Today, April 1, 2010, is a big day in the United States (and although I am not referring to April Fools’ Day, it still remains one of my favorite holidays). Today is, of course, “Census Day”, the official kick-off date of the 2010 United States Census project. The 2010 Census is one of the largest primary research projects ever undertaken, and is likely the most extensive measure of a population to date. Largely administered via mail surveys and individual interviews, the census takes place every 10 years to measure different aspects of the US population, and is used to help determine everything from municipal budgets to the number of seats a state occupies in the United States House of Representatives.
The US Census Bureau estimates that the total cost of the 2010 Census, including materials, staffing, and administration, will come close to approximately $14.5 billion, over 3 times the cost of the previous census that took place in 2000. Of course, this increase in price is directly related to the dramatic growth in the population of the US, but I am willing to bet that an increased technology and advertising budget might have something to do with it as well.
With the large changes in population and demographics over the last 10 years came another noticeable trend in the US population as well. The number of internet users in America has nearly tripled since the date of the last census, and with that, the Census Bureau has been quick to adopt new technologies and communication strategies. Most notably, the US Census Bureau has developed a fairly large social media marketing campaign to promote this year’s census. Their Youtube Channel hosts promotional and educational videos (some are actually quite entertaining), describing the value of the census, and answers to frequently asked questions. The Director’s Blog is written by the Census Bureau Director, Robert Groves, and discusses upcoming events, important announcements, and tries to add a personal touch to the large organization. Moderators of the blog also respond comments on the posts, and provide answers to questions that readers may have. Of course, no modern advertising campaign could exist without a Facebook Page or Twitter Account, and the Census Bureau is no exception.
Despite the various Web 2.0 updates to a process that is over 200 years old (the first US census was administered by Thomas Jefferson in 1790), perhaps the biggest changes in this year’s census are happening to the internal systems of the Census Bureau and the ways in which they are using modern technologies to keep track of the US population. Prior to the distribution of this year’s census, census employees used mobile GPS devices to mark every single household in the country (as described in this video). The specific coordinates of each location are stored in a centralized system and are used to track household responses, assign staff to specific locations, and keep track of surveys that have not been submitted. More interestingly, these devices will play an important role in team communication and information sharing during the lengthy data collection process that is about to begin. Census managers will able to get real-time updates on the progress of their employees, track employee hours on the field, and communicate quickly with their teams. The mobile devices will also be utilized by census staff to share information about their progress with each other so that they are not duplicating efforts, and provide them with access to internal systems and resources while they are on the field.
I am looking forward to seeing the results of the 2010 Census, and I have to say that I am really impressed with the government’s adoption of new technologies and communication channels. Maybe in 2020, census surveys will finally be available online!
-RJ
