High Risks That Threaten to Derail 2010 Census

The highest risks identified by the Census Bureau that could derail the 2010 population count, as of early April. The risks are listed in order of threat level, with the red category posing the largest potential of harm in driving up costs, creating inaccuracies and causing delays. Risk factors are updated every month.

RED threat level

—Housing unit duplicates and misses

—Major disaster's effect on population

—Late design change

—Inaccurate Puerto Rico address list

—Immigration policy backlash

—2010 operational and systems failures

—Falling behind schedule on key milestones

—Contract management issues

—Litigation that threatens the delivery of apportionment and redistricting data

—Field data collection decentralization or reintegration

YELLOW threat level

—Respondent cooperation

—Loss of confidential data affecting response

—Continued operation during disasters

—Stakeholder support

—Uncertainty of assumptions in cost model

—Within-household person overcoverage and undercoverage

—H1N1 influenza affecting regional census centers and local census offices

—Data quality

—IT security breach

—Insufficient funding

GREEN threat level

—Permanent staff retention

—H1N1 influenza and similar contagious illnesses affecting nonregional census centers and nonlocal census offices

—Inability to recruit sufficient temporary workforce