Challenges in Implementing a New Imputation Method into Production in the 2017 Economic Census or What to Do When the Research Approach Oversimplifies the Problem

• Activity Number: 155 - Implementing Research-Based Recommendations in Ongoing Programs
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, July 30, 2018 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Government Statistics Section
• Author(s): Katherine J Thompson* and Willam Davie Jr. and Matthew Thompson and Scot Dahl
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: Hot Deck Imputation; Multiple Imputation; Production Implementation

Abstract

Beginning in 2017, the Economic Census (EC) will use NAPCS to produce economy-wide tabulations of product sales. This change facilitated the development of a statistically defensible and operationally feasible imputation approach for these items, along with associated methodology for estimating variances. Research teams were established to recommend methods for both. To avoid confounding treatment effects with respondent size effects, both studies restricted the analysis variables to a limited set of products within industry. This greatly simplified the evaluations, but left potential implementation challenges uninvestigated. This paper focuses on the implementation of the proposed imputation methods in the 2017 Economic Census, discussing the modifications and enhancements needed to accommodate the complete set of variables along with the implementation issues that motivated each. We conclude by sharing our "lessons learned," along with a laundry list of topics for further investigation before the 2022 Economic Census.