Response to questions

From: magdalena.ramos@census.gov

Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 3:36 PM

To: Harris-Kojetin, Brian A.

Cc: thomas.j.smith@census.gov; magdalena.ramos@census.gov;

lora.rosenberger@census.gov; george.a.sledge@census.gov

Subject: Fw: OMB package questions-- 2008 Census Coverage Measurement,

Independent Listing, and Relisting Operations

Follow Up Flag: Follow up

Flag Status: Red

Attachments: BROOKINGS INSTITUTION comments Fed Reg CCM Listing

Relisting 12-11-06.pdf; public comment on federal register of 101006 vol

71 pg 59429.doc

Hi Brian,

We have addressed your questions below. Let me know if you need any more information.

Magda Ramos

1. Will there be any coverage measurement of group quarters?

There are no plans to measure the coverage of Group Quarters during

the 2008 Dress Rehearsal or 2010 Census. However, we may list an

follow up on some addresses where a lister is unsure if the unit is a

housing unit or a group quarters. This is what we plan: During

Independent Listing, Listers are to list each housing unit or

possible housing unit within their assigned area. The lister must

contact every address regardless if it looks like a business or not,

to ensure there are no hidden housing units. Interviewers are not to

list group quarters, however if it can not be determined if the

address is a group quarters, the address will be listed, and the

lister will check yes to item 12 in the Listing page, could this unit

be a group quarters. These addresses will be followed up in later

CCM Operations.

2. Please provide copies of the public comments that were received.

Attached are the two Public comments received:

(See attached file: BROOKINGS INSTITUTION comments Fed Reg CCM Listing Relisting 12-11-06.pdf)(See attached file: public comment on federal register of 101006 vol 71 pg 59429.doc)

3. In the stratification by tenure, what is the threshold for classifying the cluster as either renter or owner stratum?

Here's what the sampling spec says:

1.1.1 Classification of block clusters as Owner versus Non-Owner will be different in each site.

a. San Joaquin County, CA A block cluster will be classified

as Non-Owner if the proportion of persons in non-owner housing

units is greater than or equal to 0.40. Otherwise, it will be

classified as Owner.

b. South Central North Carolina A block cluster will be

classified as Non-Owner if the proportion of persons in non-owner

housing units is greater than or equal to 0.30. Otherwise, it

will be classified as Owner.

4. Please provide more information/clarification on how nonresponse is handled. If you are unable to reach anyone in a housing unit or if they repeatedly refuse, do you contact neighbors as proxies? Are there housing units for which you are unable to obtain any information from a respondent or knowledgeable proxy, and if so, how are these cases handled?

Three attempts are made at a housing unit to obtain an interview.

Interviews are encouraged to conduct interviews at a time that is convenient for respondents. If a respondent refuses, the interviewer will try to obtain information about the housing unit from a proxy such as a neighbor or mail carrier. The main purpose to contacting the interviewer is to ensure there are no hidden housing units at a basic street address. For example, a basement apartment which would not be known unless an interview was conducted. If the information cannot be obtained from a knowledgeable proxy after the three attempts, the interview is done by observation.

5. The PRA burden statement on your form DX-31P should include the amount of time that the collection will take.

We have been planning to use a generic privacy act notice across

operations. Therefore, no amount of time estimate is included. The

plan was to inform the respondent about the length of the interview

as the notice is handed to them. In the training Manual on Page

3-37, the introduction to respondents is discussed. It states:

Before I begin, here's some information about the purpose of my

visit. Give the respondents Form DX-31(CCM), Privacy Act Notice.

The interview will take approximately 2 minutes to complete.

Please let us know if this is sufficient or if we need to revise the Privacy Act Notice.

Magdalena Ramos

Assistant Division Chief for Statistical Program Management Decennial Statistics Studies Division, Census Bureau

Office--301-763-4295

Fax ----301-567-4580