Response Rates as Process Control Tools: Creative Usage of Existing Performance Measures

• Activity Number: 585
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 7, 2014 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Government Statistics Section
• Author(s): Broderick Oliver*+ and Yarissa González and Jenny Thompson
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: response rates ; statistical process control ; control chart

Abstract

The Federal Statistical Standards require that programs publish response rates. For business surveys, a single measure does not adequately describe the response process because of the highly skewed nature of business populations. Consequently, business surveys conducted at the U.S. Census Bureau compute two types of response rates: the unit response rate, defined as the unweighted proportion of responding units, used as a measure of survey response; and total quantity response rates, defined as weighted proportions of estimates obtained from reported or equivalent quality data. Surveys may also compute the weighted volume response rate, computed as the weighted proportion of the responding units' measure-of-size. Using empirical data from two surveys, we demonstrate how to use these metrics to understand and monitor the response process via statistical process control methods adapted for usage with complex survey data.