The Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security, met today to discuss “Lessons Learned: How the New Administration Can Achieve an Accurate and Cost Effective 2010 Census.”
Testifying before the subcommittee was Barbara Everitt Bryant, former Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, John Thompson, President of the National Opinion Research Council, Robert Goldenkoff, director of strategic issues at the Government Accountability Office, David Powner, director of IT management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Dr. Lawrence Brown, chair of the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on National Statistics and Dr. Robert Hill, sociologist and former chair of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Advisory Committee on the African American Population.
The committee hearing identified to main focuses; questions over how to make the 2010 census more cost effective and the need for a new director of the U.S. Census Bureau to be appointed immediately.
Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del) said in his introductory comments: “I do not think it is overstating things to say that the 2010 Census is approaching a state of emergency. Significant work has to be done, and the bureau does not have a director in place to make these critical decisions.”
Chairman Carper asked the witnesses how they felt the 2010 could be made more cost effective. There was a silence amongst them and no conclusive response.
The witnesses did propose other suggestions on how the Census Bureau could and should be improved for future consideration; Barbara Bryant suggested that the director of the Census Bureau should be a 5-year term instead of the current 4-year term, in order to fill this current state of ‘limbo’ between administrations.
Dr. Hill made four key suggestions for the bureau; that the bureau be given sufficient financial resources to work efficiently, that the bureau hire a racially diverse workforce, devise effective advertisement campaigns to target minority and non-represented communities in the census, and provide assistance with completing census forms.
All witnesses expressed the urgent need for the currently vacant position of director of the Census Bureau to be filled immediately so that key decisions can be made. Chairman Carper requested that each of the witnesses submit two names to the subcommittee by close of business tomorrow of candidates they feel should be considered by the Obama administration to fill this void. Chairman Carper will also call the acting director before the subcommittee to provide an update on the current arrangement for the 2010 census.
Silence at the question - How can we make the 2010 census more cost effective?
The Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security, met today to discuss “Lessons Learned: How the New Administration Can Achieve an Accurate and Cost Effective 2010 Census.”
Testifying before the subcommittee was Barbara Everitt Bryant, former Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, John Thompson, President of the National Opinion Research Council, Robert Goldenkoff, director of strategic issues at the Government Accountability Office, David Powner, director of IT management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Dr. Lawrence Brown, chair of the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on National Statistics and Dr. Robert Hill, sociologist and former chair of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Advisory Committee on the African American Population.
The committee hearing identified to main focuses; questions over how to make the 2010 census more cost effective and the need for a new director of the U.S. Census Bureau to be appointed immediately.
Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del) said in his introductory comments: “I do not think it is overstating things to say that the 2010 Census is approaching a state of emergency. Significant work has to be done, and the bureau does not have a director in place to make these critical decisions.”
Chairman Carper asked the witnesses how they felt the 2010 could be made more cost effective. There was a silence amongst them and no conclusive response.
The witnesses did propose other suggestions on how the Census Bureau could and should be improved for future consideration; Barbara Bryant suggested that the director of the Census Bureau should be a 5-year term instead of the current 4-year term, in order to fill this current state of ‘limbo’ between administrations.
Dr. Hill made four key suggestions for the bureau; that the bureau be given sufficient financial resources to work efficiently, that the bureau hire a racially diverse workforce, devise effective advertisement campaigns to target minority and non-represented communities in the census, and provide assistance with completing census forms.
All witnesses expressed the urgent need for the currently vacant position of director of the Census Bureau to be filled immediately so that key decisions can be made. Chairman Carper requested that each of the witnesses submit two names to the subcommittee by close of business tomorrow of candidates they feel should be considered by the Obama administration to fill this void.
Chairman Carper will also call the acting director before the subcommittee to provide an update on the current arrangement for the 2010 census.