SPD Status Reports Survey of Program Dynamics Status Report May 2, 2001 I.  Introduction The Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) has had a very interesting and productive past two years. In an effort to maximize cost effectiveness, improve the viability of the sample, and to facilitate the release of microdata products, several plans and decisions were made this past year. The SPD staff will concentrate on releasing the first and second core longitudinal files. The core longitudinal files consist of approximately 335 variables for each year. The variables closely represent the Current Population Survey March annual demographic supplement variables and contain household, family, and individual data on each person-level record. First longitudinal file covers 1992 through 1997 reference years (except 1995). The file is scheduled for release on August 3, 2001 on FERRET and on August 17, 2001 from the Administrative and Customer Services Division. Second longitudinal file covers 1992 through 1999 (except 1995). It is scheduled for release in February-March 2002. The 1999 and 2000 cross-sectional files containing the full set of variables obtained during the 1999 and 2000 data collections will be fully edited and will be released after the second longitudinal file is released. The 1998 cross-sectional file will receive a full edit and be released after the 2000 cross-sectional file is released. Third longitudinal file contains 1992 through 2001 (except 1995). It is scheduled for release in June 2003, assuming funding is obtained for FY 2003. The remaining cross-sectional files (2001 and 2002) are scheduled for release by September 2003. The instrument/questionnaire designs are set as follows: 2001 - The basic core modules plus the 1998 adolescent self-administered questionnaire (SAQ). 2002 - The basic core modules plus the 2999 extended measures of child well-being modules. All households that were Type A noninterviews (refusals) in 1998, 1999, and 2000 and all new Type A noninterviews in 2001 will receive a $40 incentive in 2001. Also, all households that were given an incentive in 1999 and 2000 and gave an interview will receive a $40 incentive in 2001. All 3,417 households from the 1997 SPD noninterview sample received a $100 incentive in 2000 and will receive a $40 incentive in 2001 and 2002. All 5,540 households from the 1992 and 1993 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) noninterview sample will receive a $100 incentive in 2001 and will receive a $40 incentive in 2002. II.  Sample Loss and Recovery Sample Loss -- The SPD inherited a 26.6 percent sample loss rate (73.4 percent cumulative response) from the 1992/1993 SIPP sample. After three years of interviewing, the SPD basic sample loss rate is 49.9 percent (50.1 percent response). From previous studies of SIPP sample loss, we know that sample loss is not uniform. Households in and near poverty attrit at a higher rate than other households. Since poverty households are a key target population in the study of welfare reform, there was considerable concern about potential nonresponse bias. Additional funds were appropriated to address this concern. We received an additional $1M in FY 2000 which enabled us to bring back Type A(refusal)/D(mover) noninterview cases (1) from the 1997 SPD data collection and reduced the sample loss rate to 44.3 percent (55.7 percent response). Table 1 below shows the sampling scheme used to select 1997 SPD noninterview cases for 2000 interviewing, while Table 2 shows the effects of sample loss and the subsequent re-entry of previous attritors on the SPD survey from the conclusion of the 1992/93 SIPP to the present. Table 1. The SPD Subsampling Rate for 1997 Bridge Noninterview Cases

Table 2. Sample Loss Rates for the 1992 and 1993 Panels and SPD

Interview	Eligible HHs	Interviewed HHs	Avg Sample Loss Rate (%)
SIPP 92/93 (2)	47,273	35,291	26.6
1997 SPD (3)	48,633	30,125	41.3
1998 SPD (4)	32,800	16,395	50.0
1999 SPD	32,800	16,659	49.8
2000 SPD-Basic	32,800	16,845	49.9
2000 SPD Basic + 97NI	32,800	18,716	44.3

Sample Loss Rate - The sample loss rate consists of cumulative noninterview rates adjusted for unobserved growth in noninterviewed units. Response Rate (5) -- The basic SPD response rate has held fairly steady since the introduction of a yearly $40 incentivefor Type A and potential Type A households in 1999. The actual number of Type A households has declined each year since 1999. However, the number of Type D households has steadily increased each year to counteract the reduction in Type As. Table 3 shows the results of SPD data collection over the period 1997 to 2000. Table 3. The SPD Response Rates from 1997 - 2000

Year	Instrument	Interviews	Type As	Type Bs	Type Cs	Type Ds	Response Rate
1997	CPS March	30,125	4,335	302	1,181	2,402	81.7%
1998	SPD-Basic	16,395	2,211	201	212	673	85.0%
1999	SPD-Basic	16,659	2,174	232	212	718	85.2%
2000	SPD-Basic	16,845	2,172	283	243	873	84.7%
2000	SPD-97NI	1,871	806	32	98	907	52.2%

NI= noninterview sample III.  Field Cost and Progress Data collection (data collection costs plus incentives) cost 62.1 percent of the SPD budget in 2000. Data collection costs and the use of incentives vary among regional offices. Response rates vary as well, although they are not necessarily related to the use of incentives. Table 4 below shows cost per case expenses for fiscal year 2000 for data collection and incentives. Table 4. SPD Response Rate and Cost (per case assigned)

	Response Rates				Data Collection Costs: 2000
	1998	1999	2000		Cost per Case w/o incentive (C/C)	Incentive Cost	Total Cost per Case w/incentive (TC/C)
	Basic	Basic	Basic	Bridge NI
Total	85.00%	85.21%	84.69%	52.20%	$242	$433,335	$258

IV.  Budget Distribution and Incentive Utilization Budget Distribution -- In FY 2000, the SPD received an additional $1M from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to bring 3,417 noninterview cases (Type As or Ds) from the 1997 SPD Bridge data collection back into active sample. The SPD budget for fiscal year 2000 was thus $11M. For FY 2001, the SPD received an additional $5M from HHS to continue to interview the noninterview cases (Type As or Ds) from the 1997 SPD data collection and to attempt to interview and bring back into active sample 5,540 noninterview cases (Type As or Ds) from the 1992/1993 SIPP Panels. The SPD budget for fiscal year 2001 is thus $15M. Incentives Utilization -- During the 1999 and 2000 data collection period, Field Division was allowed to use incentives to maintain sample and to convert Type A households for the basic SPD sample. In 2000 Field Division was also allowed to use a $100 incentive to convert Type A and Type D households from the 1997 SPD Bridge Survey. The use of incentives is shown in Table 5. Table 5. SPD Incentive Utilization

	$40				$100
	1999		2000		2000
	HH Debit Card Cashed	Total Eligible for Debit Card	HH Debit Card Cashed	Total Eligible for Debit Card	HH Debit Card Cashed	Total Eligible for Debit Card
Total	1,803	5,261	4,563	7,486	1,718	3,617

Effectiveness Since all households receiving a debit card were Type As or were potential Type As, it is interesting to see the effectiveness of incentives in producing interviews. Table 6 below shows that during the 2000 data collection, there was a 9 in 10 chance that a household receiving and cashing an incentive (debit card) would give an interview. Table 6. 2000 Data Collection Incentive Effectiveness

	Intvs Cashed $40	Type As Cashed	% Intvs / (Intvs+As)	Intvs Cashed $100	Type As Cashed	% Intvs / (Intvs+As)
Total	4,000	360	91.7	1,457	204	87.7

V. Data Production The 1998 SPD unedited data file was released on CD in early 2000. The file contains all of the questions asked during the 1998 data collections except the self-administered questions for adults and adolescents. The first SPD Longitudinal File is planned for release on FERRET on August 3, 2001 and by ACSD on August 17, 2001. VI.  Plans for 2001 SPD Data Collection Schedule and Workload -- The 2001 SPD is scheduled to run from April 27, 2001 through July 23, 2001. Field's 2001 data collection workload is as follows:

Type Cases	Number of Cases
Basic	20,184
1997 Noninterviews	3,617
SIPP Noninterviews	5,540
Total	29,341

Instrument -- The chart below shows the various modules included in the 2001 instrument.

Section	2001 SPD Modules
A	Household roster
	Adult Questions
B	Employment and earnings
C	Income sources
D	Independent/dependent comparison
E	Amounts
F	Eligibility and assets
G	Vehicle operating expenses
H	Educational enrollment
I	Work training
J	Substance abuse
K	Functional limitations and disability
L	Health care utilization
M	Health insurance
N	Health care utilization while uninsured
O	Food expenditures
P	Food security
	Child-Related Questions
Q	School enrollment
R	Enrichment activities
S	Children's disability
T	Child health care utilization
U	Mother's work schedule
V	Child care
W	Child support
X	Contact with absent parent
	Self-administered Questions
Y	Marital relationship and conflict
Z	Parental depression scale
AA	Adolescent questionnaire (paper)

Reinterview - There is a Quality Control reinterview. It consists of approximately 1,500 cases and lasts about 10 minutes. VII.  General Issues 2002 Survey -- The 2002 SPD will include the "Extended Measures of Well-Being" questions asked in 1999. No funding is as yet available to release any of the data collected in 2002 in FY 2003. Research and evaluation activities -- We are creating a cross-sectional weight for the 1997 SPD Bridge data to compare to official CPS March income data to help assess the effects of nonresponse bias on the SPD estimates. SPD Website -- The SPD survey has a web site (http://www.sipp.census.gov/spd). The site contains an overview of SPD, tables created from SIPP, the 1997/98 files technical documentation, SPD working papers, SPD data collection materials, and instrument documentation (IDOC (6)) for the 1998, 1999 and 2000 SPD instruments. The 1997 SPD data is available on the web site through FERRET. Contractor activities -- There are three contracts funded by the SPD. Iowa State University -- Iowa State University completed their final sampling/weighting report. The report is available on the SPD web site under "Working Papers." Grants -- This contract consists of an interagency agreement with HHS to fund $150,000 worth of research grants on SPD. The first set of grantees was selected in July 2000. Research reports are due this year. A second grant competition is underway. Child Trends, Inc. - They are preparing documentation reporting the internal validity, measurement reliability, and benchmarking of the 1998 SPD children's sections. The report will soon be available on the SPD web site under "Working Papers." 1. Type As are households occupied by persons eligible for interview but an interview is not obtained. Type Bs are households or persons who are temporarily ineligible for interview. (i.e. institutionalized persons). Type Cs are ineligible for sample. These are households or persons that can no longer participate in sample. (i.e. deceased, moved out of the country or entire household is in the armed forces). Type Ds are households or persons who have moved to an unknown address or who have moved more than 100 miles from the nearest SIPP or SPD Primary Sampling Unit (county) and a telephone interview could not be conducted. 2. A tenth interview for only 3/4 of the sample was conducted for the 1992 panel. 3. Only those households interviewed in the last wave of the 1992 or 1993 panels were sent to the Field for the SPD Bridge. 4. Those households interviewed in the 1997 SPD and selected during the subsampling were eligible for the 1998 SPD. The number 32,800 is derived based on the assumption that sample loss is uniformly distributed among the subsampled groups. 5. Response rate is defined as Interviews/(Interviews + Types As + Type Ds) 6. IDOC is a set of linked HTML pages or file that can be viewed with a Web browser. IDOC documents everything in the computer-assisted interviewing instrument, regardless of whether it will ever be seen by an interviewer or a respondent.    SPD Introduction    SPD Overview    Analytic Uses of SPD Data Contact: (dsd.survey.of.program.dynamics@census.gov) URL: http://www.sipp.census.gov/spd/

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