Census Bureau seeks consulting support

The Census Bureau is calling for consultant support from industry for the 2010 census, according to a pre-solicitation notice released on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site earlier this week.

The purpose of the contract is to form a panel of research experts to observe best practices for the upcoming census and apply them to the 2020 census. Best practices culled from the 2000 census “formed the basis for planning, testing and experimentation, and evaluation activities for the 2010 census,” the notice states. The panel would also look at the census’ two tests that occurred in 2004 and 2006.

The contract will be negotiated through the National Academy of Sciences and involve the Office of Decennial Management at the bureau.

The bureau has come under fire regarding the 2010 census. Problems with mobile computing devices and budget cuts may force the survey back to a paper-based model similar to the one that was used in 2000.

To respond to the pre-solicitation, contact contract specialists Erik Stephenson at (301) 763-3342 or erik.l.stephenson@census.gov , or Albert Kennedy at (301) 763-4420, albert.ernest.kennedy@census.gov.