Partner Survey Plan

The Census Bureau, as part of an internal review of our Partnership Program plans to conduct additional survey work under the generic clearance for Data User Evaluation Surveys (OMB number 0607-0760).

This is a joint collaboration by the Census Bureau’s Decennial Management Division’s Outreach and Promotion Branch and Field Division’s Partnership and Data Services Branch. This partner survey is to conduct primary research into the quality of the partnership program implementation, the service of our staff and the usefulness of the materials we provided. The results from the survey will be used strictly for internal program management purposes to assess staff work, material development and design and to enhance the Field Division's planning efforts for the 2020 Census Partnership Program.

This partner survey will employ a stratified random sample of approximately 7,500 partners out of 257,000. Strata include partner type (national partner, local government entity, community partner), 2010 Census region (12 in all), hard-to-count score of the tract in which the partner is located (low or high), and the engagement level of partners (0 completed activities vs. 1 or more).

This survey will be conducted via an on-line tool using in-house software that meets security requirements for on-line surveys. Though the majority of the respondents will be expected to access and submit their survey through this electronic survey tool, respondents will also be given the option of calling in their responses to a Census Bureau call center toll-free number for assistance in completing the survey via the on-line tool. Assuming OMB approval by December 17, 2010, field work would be scheduled beginning January 10, 2011 and continue through February 2011.

Field Division’s Partnership and Data Services Branch staff have reviewed and internally tested the questionnaire for ease of use and content appropriateness. We expect 30 percent or 2250 partner participants will respond. We estimate respondent burden at 20 minutes per questionnaire for a total respondent burden of 750 hours.

We plan to maximize response rates by including personalized letters/emails, reminder letters, and follow up telephone calls.

For further information about this study, please contact Mary Bucci at 301-763-9925 or mary.a.bucci@census.gov or Willette Allen, at 301-763-2032 or willette.allen@census.gov.