Department of Commerce
United States Census Bureau
OMB Information Collection Request
Construction Progress Reporting Surveys
OMB Control Number 0607-0153
Supporting Statement Part B. – Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods of
Collection
1. Universe and Respondent Selection
The monthly universe for private construction is approximately 4,100 projects with an estimated sample size of 575 new projects selected each month. State and local governments have a monthly universe of approximately 6,050 projects with an estimated sample size of 1,016 new projects selected each month. The federal government has a monthly universe of approximately 300 projects with an estimated sample size of 134 new projects selected each month. The monthly universe for multifamily is approximately 3,500 projects with an estimated sample size of 275 new projects selected each month. Construction projects stay in sample until conclusion of the project (an average of 12 months). On average 24,000 projects are asked to report monthly. The monthly response rates after 3 months of collection effort are: 48 percent for private projects; 80 percent for state and local projects; 78 percent for federal projects; and about 69 percent for multifamily projects.
2. Procedures for Collecting Information
The Census Bureau is contracted with an outside vendor to provide source data on private construction, state and local government projects and federal government projects. Projects in areas not covered by building permit systems or reported by the outside vendor are obtained by Census field staff within a small number of non-permit areas, and are selected with certainty. Projects are stratified by type of construction and valuation. Each month a sample of new privately owned multi-unit residential building projects is selected from the sampled cases used in the Census Bureau’s Housing Starts Survey. All projects with 5 or more housing units are selected.
Once a project is selected, it remains in the sample until it is completed. Monthly construction project reports are requested from the appropriate owner, contractor, builder, or agent responsible for the project. Private industrial construction is benchmarked to the Annual Capital Expenditures Survey.
3. Methods to Maximize Response
To increase response rates, respondents are offered the option to report online. Respondents who choose to respond via Centurion receive email notifications rather than paper forms or letters. Several attempts are made to collect information by telephone follow-up if a response has not been received online or by mail or fax. If a respondent has more than one project in the sample, information is requested for all projects with one telephone call. Each respondent is contacted at their requested time by the computer assisted interview process known as the Call Scheduler. In addition to telephone follow-ups, letters are mailed to respondents to encourage response (see Attachments F-I).
4. Testing of Procedures
We completed an evaluation of the CPRS as required by the Statistical Policy Directive on Compilation, Release, and Evaluation of Principal Federal Economic Indicators; this evaluation was submitted to the OMB in January 2013. Additionally, testing and evaluation of the variance methods was conducted, which led to the implementation of updated variance programs in July 2015.
All changes to methodology or processing systems are tested. For example, we conducted usability testing of the online questionnaire with a sample of respondents before offering the online questionnaire to all respondents, and documented the results of the testing.
5. Contacts for Statistical Aspects and Data Collection
The Economic Indicators Division (EID) plans and coordinates the survey. This includes the design of the reporting forms, instructions for collecting and editing information, tabulation and publication of the data. The Economic Statistical Methods Division (ESMD) is responsible for the survey methodology and sample selection.
The contact person for questions relating to the statistical aspects of the survey is Ms. Amy Newman-Smith, Methodology Director for Manufacturing, Investment, and Construction Programs, ESMD. She can be reached on (301) 763-6595.
The contact person for questions relating to the collection, analysis and processing of the data is Ms. Erica Filipek, Assistant Division Chief for Construction Indicator Programs, EID. She can be reached on (301) 763-5161.
Attachments:
Form C-700: Construction Progress Reporting Survey for Private Construction Projects
Form C-700(R): Construction Progress Reporting Survey for Multifamily Residential Projects
Form C-700(SL): Construction Progress Reporting Survey for State and Local Governments
Form C-700(F): Construction Progress Reporting Survey for Federal Government
BEA Letter of Support for CPRS
Respondent Letter for Newly Selected Private Construction Projects (C-700-L1A)
Respondent Letter for Newly Selected Public Construction Projects (C-700-L1B)
Abeyance Letter for Private Construction Projects (C-700-L2A)
Abeyance Letter for Public Construction Projects (C-700-L2B)
Picture of Centurion Login Screen for Confidentiality
Picture of Centurion Burden Statement
Picture of Centurion ‘About the Survey’
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Bureau Of The Census |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-24 |