ACS OMB Statement

Key Elements for OMB Memos under the Generic Clearance

for Data User Evaluation Surveys 0607-0760

American Community Survey Data Users Group Member Survey

Under contract with the Census Bureau, Sabre Systems/Population Reference Bureau plan to conduct additional survey work under the generic clearance for Data User Evaluation Surveys (OMB number 0607-0760).

Purpose of the Study

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Office has contracted with Sabre Systems and the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) to organize and manage an American Community Survey (ACS) Data Users Group online community. PRB is planning a survey to gather feedback from members of the ACS Data Users Group online community regarding key ACS issues and data user needs. The results from this survey will be presented at the 2015 ACS Data Users Conference to help inform the Census Bureau and other conference attendees about the most important challenges that ACS data users experience in working with ACS data and what capabilities, tools, or services would be most useful in helping ACS data users overcome these challenges.

This is a new survey. The key research questions or substantive issues examined are:

• Gather feedback from members of the ACS Data Users Group online community regarding the key challenges they experience in working with ACS data.

• Gather feedback from members of the ACS Data Users Group online community about the capabilities, tools, or services that would be most useful in helping them overcome these challenges.

• Gather feedback from members of the ACS Data Users Group online community about the methods they use to handle ACS data with large margins of error (MOEs) and the guidelines they use to assess the reliability of ACS data for particular applications.

Survey Methodology

The sampling frame is all members of the ACS Data Users Group online community (1158 as of 3/26/2015). There is no cost to join the ACS online community and anyone who is interested may join. An email invitation will be sent to all members of the ACS online community with a link to the survey, and an announcement with a link to the survey will be posted on the News and Events page in the ACS online community. The invitation email will be sent at the end of March and posted within the ACS online community on the same day the email invitation is sent. The survey form will be housed within PRB’s Survey Monkey account. A reminder email will be sent to all members of the ACS Data Users Group online community approximately one week before the survey closes.

Respondents

The universe will be all members of the ACS Data Users Group online community. As of March 26, 2015 there are 1,158 members. The sample size is the same as the universe because all members of the ACS online community will receive an email invitation with a link to the survey.

The expected response rate is 30% and the resulting number of completed surveys will be about 350.

Burden

Sabre Systems and PRB staff have reviewed and internally tested the questionnaire for ease of use and content appropriateness. The draft survey questions were tested with a small group (4 people) of experienced ACS data users.

We estimate respondent burden at 15 minutes per questionnaire for a total respondent burden of 88 hours.

Incentives

There is no monetary incentive to this survey.

Attachments/Enclosures

• Text of email invitation

• Image of ACS Data Users Group Online Community Website

• ACS Data Users Group Member Survey

For further information about this survey, please contact Linda Jacobsen at 202-939-5414 or ljacobsen@prb.org.