Census Bureau to drop problematic PDAs, return to trusty paper

The U.S. Census Bureau has been trying to upgrade to a paperless filing system to collect population data, but it announced this week it will return one aspect to paper forms after PDAs proved to be too complex.

The Bureau is responsible for collecting population data every 10 years so the government may appropriately tailor budgets, congressional representation and voting power of the United States.

Working with Florida-based government, defense and industry contractor Harris Corporation, the Bureau hoped to be able to automate several important tasks in conducting the decennial survey. The contractor developed a handheld computing environment geared specifically toward collecting census data.

The FDCA mobile handhelds reportedly contain GPS receivers and utilize Sprint's network for data transmission. Designed with redundant security features such as a fingerprint scanner, role-based access, password protection, firewall and virus protection, and encryption during storage and transmission, 349,000 of these units and their related software reportedly cost the government $1.3 billion.

One of the tasks these PDAs were originally slated to handle was the Non-Response Follow-Up (NRFU) - a means of collecting data from people who do not respond to the questionnaires mailed to them. Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Guttierez announced that the FDCA computers would no longer field this job, and that the Bureau would instead go back to a paper filing system.

This means the costly devices will be used exclusively for the Adress Canvassing (AdCan) effort, or the verification of housing unit addresses in each census block. Canvassers add new addresses to the 2010 census list with the aid of the GPS-enabled devices, and correct faulty listings. According to the Associated Press, the devices actually proved to be too complex for some temporary census employees in a "dress rehearsal" last year, necessitating a huge increase in helpdesk staffing.

Additionally, Gutierrez said the automated system was raising concerns as problems became apparent through internal assessments, and GAO and Inspector General reviews. The Census Bureau identified over 400 technical requirements to Harris through these tests and reviews, proving the national census to be a bit too heavy for the existing technical infrastructure.