Management Scope
In fiscal 2016, the Bureau of the Census had a budget of $1.397 billion and 6,094 employees.3 The bureau’s budget has a 10-year cycle, with larger amounts to prepare for the decennial census, the largest nonmilitary activity of the federal government.
Primary Responsibilities
- Determines policies and directs the programs of the bureau, taking into account applicable legislative requirements and the needs of those who use statistical information
- Responsible for carrying out the bureau’s activities and coordinating its statistical programs and scientific activities with those of other federal statistical agencies, with recognition of the programs developed and regulations issued by the Office of Management and Budget.4 Activities involve:
- Overseeing large-scale surveys and censuses, and statistical uses of administrative data from other agencies
- Designing surveys and questionnaires, and providing services to other federal agencies
- Updating geographic infrastructure and data collection, and subsequent processing and dissemination, for use by the private sector and the public5
- Conducting special statistical studies on domestic and foreign trade, business services, industry, transportation, construction, agriculture, population and housing, and on federal, state and local governments
- Conducting statistical and other research and development activities to improve the quality and the lower costs of censuses and surveys, and achieve more effective censuses and surveys
- Maintaining a statistical directory of establishments engaged in economic activity in the United States
Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]