1 developing a quality assurance program for the us census bureau’s business register david. d....
TRANSCRIPT
1
Developing A Quality Assurance Program For The US Census Bureau’s
Business Register
David. D. Chapman US CENSUS BUREAU
1
What I Want to Talk About
Overview Business Register Quality Team Team Projects Recommendations Lessons Learned
OVERVIEW
US Census Bureau
Economic Area
Business Register
Business Register Purpose
“to served as a comprehensive central source of list frames for the business censuses and surveys”
Secondary Purposes
Central Administrative Record Repository
Central facility (data and services) Data Source for County Business Pattern and Nonemployer Tabulations Source of Data for Economic Research and Custom Tabulations
Statistical Universes
Employer Identification Number (EIN) Social Security Number (SSN) Employer Units Survey Units
Business Register Quality Team
Purpose Membership Oversight Projects
Team Purpose
“… to develop a plan that ensures the continuous quality, reliability, and integrity of all business register processes, information, and products.”
Team Membership
BR Designers/Managers BR Programmers BR Users Quality and Process Improvement Staff
Team Oversight Team Leader ADC Research and Methodology Chief, Economic Planning and
Coordination Division Steering Group Census Managers
Team Projects
Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
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Transition To New Business Register
Coverage Compare Data ValuesAnecdotal CommentsCritical Variables
Team Projects
Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
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Admin Records Processing
Team examined the current system for administrative records processing and recommended changes
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Admin Records Sub-teamRecommendations
Create Centralized Admin Record Tracking System
Systematic Review of Post-Processing Admin Record QA
Increase Focus on Key Business Register Variables
Standardize and Automate QA Reports
Team Projects
Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
Current Survey Use of Business Register
What do programs need from BR? Looked at three(3) Surveys
Business Sample Revision (BSR) Annual Capital Expenditures (ACES) Industrial Research and Development
(IRDS)
Current Survey Requirements
Each survey documented use Purpose to identify similarities and
differences in use of BR Great differences in detail, definitions,
and terminology Difficulty in consolidating information
Team Projects
Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Recommend Changes
Identify Customer Problems
Focus Group versus Questionnaire Focus Groups with BR Users Different Surveys – Different Jobs Focus Group – 12 people – two hours
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Focus Group Comments
Two Types of Comments
Quality
Management
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Comments on Quality
More Accurate and Timely Contact Information
Add 2002 Economic Census and Current Survey Data to Business Register
Mergers and Acquisition / Company Structure
“BAD” data
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Comments on Management
Communication Documentation Training Interactive Use of the Business
Register Management
Team Projects
Transition to New Business Register Administrative Records Processing How Surveys Use Business Register Identify Customer Problems Make Recommendations
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DeterminingFinal Recommendations
Reviewed Individual RecommendationsConsolidate RecommendationsAdded New RecommendationsCreated Final ListRanked Entries on Final List By:
ImportanceDifficulty
Final Set of Recommendations
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RecommendationsShort Term (Next 6 Months)
Administrative Records
Administrative Record Repository
“Wrap-Up” Edit
Business Register Quality Checks
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RecommendationsLong Term (Over 6 Months)
Identify a clear list of activities associated with Business Register QA plan
Problem / Issues LogAnnual Meeting with CustomersPeriodic Audit of Business Register
Processes and QA planMonitor Quality of key variablesMonthly Analytical Tables
Identify Current State of Business RegisterDetermine Trends and emerging problems
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Lessons Learned
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Lessons Learned
1. Project was too “BIG”
3131
Lessons Learned
2. “You can get a lot done when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
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Lessons Learned
3. All quality problems are management problems.
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Lessons Learned
4. Introducing a “Quality” approach is a wearing experience.
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Lessons Learned
5. Team members should be accountable for their work.
The team should be blend of junior staff and enlightened senior staff
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Lessons Learned
6. Need for both Technical Documentation
and Management Documentation
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Lessons Learned
7. Focus Groups are worth the effort
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Lessons Learned
8. Similar processes in different programs should be documented with common format and common definitions