Headquarters Information Processing Systems for the 2000 Decennial Census Require Technical and Management Plan and Procedures

摘要

The primary purpose of the decennial census is to provide data that reflect an accurate enumeration of all residents of the United States. The accuracy of census data is critical because it is the basis for apportioning seats in the Congress and for the distribution of billions of dollars by the federal government. The Processing Systems organization within the Decennial Systems and Contracts Management Office is responsible for the headquarters information processing systems. Headquarters processing is a key ingredient of the overall census process. It is involved with decennial census operations starting with the collection of census information, proceeding through the analysis and tabulation of census data, and ultimately preparing census results for dissemination. In our pre-inspection survey, we observed that the requirements for systems to support headquarters processing were not clearly defined, and we were unable to confirm that mechanisms required to manage the software development were being implemented and that adequate progress was being made. We therefore conducted this inspection to (1) evaluate the appropriateness of the system requirements, (2) assess the system implementation strategy and plan, (3) evaluate the readiness and capabilities of the development organization and the planned use of support contractors, and (4) identify system development risks. During our inspection, we made our findings available to Bureau of the Census managers who prepared an outline of an action plan to address our concerns. We assessed their plan and found their proposed approach in agreement with the recommendations provided in this report. We appreciate the bureaus cooperation and responsiveness during the course of this inspection.