54 – 54 - Record Linkage, Data Integration, and Improving Survey Measurement
Administrative Record Use in the 2020 Census for Modeling and Processing
Andrew Keller
U.S. Census Bureau
The paper discusses two aspects of administrative records use in the 2020 Census. The discussion divides into two parts: First, we examine the use of administrative records in the nonresponse follow-up (NRFU) operation to inform the field contact strategy. The NRFU operation conducted in-person visits to addresses which failed to self-respond. The goal was to reduce the number of contacts for addresses with high-quality administrative records. To accomplish this, statistical models were fit using the 2010 Census NRFU as training data. Predictions of address status and count were then applied using administrative records available during the 2020 Census. The second aspect of administrative records use occurred in the processing of response data. Processing refers to the post-data collection actions generating the final census data files (US Census Bureau, 2017). After identifying addresses with sufficient quality administrative records to justify the assigned status, administrative records were then used to enumerate occupied, vacant, and delete addresses with no response. That process employed past census and administrative data to assign characteristics to occupied housing units.