| Agency
|
Direct
Funding
|
Total
Purchases
|
State/Local
Gov'ts
|
Private
Sector
|
Other
Federal
Agencies
|
| BLS
|
372.4
|
131.5
|
77.9
|
0.0
|
53.6
|
| CDC (w/o NCHS)
|
94.2
|
105.9
|
46.1
|
35.9
|
23.9
|
| NIH
|
322.6
|
99.1
|
--
|
91.1
|
8.1
|
| NCES
|
91.9
|
83.3
|
2.4
|
72.0
|
8.9
|
| NCHS
|
88.5
|
65.0
|
14.8
| 27.3
|
22.9
|
| NSF
|
51.8
|
53.4
|
0.0
|
49.9
|
3.5
|
| SAMHSA
|
49.9
|
47.0
|
17.6
|
28.9
|
0.5
|
| ETA
|
41.6
|
40.6
|
40.5
|
0.1
|
0.0
|
| FHWA
|
32.7
|
31.9
|
9.9
|
15.6
|
6.4
|
| AHCPR
|
43.3
|
30.3
|
0.5
|
29.8
|
0.0
|
| OASPE
|
20.0
|
27.3
|
0.0
|
22.6
|
4.7
|
| PD&R
|
26.5
|
26.5
|
0.0
|
3.5
|
23.0
|
| ES&H
|
30.5
|
25.7
|
0.0
|
5.7
|
20.1
|
| EPA
|
137.5
|
24.3
|
4.7
|
18.3
|
1.3
|
| NASS
|
102.6
|
23.4
|
20.6
|
2.8
|
--
|
| FCS
|
22.2
|
22.2
|
0.0
|
22.1
|
0.1
|
| BJS
|
26.9
|
21.9
|
3.6
|
3.1
|
15.3
|
| NHTSA
|
26.7
|
21.2
|
6.0
|
15.2
|
0.0
|
| EIA
|
66.1
|
20.0
|
0.0
|
20.0
|
0.0
|
| ACF
|
18.9
|
18.9
|
0.4
|
16.0
|
2.5
|
| BTS
|
28.1
|
15.9
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
15.9
|
| HCFA
|
13.6
|
13.6
|
0.0
|
13.5
|
0.1
|
| ERS
|
54.9
|
6.1
|
1.9
|
0.4
|
3.9
|
| NOAA
|
49.3
|
5.0
|
2.0
|
3.0
|
0.0
|
| FAA
|
4.4
|
4.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
3.0
|
| FWS
|
7.3
|
3.1
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
2.8
|
| OSHA
|
16.9
|
2.5
|
0.0
|
2.5
|
0.0
|
| ATSDR
|
5.0
|
2.5
|
1.0
|
1.5
|
--
|
| ESA (Labor)
|
3.9
|
2.3
|
0.5
|
0.0
|
1.8
|
| AoA
|
3.2
|
2.3
|
0.0
|
2.3
|
0.0
|
| FAS
|
35.7
|
2.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
2.1
|
| FTA
|
2.0
|
2.0
|
0.0
|
2.0
|
0.0
|
| BEA
|
48.6
|
1.8
|
--
|
0.1
|
1.7
|
| FRA
|
1.5
|
1.4
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
0.4
|
| USGS
|
79.8
|
1.4
|
0.0
|
0.6
|
0.8
|
| CPSC
|
5.5
|
1.1
|
0.1
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
| Census
|
404.1
|
1.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.1
|
| IRS/SOI
|
26.8
|
1.1
|
0.0
|
0.7
|
0.4
|
| EEOC
|
1.0
|
1.1
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
0.1
|
| ITA
|
2.6
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
Note:
Components may not sum to stated totals because of rounding.
The symbol "--" indicates that the amount reported by the agency was
less than $50,000.
When the contract is a transfer of funds to another Federal agency, the
contract is a direct program obligation in the budget of the purchasing
agency, and is part of the reimbursable program of the agency providing
the service. Examples of these kinds of purchases of statistical
services were given above in the section on reimbursable programs. The
National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (OASPE) in the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) can purchase more than their direct
funding for statistics allows because they receive the difference from
other Federal agencies under their reimbursable programs.
The four largest purchasers of statistical services are the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) including NCHS ($170.9 million),
BLS ($131.5 million), National Institutes of Health (NIH) ($99.1
million), and NCES ($83.4 million). They are followed by NSF ($53.4
million) and SAMHSA ($47 million). During FY 1997, it is estimated that
Federal agencies covered by this report will purchase $993.5 million in
statistical services. Of this total about half of the services will be
purchased from the private sector, about a quarter from State and local
governments, and a quarter from other Federal agencies.
The largest purchasers of statistical services from the States are BLS
($77.9 million), CDC including NCHS ($60.9 million), ETA ($40.5
million), NASS ($20.6 million), and SAMHSA ($17.6 million). The BLS
funds support the cooperative labor force statistics program. The CDC
funds reimburse the States for their participation in the collection of
vital statistics and for their cooperation in the reporting of diseases.
The ETA funds support the States in developing the statistical resources
for the One-Stop Career Centers. The NASS funds support data collection
services provided by the National Association of State Departments of
Agriculture. The SAMHSA funds are provided to States to implement the
minimum data standards developed by the Mental Health Statistics
Improvement Program, and to develop an assessment of their needs for
substance abuse treatment and prevention services under the block grant
program. In all cases, the cooperation of the States is essential to the
production of Federal data.
Based on the information shown in the Appendix, the agencies reported
that they expect to purchase an estimated $512 million in statistical
services from the private sector during FY 1997. Of that total,
approximately $335 million in purchases from the private sector are made
by the following seven agencies: NIH ($91.1 million), NCES ($72
million), CDC and NCHS ($63.2 million total), NSF ($49.9 million), AHCPR
($29.8 million), and SAMHSA ($28.9 million). The private sector provides
a variety of services, such as survey design, data collection and
processing, analysis, program evaluation, preparation of reports, data
dissemination, computer services, and methodological research and
development.
The Appendix presents estimates (rounded to the nearest $100,000) of
direct funding, reimbursements, and purchases for FY 1997, as reported
by each of the agencies covered in this report.
CHAPTER 2: Programs and Program Changes
This chapter presents brief descriptions of the statistical activities
of the agencies covered in this report. The chapter highlights program
changes for Federal statistical activities for FY 1997 as proposed in
the President's budget. Hence, the focus is not on base program
activities that continue to be supported by the budget request, but
rather on new activities, improvements or reductions in the existing
base programs, or any other important changes that affect an agency's
statistical program.
For purposes of this discussion, the statistical programs are divided
into the following categories: Health and Safety Statistics; Social and
Demographic Statistics; Statistics on Natural Resources, Energy, and the
Environment; and Economic Statistics.
Health and Safety Statistics
Health
The principal agency that produces general-purpose health data is the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in the CDC. NCHS is
responsible for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of
statistics on the nature and extent of the health, illness, and
disability of the U.S. population; the impact of illness and disability
on the economy; the effects of environmental, social, and other health
hazards; the use of health care services; health resources; family
formation, growth, and dissolution; and vital events (births, deaths,
marriages, and divorces). CDC also provides data on morbidity,
infectious and chronic diseases, occupational diseases and injuries, and
vaccine efficacy.
The statistical activities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
support the design and implementation of epidemiological studies,
clinical trials, biomedical research, and laboratory investigations
conducted by the various institutes. The NIH also supports data
collections on health and health-related topics by Federal agencies,
industry, State and local governments, and private nonprofit organizations.
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) collects,
analyzes, and disseminates data on health care use and expenditures, and
supports studies on the outcomes of medical treatment and health
services. The AHCPR and NCHS are jointly responsible for the Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey, which produces annual national estimates for a
variety of measures related to health status, health insurance coverage,
health care use, and expenditures and sources of payment for health
services.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) collects,
maintains, analyzes, and disseminates information relating to serious
diseases, mortality, and human exposure to toxic or hazardous
substances, and establishes registries necessary for long-term followup
or specific scientific studies.
The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) collects administrative
data associated with its oversight of the Medicare and Medicaid
programs, and also studies the quality of care delivered by those programs.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) collects data
about general health services, the health professions workforce, and
resource issues relating to access, equity, quality, and cost of care.
HRSA also maintains the scientific registry for organ transplants.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) collects information regarding the
status of the health care delivery program for American Indians and
Alaska Natives.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
provides information on health problems related to the use and abuse of
drugs and alcohol, and the mental health condition of the population.
The Department of Energy's Office of Environment, Safety, and Health
(ES&H) conducts epidemiological studies of the health effects of
exposure to radiation and other hazardous substances.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for NCHS includes funds to implement the next cycle
of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that
measures health conditions and risk by collecting information from
direct physical examinations, biochemical measures, interviews, and
nutritional analyses. The NHANES will be converted to a continuous
monitoring survey beginning in 1998.
- The budget request for NIH includes funds to investigate the influence
of gender on bladder cancer and the relationship between cancer and
dietary factors; to continue the cancer surveillance program, which
monitors the effects of cancer on the U.S. population by measuring
cancer incidence, mortality, and survival; to provide clinical trials on
a variety of infectious and immune diseases; and to assess the effect of
environmental pollutants on disease, reproduction, and child development.
- The budget request for AHCPR includes funds for the Medical Expenditure
Panel Survey that produces annual national estimates for a variety of
measures related to health status, health insurance coverage, health
care use, and expenditures and sources of payments for health services.
- The budget request for IHS includes funds to improve the reporting of
the race of American Indians on death certificates by matching an
extract of the IHS patient registration file to the National Death Index
to estimate the number of American Indian deaths that occur each year
that are misreported by State Vital Statistics Offices as persons who
are not American Indians.
- The budget request for SAMHSA includes funds to develop audio-CASI
(computer-assisted self-interviewing), a data collection mode in which
the respondent listens to the questions through ear phones and enters
responses on a lap-top computer to promote a greater perception of
privacy and confidentiality for the National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse. The funds are also used to develop through technical assistance
to States mental health data standards on health status, cost, managed
care, integrated systems, enabling services, and outcome measurements.
- The budget request for ES&H includes funds to establish the Center for
Statistics and Analysis to identify health and safety issues of workers
and develop methods for evaluating intervention and prevention programs;
to identify high risk workers through the Current and Former Worker
Medical Surveillance program; and to incorporate the U.S. Transuranium
and Uranium Registries data into the Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data
Resources (CEDR) data base.
Safety
Statistics on safety are produced by the following agencies:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects and reports data on the
occurrence of work related injuries and illnesses.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a
national injury and illness recordkeeping system based upon employer
records, which is used to determine the cases that are included in the
annual BLS occupational safety and health survey.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) collects current
information on accidents, injuries, and illnesses in the mining
industry, including mine, victim, and equipment characteristics, as well
as causal information. This information is coded, computerized, and
analyzed on a daily basis to provide current accident, injury, and
illness information to MSHA's inspectorate, engineering staff, and
education and training staff.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) conducts data collection,
analysis, and dissemination activities on consumer product-related
hazards and potential hazards. As part of its statistical programs, CPSC
maintains the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS),
which provides national consumer product-related injury statistics based
on the reporting of a sample of hospital emergency rooms.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for BLS provides increases to restore funding for the
collection of State level occupational safety and health statistics.
- The budget request for OSHA includes funds to continue a multi-year
effort to improve safety and health data by identifying high risk
workplaces and specific problems occurring in those workplaces.
Social and Demographic Statistics
Periodic Demographic Statistics
FY 1997 is the pivotal year in the decennial census cycle. Activities
will shift from testing and refining to the initial steps toward
conducting the 2000 census.
The Continuous Measurement (CM) program at the Census Bureau is being
developed to provide nationally comparable and community-based data on
an annual basis. The program includes the design and implementation of
the American Community Survey (ACS) as well as the production of small
area estimates by combining the ACS data with data from administrative
records.
The Intercensal Demographic Estimates program at the Census Bureau
develops updated population estimates in years between decennial
censuses for states, counties, metropolitan areas, and urban places for
use in planning and funding services such as transportation and health care.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for the 2000 decennial census includes funds to
conduct various small-scale, special purpose tests and to prepare for
the 1998 dress rehearsal; develop the 2000 Redistricting Data Program;
provide for review of the address lists by state, local, and tribal
governments; develop systems to support data collection and processing
activities; develop procedures for enumerating the military, maritime,
institutional, migrant, and reservation populations, and those who do
not respond to the census; develop advertising and marketing campaigns;
plan for the 2000 census in Puerto Rico and the other Island
Territories; develop systems to support data dissemination and
telecommunication; and develop census experiments and related research
needed to design the 2010 decennial census.
- The budget request for the CM program provides funds to collect and
process the 1996 ACS data; to develop interview techniques for
collecting data from people living in special situations; and to develop
the statistical methods for integrating administrative data with the ACS
estimates.
- The budget request for the Intercensal Demographic Estimates program
includes funds to improve subcounty estimates by revising geographic
coding and incorporating information from State and local officials.
Current Demographic Statistics
The following agencies sponsor data collections and studies that produce
current demographic statistics or provide information about special
population groups in support of policy analysis, policy research, and
program planning and evaluation:
The Census Bureau's current demographic statistics program provides
information on the number, geographic distribution, and social and
economic characteristics of the population, and supports tests of new
approaches and concepts for demographic surveys.
The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) has responsibility in the
Department of Defense for collecting and integrating manpower and
personnel data to support department-wide studies, analysis, research,
and reporting requirements.
The Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (DIOR), in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, has the responsibility for
collecting data on active duty military personnel casualties, civilian
manpower, and worldwide active duty military and civilian personnel
employment.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) collects information
for the evaluation of its programs for children and youth, such as
Headstart, Job Opportunities and Basic Skills, Aid to Families with
Dependent Children, child support enforcement, adoption assistance,
foster care, child care, and child abuse programs.
The statistical activities of the Administration on Aging (AoA) are
conducted in support of the research, analysis, and evaluation of
programs to meet the needs of the elderly population.
The Food and Consumer Service (FCS) conducts surveys, program
evaluations, and studies to evaluate the Food Stamp, Child Nutrition,
and other food assistance programs which it administers.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) conducts the nationwide food
consumption surveys that monitor and assess food consumption and related
behavior of the U.S. population and that provide information for food
and nutrition-related programs and public policy decisions.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
(OASPE) funds studies on policy issues related to programs in HHS.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) collects, tabulates, and
publishes data on the Old-Age and Survivors and Disability Insurance
(OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs and their
beneficiary populations. The SSA also performs actuarial and demographic
research to assess the impact of program changes or alternatives.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) statistical
program provides data on the volume, characteristics, financing, price,
and suitability of housing in the United States.
The statistical programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
focus on providing estimates of the veteran population, including
socioeconomic data; on analyses of patient use of VA health care; on the
medical care provided to veterans in VA medical centers, nursing homes,
domiciliaries and outpatient clinics; and on medical research.
The Agency for International Development (AID) collects and analyzes
data on population and family planning to assist developing countries in
planning and evaluating population programs and programs for
socioeconomic development.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) collects data from
public and private employers and labor organizations about the
composition of their workforces by sex and by racial and ethnic
categories. These data are used to carry out EEOC's enforcement
activities under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Science Resources
Studies statistical program comprises surveys that measure the magnitude
and characteristics of the domestic and international resources devoted
to science, engineering, and technology.
The NSF also provides funding in support of social science research and
studies, such as the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the General Social
Survey, and the National Election Studies.
The Office of Energy Research (OER), containing the former Office of
Science, Education, and Technology Information (OSETI), provides
information on degree attainment in science and engineering, and
forecasts the availability of trained persons in the fields of science
necessary for research and development in the energy area.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for AoA includes funds to restore the Resource
Centers and minority research projects that provide information on
long-term care, nutrition, housing, family caregiving, elder abuse,
older women, Native American elders, new immigration and aging cohorts,
and the international transfer of knowledge. It will also fund the
National Aging Information Center that serves as a national resource on
statistical data regarding aging.
- The budget request for FCS includes funds for 1997 Food Stamp research
to evaluate the effects of welfare reform.
- The budget request for the VA includes funds to implement the ambulatory
care data base as the first part of the new National Patient Care
Database (NPCDB). Data to be collected include diagnosis, treatment, and
primary provider for each outpatient visit. The NPCDB will result in the
elimination of several patient care related systems in future years.
- The budget request for NSF includes funds to develop new survey measures
to identify and assess changes in graduate education and employment for
scientists and engineers, and to conduct a survey of research and
development funding and performance by non-profit institutions.
- The budget request for OER reflects funding reductions for FY 1996 and
anticipates reductions for FY 1997 that will result in discontinuing the
collection of data that provides employment trend information for
scientists and engineers.
Crime and Justice Statistics
Statistics related to crime and justice are collected by the following
agencies within the Department of Justice:
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collects, analyzes, publishes,
and disseminates statistical information on crime, criminal offenders,
victims of crime, and the operations of justice systems at all levels of
government and internationally.
The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) prepares projections of the prison
population and conducts studies on such topics as recidivism, inmate
programs, inmate misconduct, inmate classification, and institutional
social climate.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) produces data on Federal drug
law enforcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) produces statistics on Federal
criminal offenses reported to the police.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) produces and analyzes
data on immigrants, refugees, temporary visitors (nonimmigrants),
naturalizations, and apprehension and removal of illegal aliens.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for BJS includes funds for the National Crime
Victimization Survey, National Prisoner Statistics, Annual Jail Survey,
1998 Census of Jails, and the 1996 Survey of Inmates in State and
Federal Correctional Facilities.
- The request for INS includes funds to develop a report on the
characteristics of the foreign-born population, and to improve estimates
of alien populations.
Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Department of
Education collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education in
the United States; conducts studies on international comparisons of
education statistics; and provides leadership in developing and
promoting the use of standardized terminology and definitions for the
collection of those statistics.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP), a congressionally mandated, nationally representative assessment
that determines and reports the status and trends in educational
achievement in a variety of subjects, includes funds to support the
analysis of the 1996 assessments in mathematics and science; to conduct
an assessment of the arts on a sample basis in grade 8; and to plan an
assessment of reading, writing, and civics scheduled for implementation
in 1998.
Transportation Statistics
The following agencies provide statistics on transportation:
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) compiles, analyzes, and
makes accessible information on the Nation's transportation systems;
collects information on intermodal transportation and other areas as
needed; and enhances the quality and effectiveness of DOT's statistical
programs through research, development of guidelines, and promotion of
improvements in data acquisition and use.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) collects data on aviation safety.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) collects, analyzes, and
disseminates data on the Nation's highway system, financing, travel,
fuel consumption, extent of the highway system, vehicle registrations,
drivers licenses, and personal travel characteristics.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) collects and disseminates
public mass transportation financial and operating data.
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) maintains data bases on foreign
trade, vessels, port facilities, shipbuilding and repair, equipment
owned by American steamship and container leasing companies, and
maritime employment.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) collect information on motor
vehicle-related accidents and fatalities and highway safety.
The Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) collects, analyzes,
and publishes data in support of the Department's programs and
transportation policy decision making.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) collects data on railroad
traffic, accidents, and grade crossings.
The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) collects data to
monitor hazardous materials shipments.
The United States Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA), Department
of Commerce, provided data on international travel markets; traveler
characteristics, motivations, destinations, and spending patterns; and
projections of future visitors to the United States. In FY 1996 the
USTTA was abolished; some of its functions were transferred to the
International Trade Administration (ITA) in the Department of Commerce.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for BTS includes funds to disseminate results from
the 1995 American Travel Survey; to begin data collection for the 1997
Commodity Flow Survey; to begin a State and Metropolitan Technical
Assistance Program for training on how to obtain and use transportation
data for planning and solving local problems; and to modernize the
Office of Airline Information's data processing system. Other key
activities are to develop transportation system performance measures; to
integrate Geographic Information Systems and transportation network
models for national transportation analysis; and to expand the National
Transportation Library.
- The budget request for FHWA includes funds to improve driver safety and
accident data and to increase coverage of intrastate hazardous material
carriers and the identification of high risk carriers and shippers.
- The NHTSA budget request includes funds for quality control improvements
in the Fatal Accident Reporting System; improving the analytical
potential of the data obtained through the State Data Program; studies
on pedestrian safety; and a survey of safety belt and child safety seat use.
- With the termination of the USTTA, the following research programs were
discontinued: the international travel forecast model, the economic
impact of international travel on state economies, the Consumer Behavior
Research program, and the Canadian In-Flight Survey.
Statistics on Natural Resources,
Energy, and the
Environment
Environment
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors the quality of the
air; the quality of drinking, surface and ground water; ecosystem
status; and the introduction of toxic or hazardous substances into the
environment. It conducts research and studies to provide baseline data
and to evaluate and support environmental monitoring systems.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gathers
worldwide environmental data about the ocean, earth, air, space, and sun
and their interactions to describe and predict the state of the physical
environment. The NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
Information Service and the National Climate Data Center maintain
archives and environmental data bases that support statistical analyses
and research throughout the Federal Government and the academic
community. These include crop type and crop yield analyses for the
Department of Agriculture; and climatic, atmospheric, and environmental
data for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the
Department of Defense.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) collects
remote-sensed data to support climate research and to describe and
measure the energy and environmental phenomena that may contribute to
climate variation and change.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) through its mapping program
acquires and maintains basic data to support digital cartography
throughout the Federal Government (e.g., Geographic Information Systems
and geographic support for surveys). The Water Resources Division in the
USGS maintains the National Water Resources Research and Information
System and the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The USGS
collects, analyzes, interprets, and makes available information on the
quantity, quality, and location of the Nation's ground and surface
waters. In cooperation with the States, academia, and other Federal
agencies, the USGS administers the National Trends Network for
monitoring acid precipitation chemistry in the United States.
No major program changes are planned for FY 1997.
Energy and Minerals
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects and disseminates
data on energy reserves, production, consumption, distribution, prices,
and technology. Coverage of EIA's programs includes data on coal,
petroleum, gas, electric, and nuclear energy.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) collects data on off-shore oil,
gas, and minerals as part of its responsibility for management of both
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands and the Royalty Management Programs.
The MMS is responsible for resource evaluation and classification, lease
management activities, and the collection of revenues from minerals leasing.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains the Mineral
Resource Data System data base, which contains information on the
location and geologic occurrence of minerals and mineral commodities.
The USGS also has two computer-based information systems of onshore oil
and gas resources to aid in resource assessment studies. One contains
information on the size of oil and gas pools and fields, their year of
discovery, and their rate of production; the other has records on
individual wells. The National Coal Resources Data System contains areal
or regional point-source information on U.S. coal resources.
A major program change in FY 1996 was the transfer of the minerals
information function of the Bureau of Mines to USGS. This function
provides for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information
on mineral resources and production, consumption, and recycling for
virtually every commercially important nonfuel mineral material.
No major program changes are planned for FY 1997.
Soil, Forest, Fish, Wildlife, and Public Lands
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conducts soil surveys
and maintains and updates a national soils data base containing physical
land facts. The NRCS also administers a Snow Survey program for making
water supply forecasts to manage seasonal use of water for irrigation,
flood control, fish and wildlife, recreation, power generation,
municipal and industrial water supply, and water quality management.
The Forest Service (FS) conducts renewable resource inventories of
forest lands and collects statistics on forest products. These data are
used to identify trends in the extent, condition, ownership, quantity
and quality of timber, and other forest resources.
The statistical activities of the National Biological Survey (NBS)
include research and monitoring of trends in contaminant residue levels
in birds and fish by geographic location. The NBS annual bird banding
program is conducted to determine the distribution, mortality, and
survival of migratory game and nongame species. Data from NBS' annual
breeding bird survey are used to identify species whose populations are
declining and which may eventually become candidates for listing under
the Endangered Species Act.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in NOAA collects and
publishes data on the volume and value of commercial fish and shellfish
landings; the catch by recreational fishermen; employment of people and
craft in the fisheries; number of recreational fishermen; production of
manufactured fishery products; and fishery prices.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) conducts annual surveys to
monitor the waterfowl, dove, and woodcock populations, and to evaluate
waterfowl harvests.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for NRCS includes funds to complete the five-year
cycle of the National Resources Inventory that collects information on
the status and condition of natural resources on non-Federal lands.
- The request for FWS includes funds to conduct the dove, woodcock, and
band-tailed pigeon harvest surveys in addition to the current waterfowl
harvest survey.
Economic Statistics
Periodic Economic Statistics
The Census Bureau conducts several periodic censuses every five years
covering the years ending in 2 and 7. The Economic Censuses include
censuses of manufacturing and mineral industries, construction
industries, retail and wholesale trade, service industries, and
transportation. They also provide statistics on businesses owned by
minorities and women and companies operating at multiple locations. The
Census of Governments collects State and local data on public finance,
public employment, and governmental organization.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for the 1997 Economic Censuses includes funds to
determine the content of each census, design more than 500 different
report forms, develop the mailing list, and prepare for collecting and
processing the censuses.
- The budget request for the 1997 Census of Governments includes funds to
begin the activities of the organization, finance, and employment
portions of the census. In 1997, the Taxable Property Values portion of
the census will be discontinued.
- The FY 1997 budget transfers the authority and funding for the Census of
Agriculture from the Census Bureau to the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) in the Department of Agriculture.
Current Economic Statistics
The current economic statistics program of the Census Bureau provides
information on retail and wholesale trade and selected service
industries; construction activity such as housing permits and starts,
the value of new construction, residential alterations and repairs, and
quarterly price indexes for new, single-family houses; quantity and
value of industrial output; foreign trade; and State and local
government activities.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) in the Department of
Commerce uses data on imports, exports, production, prices, foreign
direct investment in the United States, and other economic data to
analyze domestic and foreign market situations. In FY 1996, some of the
functions of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA) were
transferred to the Office of Research in Tourism Industries in ITA.
The Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA), in the Department of
Commerce, provides congressionally mandated studies such as the annual
assessment of foreign direct investment in the United States. The ESA
makes current economic statistics available through an electronic
dissemination system known as STAT USA that was formerly operated by the
Office of Business Analysis (OBA) in the Department of Commerce.
The Army Corps of Engineers in the Department of Defense collects and
publishes statistical data on waterborne commerce and vessel operations
on waterways, ports, and harbors of the United States, Puerto Rico, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (DIOR), in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, collects Department of Defense
contract information in support of national economic indicators and the
Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program.
The U.S. Customs Service verifies tariff and trade data, which are
tabulated, analyzed, and disseminated by the Census Bureau.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) maintains a small business data
base and conducts economic and statistical research into matters
affecting small businesses.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The Census Bureau's budget request includes funds to:
- Improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) source data on service industries
by conducting a new annual survey of the finance, insurance, and real
estate (FIRE) sectors of the economy to provide estimates on revenue,
payroll, and total expenses for depository institutions, nondepository
credit institutions, security and commodity brokers, insurance carriers,
and real estate offices.
- Improve the value of new construction put-in-place series by expanding
coverage of nonresidential reconstruction expenditures through a
quarterly survey, and conducting a survey to collect nonresidential
building price information.
- Continue development of the North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) by completing the NAICS Classification and Coding Manuals
for the United States and mailing classification forms to employer firms
affected by the new classification system.
- Improve the advance estimates of retail sales by increasing the sample
size, developing an electronic reporting program, and implementing the
NAICS.
- Improve the wholesale trade estimates by redesigning the survey and
implementing the NAICS.
- Reduce the reporting burden on American business by strengthening the
computerized register file of businesses to support computer-assisted
collection methods, including electronic data interchange (EDI) and
computer self-administered questionnaires (CSAQ), and improving
information about the structure of multi-establishment enterprises.
National Accounts
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is responsible for the
preparation, development, and interpretation of the national income and
product accounts, summarized by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); the
wealth accounts, which show the business and other components of
national wealth; the input-output accounts, which trace the
interrelationships among industrial markets; personal income and related
economic series by geographic area; and the U.S. balance of payments
accounts and associated foreign investment accounts. The BEA's work also
encompasses the preparation and analysis of other measures of business
activity, including various tools for forecasting economic developments.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- To strengthen source data for the economic accounts in the areas of
consumer spending for services, purchases by State and local
governments, construction, high-tech products, inventories,
transportation, communication, utilities, insurance, and real estate
industries.
- To modernize and extend the economic accounts to include expanded data
on international trade in services; replace annual surveys with
quarterly surveys for the most important nonfinancial services; develop
estimates of the full market value of trade in computer software; and
improve the data on international financial instruments, particularly on
portfolio investments and derivatives.
- To change from mainframe-oriented data processing to an integrated
microcomputer network thereby making data products more accessible.
Statistics of Income
The Statistics of Income (SOI) Division in the Internal Revenue Service
provides annual income, financial, and tax data based on individual and
corporate tax returns and returns filed by tax-exempt organizations. The
SOI also provides periodic data based on other returns, such as those
filed by estates, as well as in-depth analyses of various tax-related
computations, including those for the foreign tax credit and for gain or
loss from sales of capital assets.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The SOI budget request provides for a new study of "like-kind
exchanges" (barter) of property reported by corporations and
partnerships, and an expansion of the individual tax returns study.
- The overall SOI funding decreases since FY 1995 require reducing the
size and scope of the individual and corporation income tax return
programs; changing the timing of the present annual tax-exempt
organization programs; and reducing the scope of the annual studies of
State and local Government private activity bonds.
Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) produces statistics on employment
and unemployment; consumer expenditures; prices and living conditions;
wages and employee benefits; industrial relations activities;
productivity and technological changes in U.S. industries; projections
of economic growth, the labor force, and employment by industry and
occupation; and occupational injuries and illnesses.
The statistical activities of the Employment Standards Administration
(ESA), in the Department of Labor, support surveys of occupational wages
in selected industries.
The statistical activities of the Employment and Training Administration
(ETA) support the collection and dissemination of local, State, and
national occupational, wage, and other labor market information.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP), in the
Department of Labor, conducts the annual National Agricultural Workers
Survey (NAWS) that provides data on wage and migration history, type of
crops worked, unemployment, benefits, housing, health care, and use of
public programs.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for BLS provides increases to continue work on the
multi-year revision of the Consumer Price Index; to continue work on the
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS); and to restore
funding for the collection of occupational employment statistics.
- The budget request for ETA includes funds for continued development of
the Labor Department's "One-Stop Career Center System." The system
improves State and local collection of occupation, wage, and other labor
market information. During FY 1997, America's Talent Bank, as well as
the use of unemployment insurance wage records, occupational forecasts,
and wage surveys, will be expanded.
Agriculture Statistics
Several agencies in the Department of Agriculture produce most of the
data on agricultural activity:
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) collects,
summarizes, analyzes, and publishes agricultural production and
marketing data on a wide range of items including: number of farms and
land in farms; acreage, yield, production, and stocks of grains, hay,
oilseeds, cotton, potatoes, tobacco, fruits, selected vegetables,
floriculture, and selected specialty crops; inventories and production
of hogs, cattle, sheep and wool, goats and mohair, mink, catfish, trout,
poultry, eggs, and dairy products; prices received by farmers for
products, prices paid for commodities and services, and related indexes;
cold storage supplies; agricultural chemical use; and related areas of
the agricultural economy. Estimates for approximately 120 crops and 45
livestock items are published in over 400 reports each year.
In FY 1997, the Census of Agriculture will be transferred from the
Bureau of the Census in the Department of Commerce to NASS to
consolidate general purpose agricultural statistics activities. The
Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years to collect
information on the number and size of farms; characteristics of farm
operations and irrigation practices; land use; production expenses;
value of land, buildings, and farm products; acreage of major crops; and
inventory of livestock and poultry.
The statistical work of the Economic Research Service (ERS) includes
research, situation and outlook analysis, and development of economic
and statistical indicators in four areas--commercial agriculture, food
and consumer economics, natural resources and environment, and rural economy.
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) maintains a worldwide
agricultural market intelligence and commodity reporting service to
gather information on world agricultural production and trade. FAS
analyzes this information to assess the foreign supply and demand
conditions in order to provide estimates of the current situation and to
forecast the export potential for U.S. agricultural commodities. The FAS
program serves as the analytical foundation for USDA's export programs
and is an important factor in trade policy efforts.
Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1997 are as follows:
- The budget request for NASS provides increases for:
- The Census of Agriculture to print forms, develop computer assisted
telephone interviewing systems and the mailing list, prepare training
manuals and publicity materials, and complete data collection plans.
- The Integrated Pest Management program to collect information on
participation and whole-farm pesticides used on crops, livestock,
pastures, roadsides, and storage facilities to provide a measure of
total pesticide use at the national level.
- The Postharvest Pesticide Survey to determine the extent of pesticides
applied to foods just prior to consumption.
- The Pesticide Data Program to expand chemical use surveys to 10
additional States and include 10 additional crops.
- The budget request for ERS includes funds to link farm financial data
with environmental practices data to provide information on the relative
profitability and the economic and environmental effects of adopting
alternative production practices.
CHAPTER 3: Long-Range Plans
This chapter describes selected ongoing and new interagency initiatives
to improve the performance of Federal statistical programs.
Statistical Agency Heads Council
In the fall of 1988, OMB organized the Federal Council of Statistical
Agency Heads. This policy-level group was established to enable OMB to
obtain more direct participation from the agencies in planning and
coordinating Federal statistical activities. In 1995, the Congress
provided in the Paperwork Reduction Act reauthorization (44 U.S.C.
3504(e)(8)) an explicit legislative base for this group when it directed
OMB to establish the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy. The
members of this council currently include the heads of the principal
statistical agencies, plus the heads of the statistical units in the
Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, the
Internal Revenue Service, and the Social Security Administration. Since
the members of the council have management responsibility for
statistical programs in their respective agencies, their advice and
cooperation are essential for effective implementation of OMB
statistical policy decisions and for planning improvements in Federal
statistical programs.
The council is a vehicle for coordinating statistical work, particularly
when activities and issues overlap and/or cut across agencies; for
exchanging information about agency programs and activities; and for
providing advice and counsel to OMB in statistical matters. During 1996,
agenda topics included developing an administrative order on
confidentiality and legislation to permit sharing of data for
statistical purposes, improving access to the products of the Federal
statistical system through one-stop shopping for data users and economic
and social statistics briefing rooms on the White House home page,
documenting and archiving statistical data in an electronic age,
alternatives for collecting with greater frequency small area data
historically gathered in the decennial census long form, and
facilitating personnel movement and training opportunities for employees
of the Federal statistical system.
Sharing of Statistical Information
Congress has recognized that a confidential relationship between
statistical agencies and their respondents is essential for effective
statistical programs. However, the specific statutory formulas devised
to implement this principle in different agencies have created difficult
barriers to effective working relationships among these agencies. The
development of mechanisms to establish a uniform confidentiality policy
that substantially eliminates the risks associated with sharing
confidential data will permit significant improvements in data used for
both public and private decisions without the current duplication of
effort and without compromising public confidence in the integrity and
security of the information they report to the Federal government.
Initiatives of the Statistical Policy Office to enhance public
confidence in the stewardship of sensitive data in Federal statistical
programs and to permit limited sharing of confidential data for
exclusively statistical purposes received a substantial impetus in the
1995 reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Act strongly
endorses the principles embodied in statistical confidentiality pledges
and charges OMB to promote sharing of data for statistical purposes
within a strong confidentiality framework.
On January 29, 1996, OMB published in the Federal Register a notice (61
FR 2876-79) seeking public comment on a proposed Order that would
clarify, and make consistent, government policy protecting the privacy
and confidentiality interests of individuals or organizations who
provide data for any Federal statistical program. The Order would assure
respondents who supply statistical information that their responses
would be held in confidence and would not be used against them in any
government action. It also aims to resolve a number of ambiguities in
existing law and to give additional weight and stature to policies that
statistical agencies have pursued for decades. Public comments submitted
in response to the notice widely supported the principle of functional
separation and suggested several refinements to make the order more
effective. These comments will be taken into consideration as the final
Order is developed.
A much longer term statutory initiative also reached a significant
milestone when a draft bill entitled the "Statistical Confidentiality
Act" was transmitted to the Congress in April 1996. The bill follows
principles consistent with the proposed Order, but also addresses
statutory changes needed to provide uniform confidentiality protection
across a set of eight major statistical agencies. These changes would
permit the eight agencies to manage information in many important
respects as if they were part of a single statistical agency. "The
Statistical Confidentiality Act" (H.R. 3924) was introduced on a
bipartisan basis on July 31, 1996, and has been referred to the House
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.
A companion legislative proposal would make complementary changes to the
"Statistical Use" section of the Internal Revenue Code. These changes
would represent the first major revision of these policies in 20 years
and would reduce the amount of sensitive tax information that will
change hands to support statistical programs while substantially
increasing the effectiveness of that support. This objective would be
achieved by carefully defining statistical needs and taking advantage of
the efficiencies that can be achieved by modern sampling methods. The
bill is expected to be introduced in the current session of Congress.
One-Stop Shopping for Federal Statistical Data
It is sometimes difficult for the general public, and even frequent data
users such as social science researchers, to know about and to access
the extensive array of statistical information produced by the
decentralized Federal statistical system. Recognizing this difficulty,
statistical agencies have, for the most part, made tremendous progress
in improving access to their data and data bases through the Internet,
and, in particular, the World Wide Web (WWW). Data users accessing
information from one Federal agency may even find out about related
statistics available from another agency, as a result of cross-agency
links that some agencies are providing. Nevertheless, a coordinated
interagency approach is needed to provide easy access to all Federal
statistics.
Under the auspices of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, OMB
formed a Task Force on One-Stop Service for Federal Statistical Data
Users to build on the agencies' WWW innovations. The goal of the group
is to examine the Federal Government's various systems for disseminating
statistical data and to provide recommendations to OMB on the structure
and implementation of a new one-stop shopping mechanism for Federal data
users. The charge to the Task Force includes: (1) identifying the major
statistical series to be incorporated initially into the One-Stop
Shopping mechanism; (2) identifying and developing new concepts,
structures, and methodologies to facilitate the dissemination of Federal
statistical data; (3) developing and testing a mechanism to provide
one-stop shopping to Federal data users; (4) planning the implementation
of the new one-stop shopping mechanism; and (5) ensuring that there is
ample opportunity for widespread public participation of stakeholders in
the development process. The Task Force plans to launch a preliminary
service on the Internet in the Fall of 1996.
A preview of one-stop shopping became available to the American public
in May 1996 with the introduction of the Federal Statistics Briefing
Rooms on the White House home page. The briefing rooms, at
/fsbr, currently comprise the Economic
Statistics Briefing Room and the Social Statistics Briefing Room. They
present the most recent releases of key Federal economic and social
indicators organized not by agency, but by themes including output,
income, employment, production, money, prices, transportation,
international statistics, crime, demographics, education, and health.
Each theme incorporates key data series on a single World Wide Web page
that, in turn, provides hyperlinks to WWW pages at the source agencies'
web sites. Included in each theme are the most current data, graphic
displays of the series over time, brief phrases highlighting the trends
or noteworthy aspects of the current release, and the name of the agency
that produced the data.
By providing key indicators produced by the statistical agencies through
the White House home page on the Internet, the Federal Statistics
Briefing Rooms make Federal statistics much more accessible to average
Americans. The new service gives Americans quick, easy access to current
economic and social data. It is a prime example of Federal agencies
working together to improve service for their customers.
2000 Decennial Census Planning
Efforts to reengineer the 2000 decennial census have been driven by two
major concerns about which there is general agreement: first, that
traditional counting methods--which are expensive and have been only
marginally effective in recent censuses--have limited potential to
improve further the process for a complete enumeration of the United
States; and second, that the cost of conducting decennial censuses has
increased dramatically in the past few decades. Finding new ways to deal
effectively with both concerns has been the motivating force in
reengineering the 2000 decennial census. The Statistical Policy Office
is working in cooperation with the Department of Commerce and others at
OMB to evaluate the results of research and testing and to identify new
methodologies that will reduce both the differentials in coverage and the
cost of conducting the census.
On February 28, 1996, the Census Bureau "rolled out" its plans for
making fundamental changes in methods to be used in the 2000 decennial
census. Four key elements of the plan were highlighted: (1) fostering
partnerships with local, tribal, State, U.S. Postal Service, and private
sector officials to capitalize on their knowledge and experience; (2)
simplifying the census forms to increase mail response and thereby
reduce costs; (3)using technology to ensure more effective processing of
the new forms that are easier to complete; and (4) employing a greater
array of statistical methods to enumerate the most difficult to find
nonrespondents and to ensure the quality of all responses and followup
work, thereby reducing costs and increasing the accuracy of the 2000 census.
The FY 1997 budget proposes funding to support activities that are
critical to achieving the new plan for the 2000 census. The Census
Bureau will test refinements in statistical procedures to address
concerns identified in the 1995 Census Test. To find "best in class"
partners, partnership agreements will be established with local, tribal,
State, Federal, and private sector officials. Responses to alternative
question wording, sequencing, and presentation formats will be
evaluated; the results will be used to assess the possible impact on
data quality of changes in the standards used to classify data on race
and ethnicity. These activities are part of the content determination
process for the 2000 census. In April 1997, the topics for the 2000
census questionnaire will be submitted to the Congress. The Census
Bureau also will begin the process of acquiring the computer hardware
and developing the computer software needed to support its technological
objectives. Development of field procedures and address list improvement
operations will take place in preparation for the full scale "dress
rehearsal" of the 2000 census in 1998.
The Census Bureau also will continue its work on the Master Address File
(MAF) and the development of partnerships with State, local, and tribal
governments under which they can provide current address information and
review the address information known to the Census Bureau; more than
5,000 governments have responded already. Work will continue on the task
of developing an appeals process under which OMB can resolve situations
on which the Census Bureau and participating governments fail to agree,
as required by Public Law 103-430.
American Community Survey
At the present time, comparable local area data on the size and
characteristics of the U.S. population are available only once every ten
years. While national level data for certain population characteristics
are available on an annual basis, most detailed data for States and
localities are provided by the decennial census long form. The American
Community Survey (ACS) would provide demographic and housing data
annually for geographic areas with populations greater than 250,000 and
would provide annually updated averages, based on the accumulation of
data over a period of years, for rural areas, census tracts, and block
groups.
In FY 1996, the Census Bureau conducted a test of the ACS in four sites.
The test used three modes of data collection (mail, computer assisted
telephone interviews, and computer assisted personal interviews). During
FY 1997, the Census Bureau plans to continue the ACS in the current
sites and begin the ACS in four new sites. This expansion of the test
will provide experience for conducting the ACS in hard-to-enumerate
areas, and in areas that are sparsely populated. The Census Bureau also
plans to develop and evaluate procedures for conducting the ACS for
special populations such as persons in prisons, hospitals, and nursing
homes. In FY 1998, plans are to expand the ACS to the 10 to 12 largest
cities and make final preparations for launching the survey nationally
in 1999.
Economic Statistics Initiative
The Economic Statistics Initiative seeks to improve the quality of
statistics in rapidly changing areas of the economy where accurate
information is most needed. Implementation of the initiative will result
in a fundamental reorientation of the Federal statistical system to
support better informed national debate on the economic challenges
facing the United States.
As part of this effort, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) conducted
a strategic review of the Nation's economic accounts beginning in late
1994. Based on this review of the performance of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) and its other economic accounts data, BEA developed a
draft plan for maintaining and improving the accounts. In April 1995,
after leading economic data users reviewed the plan, BEA completed the
Five Year Mid-Decade Strategic Plan for maintaining and improving its
national, regional, and international accounts. The plan emphasizes
updated measures of output and prices; more comprehensive and accurate
measures of investment, saving, and wealth; and improved coverage of
international trade and finance.
To move forward on the most urgent priorities, BEA reallocated resources
from existing programs. In FY 1995, BEA transferred the production of
the Leading Economic Indicators to a private organization, the
Conference Board. In FY 1996, BEA moved to scale back its work in the
areas of foreign direct investment, pollution abatement and control
expenditures, and regional projections.
As resources were freed up, they were used to help fund the first steps
in implementing BEA's plan, including:
- Improving measures of output and prices by revising the weighting
procedures to an annual-weighted index; incorporating the effects of
quality changes to prices used in real GDP of products in addition to
computers; and developing the North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
and the Census Bureau.
- Improving measures of investment, saving, and wealth by implementing an
improved empirical basis for the estimates of depreciation and capital
stocks, and by treating government purchases of structures and equipment
as an investment.
- Improving measures of international trade and finance by providing
better coverage of new products and services through a benchmark survey
of international trade in financial services; revising surveys of U.S.
direct investment abroad to obtain detailed data on the growing volume
of international trade in "affiliated" services by type; and working
with the Census Bureau and the International Trade Commission to revise
the Harmonized Trade Classification to include a separate category for
computer software.
In subsequent years, activities that would build upon this work include
extending the quality adjustment of output and prices to additional
"high-tech" products and difficult-to-measure services; incorporating
new information on services and other key industries; incorporating
improved estimates of households, nonprofit institutions, and
governments into the accounts; integrating the national income and
product accounts with the flow-of-funds accounts; expanding the detail
collected on affiliated services by type for foreign direct investment
in the United States; incorporating into the balance of payments
accounts the new information now being developed on portfolio
investments and derivative financial instruments; and, if it proves
feasible, resuming work on the Integrated Economic and Environmental
Satellite Accounts.
Revision of the Consumer Price Index
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the principal source of information
concerning trends in consumer prices and inflation in the United States.
The measure is used extensively for economic analysis and policy
formulation in both the public and private sectors, to escalate contract
costs among individuals and organizations, and to index government
payments and receipts.
In order to maintain the relevance of the CPI, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) undertakes a comprehensive updating of the index
approximately every 10 years. The revision provides opportunities to
reflect changes in the geographic distribution of the population and in
consumers' buying habits, to incorporate improvements in technology and
index methodology, and to redesign survey questionnaires and computer
systems to make the index a more accurate and reliable reflection of
economic conditions. An updated CPI, based upon the 1990 distribution of
the U.S. urban population and the 1993-1995 pattern of consumer
expenditures, will be introduced in January 1998. The BLS budget for FY
1997 requests funding for work on the revision scheduled for completion
in 2000.
Beginning in September 1996, 21 areas selected for inclusion in the
revised 1998 CPI design will begin to have outlet and item samples
initiated for pricing, based upon information provided by consumers on
where they shopped for various goods and services. In early 1997, 15
additional areas selected for the revised CPI design will begin to have
their items and outlet samples initiated for pricing. These 36 areas
will be incorporated in the CPI monthly estimate of price change when
the revised market basket based on 1993-1995 expenditure patterns is
introduced for January 1998. Early in the summer of 1997, BLS will begin
the listing and screening of housing units in order to select
representative samples of rental units in each of the 84 areas that
constitute the revised CPI area design. This labor-intensive activity
will continue through 1998.
As part of its continuing effort to improve the accuracy of the CPI, BLS
also began in 1996 to implement new collection procedures and a new
classification structure for estimating price changes in the Hospital
and Related Services Component of the CPI. The new procedures will
require the reselection of items that are sampled in each hospital that
is currently priced for the CPI. The principal change being implemented
is the sampling of bills paid by patients for patterns of treatments
rather than sampling of prices of individual component goods and
services. These improvements will result in a revised Hospital and
Related Services expenditure class that will be introduced into the CPI
with the release of the January 1997 CPI.
In March 1996, BLS announced that it would implement major changes in
procedures for rotating in new item and outlet samples, and also in the
treatment of how substitutions of noncomparable items are incorporated
into the index. These improvements in procedures, which became fully
effective in July 1996, will eliminate the systematic upward bias
(frequently called formula bias) stemming from the way price changes in
the CPI are calculated at the lowest level of detail.
Redesign of the Occupational
Compensation Survey
Program
The surveys underlying the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employment Cost
Index (ECI) program and the Occupational Compensation Survey Program
(which includes the locality pay surveys) are being redesigned into an
integrated system to improve the accuracy, enhance the efficiency, and
strengthen the analytical content of the index and level measures
produced. In addition, the ECI index and the current weighted cost per
hour compensation data are being revised and extended to incorporate new
methodologies that have become available since the index was first
published in 1976.
The sample design for this integrated program will be a cluster design
with a sample rotational pattern that is geographic within industry
group rather than the current, solely industry-based pattern. New
samples will be introduced annually across every industry in every
covered area, mitigating the "catch up" effect of the industry rotation
pattern present in the current Employer Cost for Employee Compensation
series. This new design fully integrates the "birth sample" that is
appended to the current design. The single sample will produce
time-series for both indexes and average compensation levels for
industry and occupational groups, thereby increasing the analytical
potential of the data, including improved measures of trends, better
integration of benefit costs and plan provisions, data on selected
compensation-determining characteristics of individual workers, and
broader regional and occupational coverage. Finally, the redesign
project includes an evaluation of alternative index formulas and
statistical procedures that make use of the most current data available
from the Bureau's Current Employment and Occupational Employment
Surveys, among other sources, to reflect better current trends in the
composition of the labor services employed by the civilian economy, and
provide improved estimates of the accuracy of these series. These
planned enhancements to the Bureau's compensation statistics, some of
which already are being tested, will be implemented as quickly as the
available resources permit.
Improving and Integrating Agricultural Surveys
The National Agricultural Statistics Service's (NASS) strategic planning
effort, begun in 1994, provides for a complete review of NASS'
estimating and survey programs. This thorough review is designed to make
maximum use of emerging technology and to increase data accuracy and
usefulness by keeping up with a rapidly changing agricultural sector.
NASS is working to provide annual statistics on production, inventory,
and value at the State level for commodities comprising over 99 percent
of the cash receipts from the sale of agricultural commodities, and
annual data for an enlarged list of specialty commodities, such as the
equine and horticultural industries. This broadened annual estimating
and survey program will strengthen NASS' ability to respond to special
needs as agriculture becomes more complex and diverse.
Authorizing legislation is currently pending that would transfer the
authority to conduct the Census of Agriculture from the Bureau of the
Census in the Department of Commerce to NASS in the Department of
Agriculture. The transfer of the Census of Agriculture to NASS will
complement and strengthen the existing statistics programs administered
by NASS. The census will provide detailed information at the county
level and information on specialty crops, data not available from NASS'
existing programs. Integration of the two programs will eliminate the
need to maintain two separate lists of agricultural entities, and will
provide the unique opportunity to reduce duplicative data requests,
ultimately resulting in less paperwork burden on farmers and assuring
maximum usage of data collected. NASS' 45 field offices which serve all
50 States possess a wealth of local knowledge that will be invaluable in
assisting with the census operations, including follow-up of any problem
areas, and expediting the review and tabulation of the Census of
Agriculture results.
Automating the Export Control System
The Census Bureau and the U.S. Customs Service have been working in
partnership on the development of an Automated Export System (AES) that
will simplify the export documentation process and streamline the
Nation's export control system. In 1996, the first participant was
approved for production filing, 20 companies were at various levels of
testing, and 80 additional companies filed letters of intent to
participate. Participation in the AES will be available through all
vessel ports nationwide.
In FY 1997, export document filing under AES will be implemented for air
and overland methods of transportation. In addition, programs will be
prepared to incorporate filing of manifest data for air and overland
shipments; and there will be extensive marketing, outreach, and
educational sessions for the trade community.
Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
During the Fall of 1994, the Chief Statistician at OMB collaborated with
the leaders of six agencies to found the Interagency Forum on Child and
Family Statistics. The Forum, which now has participants from across
government as well as partners in private research organizations,
fosters coordination, collaboration, and integration of collection and
reporting of Federal data on child and family issues and conditions. The
Forum's substantial agenda is carried out by three working groups that
focus on (1) developing priorities for enhanced data collection, (2)
improving the reporting of childhood indicators to the policy community
and the general public, and (3) meeting the challenge of producing data
on children at the State and local levels.
Over the past year, the Forum made considerable progress on a proposed
report on indicators of child well-being, targeted for publication in
early 1997. This report will feature selected indicators from a more
comprehensive series of reports from the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (OASPE) at HHS. The Forum is
instrumental in supporting the production of the HHS reports, the first
of which was published in May 1996. These reports compile over 70
indicators of child well-being that have been produced in time series by
the Federal statistical system. The Forum also created a guide to
Federal experts on child and family statistics, organized by survey and
by topic, and developed an Internet listserver on child and family data
issues to facilitate communication among parties interested in child and
family statistics. In addition, during 1996 the Forum developed
strategies to address measurement issues related to marriage, divorce,
and cohabitation, and those related to fatherhood and male fertility.
During the coming year, the Forum will review the relationship between
the Federal statistical system and State and local consumers of data and
will make recommendations for changes in the collection and
dissemination of sub-national data. The Forum also will continue to
define key issues in the collection of data on fathers and will produce
a guide to the major gaps in data collection on issues of importance to
children and families. In addition, the Forum will publish a set of
issue briefs on key areas of concern that cross the domains of
individual statistical agencies, such as early adolescence.
Improving and Integrating Health Surveys
In 1995, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) inaugurated a
health data initiative and survey integration plan designed to respond
to critical data gaps and emerging data needs. The major goals of the
HHS Survey Integration Plan are to implement a more rational, systematic
strategy for collection of data on key health issues facing HHS; fill a
critical gap by producing details that underlie annual estimates of
health care expenditures, insurance coverage, and employer-related
insurance costs; continue to meet public health data needs now met
through ongoing population and provider-based surveys within a framework
that also allows for expansion to address currently unmet public health
data needs; enhance the analytic capabilities of HHS surveys by allowing
multiple HHS data collection efforts to be linked analytically through
the use of common core questionnaires, common sampling frames, and
common definitions and terms; reduce the overall burden imposed on
survey respondents by HHS below what would have been required in
independent surveys to meet the same data needs; and achieve
efficiencies in sampling, data collection, questionnaire design, and
survey operations, thereby allowing more of HHS' resources to be focused
on meeting high priority data needs.
During FY 1996, HHS continued to make progress on the implementation of
its plan for integrating and streamlining health surveys. Important
steps have included the integration of the National Health Interview
Survey and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which was
implemented in 1996. For FY 1997, data collection will be ongoing for
all of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey components, including the
Household Survey, the MEPS Medical Provider Survey, the National Nursing
Home Expenditure Survey, and the integrated MEPS Insurance Component
that consists of a survey of employers and insurance carriers linked to
MEPS household survey participants and a national employer health
insurance survey selected from a list frame.
Further design efforts in FY 1997 will be directed to achieving the
integration of HHS sponsored medical provider surveys, which include the
MEPS Medical Provider Survey and the National Ambulatory Medical Care
Survey. On-going activities aimed at achieving the goal of full survey
integration in 1998 between the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the
Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey will also continue in FY 1997, with
particular attention to survey instrument redesign, sample
co-ordination, and development of composite estimation strategies.
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