Commerce Department Inspector General Worried About Resources for 2030 Census

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Office of Inspector General’s annual report on “management and performance challenges facing” the Department already includes worries about funding for the 2030 Census.

The report warns that that a strong framework needs to be established with “[a]dequate [r]esources to [s]upport the 2030 Census [p]lanning [e]fforts and [e]nhance [o]verall [s]urvey [q]uality.”

“Fiscal year 2023 marks the last FY of the 2020 Census funding lifecycle and the second one for the 2030 Census lifecycle,” reminds the report, which identifies four priority concerns for the Census Bureau:

  1. “Ensuring the timely delivery of 2020 Census studies and the timely completion of the 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review needed to inform 2030 Census planning.”
  2. “Ensuring information from the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) is used to develop a strategy for obtaining a more accurate count of certain demographic groups and state populations for the 2030 Census.”
  3. “Enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the Census Bureau’s address list.”
  4. “Ensuring data products provide timely, reliable, and quality data to stakeholders.”

Stakeholders can review pages 34-38 of the report for more details. (Hat tip to Hansi Lo Wang.)