2010 CensusPartnership Program

Presented By

Mary L. Peeler

Partnership and Data Services Coordinator

United States Census Bureau

Charlotte Region

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Partnership Program Purpose

To develop and foster partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments;

community-based organizations; faith-based groups; educational institutions and

groups; media outlets; businesses; and other grassroots entities to increase

participation in the 2010 Census

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Goals of the Partnership Program

Increase mail response

Improve accuracy and reduce the

differential undercount

Improve cooperation with enumerators

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Increase Mail Response

A self-generated mail response is more accurate than an enumerator-filled response

Census 2000 exceeded expectations!

The 2010 Census mail response goal is INTENSE!

55

60

65

70

75

80

Mail Response

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

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Improve Accuracy – Decrease Differential Undercount

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0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1990 2000

Total

White

AIAN (on)

AIAN (off)

Black

Hispanic

Asian

NHOPI

1990 was tough

2000 reversed every expectation

2010 will be ???

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Improve Cooperation with Enumerators

Enumerate approximately 40 million housing units during Nonresponse Followup

Recruit nearly 3.8 million applicants in 2009 and 2010

Hire 1.3 million workers across all census operations

Partnerships:

Reach into local communities, especially those hardest to count

Generate public awareness to increase mail response

Heighten buzz within hard to count communities to make the 2010 Census theirs

Mobilize community leaders to exponentially engage their constituents to be counted

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How Many Partnership Staff?

Core Regional Partnership Team hired and trained in 2008 – 120 staff

Peak Partnership Staffing between January 2009 and June 2010 – 680 staff

Ramp down of Partnership Program in 2011 – 48 staff

Each RCC will have 55 partnership staff on average

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2008

2009

2010

2011

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Challenges

Post-9/11 Terrorist Psyche

Charged Political Environment

Hyper-Charged Immigration Debate

Katrina and Federal Government’s Response

Greater Diversity in Our Nation’s Population

Measuring Up to the Census 2000 “Best Census Ever”

Strategies

Complete Count Committee

Tribal Liaison Program

Targeted Outreach to Hard to Count Populations

Language Support Program

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Strategies (continued)

Census in School Program

Be Counted Sites

Telephone Questionnaire Assistance

Questionnaire Assistance Centers

Localized Promotional Materials

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Complete Count Committee

Volunteer committee established by local or tribal government

Members are appointed by the highest elected official

Charged with developing and implementing plans to increase participation in the Census

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Tribal Liaison Program

Government to government relationship with federal or state recognized tribe

Tribe appoints individual to serve as the tribal liaison

Main contact for the sharing of information between Census Bureau and tribe

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Language Assistance Program

Questionnaires will be available in the following languages:

EnglishChinese (Simplified & Formal)Korean Russian

SpanishVietnamese

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Language Assistance Program (continued)

Targeted mailing of 10 million bilingual Spanish/English questionnaires in 42 states.

Language Assistance Guides available in 51+ languages.

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Language Assistance Program (continued)

Language Identification Flashcards include a minimum of 38 languages and potentially all Language Assistance Guide languages.

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Census In Schools

Curriculum and teaching materials that introduce students to the purpose and importance of the census and census activities/products

Engage students to get them to encourage their parents to complete and return their census questionnaires

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Be Counted Sites

Provides a means for people to be included who believe they did not receive a questionnaire or were excluded otherwise.

Boxes with Be Counted questionnaires will be located in sites where these potential respondents would most likely see them.

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Telephone Questionnaire Assistance

A toll-free number for respondents to call to get help completing questionnaire

Assistance provided in language for:

Chinese (Simplified & Formal)

Korean Russian

SpanishVietnamese

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Questionnaire Assistance Centers

Census Bureau staff will:

– Provide assistance in completing questionnaires

– Provide special language assistance

– Answer general questions

Localized Promotional Materials

Partners Portal on the Census website will contain promotional materials that can be customized for local use.

Partners may customize other census-related promotional items for their use.

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2010 Census

It’s In Our Hands

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