2000 CENSUS: Review of Partnership Program Highlights Best Practices for Future Operations
Abstract
To take a more complete and accurate count of the nation's population in the 2000 Census, the Bureau of the Census partnered with other federal agencies, as well as with state, local, and tribal governments; religious, community, and social service organizations; and private businesses. According to the Bureau, about 140,000 organizations participated in the partnership program, assisting in such critical activities as reviewing and updating the Bureau's address list; encouraging people especially hard-to- count populations to participate in the census; and recruiting temporary census employees. The program stemmed from the Bureau 's recognition that a successful head count required the local knowledge, experience, and expertise that these organizations provide. The Bureau expects the program will play a key role in the 2010 Census, as well as a number of the Bureau 's nondecennial surveys in the years to come. Although a more complete picture of the results of the partnership program will not be available until the Bureau completes several ongoing evaluations of the effort, thus far, the program has generally received broad support. The Bureau and members of Congress have cited the role that partners have played in boosting public awareness of the census, while in our prior work, we noted that the Bureau aggressively pursued partnerships with local governments, community groups, and other organizations to help ensure a complete and accurate population count.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA393333
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office