With the 2010 census now less than two years away, the Census Bureau “has not fully integrated and tested all of its new, innovative decennial census design solutions–and is quickly running out of time and facing the risk of increasing costs,” the Commerce Department IG has said.
The warning, in an assessment of the major management challenges across the department, is the latest of many regarding preparations for the census arising from design changes since the 2010 count and other challenges. Since 2010, “the Bureau has modified its strategy by both reducing the number and scope of tests, citing funding constraints as the primary reason. In addition, technology changes in May 2016 required the Bureau to implement new systems on a condensed time schedule.”
Further, unforeseen changes “will likely occur throughout the timeline,” it said, adding that such complications “carry a high level of risk.”
Other main challenges for the department, it said, relate to environmental satellite programs, the nationwide public safety broadband network, improving IT acquisitions and management, strengthening the department’s cybersecurity, improving the monitoring of blanket purchase agreements, and more.
