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Recommendations Database

GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.

Our recommendations help congressional and agency leaders prepare for appropriations and oversight activities, as well as help improve government operations. Moreover, when implemented, some of our priority recommendations can save large amounts of money, help Congress make decisions on major issues, and substantially improve or transform major government programs or agencies, among other benefits.

As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.

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Subject Term: "Decennial census"

3 publications with a total of 6 open recommendations including 4 priority recommendations

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2020 Census: Additional Actions Needed to Manage Risk
GAO-19-399, May 31, 2019

Director: Goldenkoff, Robert N
Phone: (202)512-2757

2 open recommendations
including 1 priority recommendation

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Recommendation: The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Director of the Census Bureau develops and obtains management approval of mitigation and contingency plans for all risks that require them. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Commerce
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: As of May 2020, the Bureau's program risk registers included a clear indication of the status of mitigation plans; however, the Bureau's portfolio risk register did not, without which there was not a clear indication of which portfolio risk mitigation plans had been approved by management. As of August 2020, the Bureau's portfolio risk register also included a clear indication of mitigation plan status. At that time, we reviewed the Bureau's program and portfolio risk registers to determine whether the Bureau had developed and obtained management approval of mitigation and contingency plans for all risks that required them. We found six risks that met the Bureau's requirements for a contingency plan but did not have an approved contingency plan in place. We notified the Bureau and asked them to ensure that approved mitigation and contingency plans were in place for all risks that required them. We will continue to monitor the Bureau's actions to implement this recommendation.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Director of the Census Bureau updates the Bureau's decennial risk management plan to require that risk mitigation and contingency plans, including the risk register descriptions and separate plans, have the seven key attributes for helping to ensure they contain the information needed to manage risk. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Commerce
Status: Open

Comments: In July 2020, the Bureau updated its decennial risk management plan and, in doing so, implemented this recommendation for six of the seven key attributes we identified. The missing attribute was monitoring plans: a description in each mitigation and contingency plan of how the agency will monitor the risk response-with performance measures and milestones, where appropriate-to help track whether the plan is working as intended. According to Bureau officials, rather than requiring this attribute, they instead noted it as a lesson learned for the 2030 Census and documented it in their knowledge management tool. In August 2020, we requested documentation of these actions. Once received, we will assess whether these actions suffice to close the recommendation.

2020 Census: Further Actions Needed to Reduce Key Risks to a Successful Enumeration
GAO-19-431T, Apr 30, 2019

Director: Robert Goldenkoff
Phone: (202) 512-2757

2 open recommendations
including 2 priority recommendations

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2020 Census: Additional Steps Needed to Finalize Readiness for Peak Field Operations
GAO-19-140, Dec 10, 2018

Director: Robert Goldenkoff
Phone: (202) 512-2757

2 open recommendations
including 1 priority recommendation

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Recommendation: The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Director of the Census Bureau identifies and implements changes to align census field supervisor screening, authorities, and information flows to allow greater use of the census field supervisor position to provide supervisory support to enumerators. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Commerce
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: In its February 2019 action plan, the Bureau indicated having updated the Census Field Supervisor hiring assessment to include questions on supervisory experience, in line with draft documentation provided near the end of our engagement. The Bureau also indicated that, by June 2019, it would communicate as part of supervisor training increased supervisory responsibilities and the need to more actively work with enumerators in answering casework questions. In August 2020, the Bureau informed us that the Bureau would not be altering the information flows for 2020 operations to ensure that census field supervisors receive the same guidance and procedural updates that managers within the area census office receive. To fully implement this recommendation for future fieldwork, the Bureau's planned or other actions will also need to demonstrate how the census field supervisors will have the information they need to carry out their responsibilities to provide supervisory support to enumerators.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Director of the Census Bureau enables area census offices to prepare targeted, mid-operation training or guidance as needed to address procedural changes or implementation issues encountered locally during Non-Response Follow-Up. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Commerce
Status: Open

Comments: In its February 2019 action plan, the Bureau indicated that it plans, by June 2019, to give area census offices (ACOs) the ability to distribute training and informational updates to their local workforces through the Operational Control System. As of January 2020, we are reviewing updated Bureau training documentation on planned mid-operation procedural changes. In April 2020, the Bureau informed us that ACOs would not be empowered during 2020 operations to deliver to their workforces standardized, mid-operation guidance that would be targeted to specific issues being observed locally in the field. Officials noted that they would revisit this issue after 2020 operations have concluded. To fully implement this recommendation for future fieldwork, the Bureau will need to demonstrate the ability of ACOs to identify procedural or other implementation issues encountered locally and develop some form of actionable guidance disseminated systematically to its workforce in near-real time.