the modern U.S. census, summarize the program of research and testing leading to design plans, and overview planned uses of sampling in the design of the Census 2000. Along the way, we note specific applications where tradeoffs between quality, timeliness and cost have been analyzed as a basis for these design decisions.

Friday, March 5, 1999

3:35 - 4:35 pm

206 Cox Hall

Refreshments will be served on the second floor of Dabney Hall (left of Room 222) at 3:00 pm.