SPD Status Reports

Survey of Program Dynamics

Status Report

March 29, 2002

I. Introduction

The following is an update of the Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) activities for the past six months and plans through September 2002.

Data Products

NOTE: SPD data products have experienced a number of schedule delays as each subsequent year of collection adds complexity to the review process and reconciliation with previous years' reporting. The following summarizes the planned sequence of data released at this time. Dates for later products are contingent upon receiving additional funding in FY 2003.

The first longitudinal public use file was released on FERRET in September 2001. The file was made available on CD-ROM in October 2001. Copies of the CD were sent to approximately 40 data users.

The SPD staff is concentrating on releasing the second core longitudinal file, which is scheduled for release in the spring 2002. The second longitudinal file consists of approximately 335 variables for each of calendar years 1992 through 1999 (except 1995). The variables closely resemble the CPS March income supplement variables and contain household, family, and person data on each person-level record.

A second version of the second longitudinal file will be released in the summer of 2002 that will include the Eligibility and Asset variables for 1998, 1999, and 2000.

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 released after the second longitudinal file is released.

The 1998 cross-sectional file will be fully edited and released after the 1999 and 2000 cross-sectional file is released.

The third longitudinal file will contain data for calendar years 1992 through 2001 (except 1995). Also, data collected from the Bridge noninterview households and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) 1992/1993 noninterview households will be added to the third longitudinal file. This file will likely be released sometime in 2003.

The remaining cross-sectional files (2001 and 2002) will follow the release of the third longitudinal file.

2002 Data Collection

Planning and preparations for the 2002 data collection are well underway. However, due to budget constraints, the full SPD sample that was interviewed in 2001 (core sample, 1997 Bridge attriters, 1992/1993 SIPP attriters) will not be interviewed. The 2001 sample will be cut by approximately one-third across-the-board (randomly) to yield about 20,000 households across all three sample types.

The 2002 instrument/questionnaire includes the basic core modules plus the Extended Measures of Children's Well-being modules.

Incentives in the form of debit cards will again be used to encourage participation in the 2002 SPD. All households that were Type A noninterviews in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 and all new Type A noninterviews in 2002 will receive a $40 incentive in 2002. Also, all households that were given an incentive in 1999 and 2000 and gave an interview will receive a $40 incentive in 2002.

All 3,417 eligible households from the 1997 SPD noninterview sample will receive a $40 incentive in 2002.

All 5,540 eligible households from the 1992 and 1993 SIPP noninterview sample will receive a $40 incentive in 2002.

II. Sample Loss and Recovery

Sample Loss -- The SPD inherited a 26.6 percent sample loss rate from the 1992/1993 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) sample. After three years of interviewing, the SPD basic sample loss rate was 49.9 percent. 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 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/D noninterview cases from the 1997 SPD data collection and reduced the sample loss rate to 44.3%. In FY 2001 we received an additional $5M to bring back Type A and Type D noninterview households from the 1992 and 1993 SIPP.

Table 1A below shows the sampling scheme used to select 1997 SPD noninterview cases for interviewing. Table 1B shows the sampling scheme used to select the SIPP 1992 and 1993 noninterview households. A total of 5,540 were included in the sample of households brought back for interviewing in 2001.

Table 1A. The SPD Subsampling Rate for 1997 Bridge Noninterview Cases

		Sampling Rate	1997 Sample
Less than 150% of poverty		100%	1,387
150% to 200% of poverty	With Children	100%	169
150% to 200% of poverty	Without Children	82%	438
Greater than 200% of poverty	With Children	90%	692
Greater than 200% of poverty	Without Children	27%	961
Institutionalized		27%	0

Table 1B. The SPD Subsampling Rate for SIPP 1992/1993 Noninterview Cases

	Sampling Rate	1992 Sample	1993 Sample
Less than 150% of poverty	100%	1317	1463
150% to 200% of poverty with children under 18	100%	182	254
Above 200% of poverty with children under 18	100%	723	807
150% to 200% of poverty with no children under 18	100%	508	183
Balance of households	1992 - 1 in 3.44 1993 - 1 in 9.47	3000	3000

Note that due to problems with locating the original household control cards, only 5,540 of the 6,000 cases were sent out to be interviewed.

Table 2 shows the effects of sample loss and the subsequent re-entry of previous attriters on the SPD survey from the conclusion of the 1992/93 SIPP to the present.

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

Interview	Eligible households	Interviewed households	Average Sample Loss Rate (%)
SIPP 92/93³	47,273	35,291	26.6
1997 SPD⁴	48,633	30,125	41.3
1998 SPD⁵	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
2001 SPD Basic	34,000	16,964	50.1
2001 SPD Basic + 97 NI	34,000	19,236	43.4
2001 SPD + 97 NI + 92/92 SIPP NI	34,000	22,340	34.2

NI= noninterview sample

Response Rate⁶ -- The basic SPD response rate has held fairly steady since the introduction of a yearly $40 incentive for 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 2001.

Table 3. The SPD Response Rates from 1997 - 2001

Year	Instrument	Interviews	Nonresponse⁷				Response Rate	Goal *
Year	Instrument	Interviews	Type A	Type B	Type C	Type D	Response Rate	Goal *
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-97 NI	1,871	806	32	98	907	52.2%
2001	SPD-Basic	16,964	2351	314	257	1023	83.4%	85%
2001	SPD-97 NI	2272	816	42	50	655	60.7%	50%
2001	SPD-92/93 NI	3104	1056	85	240	1907	51.2%	35%

* The SPD Steering Committee set the response rate goals for the 2000, 2001, and 2002 data collection periods as follows:

1) Core (Basic) sample - stays at 85%+ for all 3 years

2) Bridge (97NI) sample - starts at 50% in 2001 and stays at 45-50% for 2002

3) SIPP 92/93 NI sample - starts at 35% and stays at 30% - 35% for SPD 2002

III. Field Cost and Progress

Data collection (data collection plus incentives) cost 67.3 percent of the SPD budget in 2001. Data collection costs and the use of incentives vary between regional offices. Response rates vary as well, although they are not necessarily related to the use of incentives. Table 4A below shows response rates and Table 4B shows cost per case expenses for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 for data collection and incentives.

Table 4A. Field SPD Response Rate (per case assigned)

	Response Rates
	1998	1999	2000		2001
	Basic	Basic	Basic	Bridge NI	Basic	Bridge NI	SIPP 92/93 NI
Total	85.00%	85.21%	84.69%	52.20%	83.4%	60.7%	51.2%

Table 4B. Field SPD Cost (per case assigned)

	Data Collection Costs: 2000			Data Collection Costs: 2001
	Cost per Case w/o incentive (C/C)	Incentive Cost	Total Cost per Case w/ incentive (TC/C)	Cost per Case w/o incentive (C/C)	Incentive Cost	Total Cost per Case w/ incentive (TC/C)
Total	$ 242	$ 433,335	$ 258	$ 289	$ 955,335	$ 319

IV. Budget Distribution and Incentive Utilization

Budget Distribution -- For FY 2001, the SPD received an additional $5M from the Department of Health and Human Services to continue to interview the noninterview cases (Type As or Ds) from the 1997 SPD data collection and to bring back into the active sample 5,540 noninterview cases (Type As or Ds) from the 1992 and 1993 SIPP Panels. The $5M was a one-time funding increase, bringing the total SPD budget for fiscal year 2001 to $15M.

Incentives Utilization -- During the 1999, 2000, and 2001 data collection period, Field Division was allowed to use $40 incentives to maintain sample and to convert Type A households for the basic SPD sample. In 2000, Field Division used a $100 incentive to convert Type A and Type D households reintroduced from the 1997 SPD Bridge Survey; in 2001 Field Division used a $100 incentive to convert Type A and Type D households reintroduced from the SIPP 1992 and 1993. Additionally, a $40 conditional incentive was used in 2001 for completion of the Self-administered Adolescent Questionnaire (SAQ).

Further analysis of the effectiveness of SPD incentive use is underway.

V. Data Production

The 1998 SPD unedited data file was released on CD-ROM 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 Longitudinal file was released on CD in October 2001. The longitudinal file contains a subset of the core questionnaire in a format similar to the March Current Population Survey.

VI. Plans for 2002 SPD

Data Collection Schedule and Workload -- Due to budget constraints the 2002 SPD sample was cut by one-third to 19,104 households. The 2002 SPD field period is from April 25, 2002 through June 30, 2002. The 2002 data collection workload is as follows:

Household Type	Sample
Basic	12,857
97 Bridge NI Cases	2,368
SIPP 92-93 NI Cases	3,879
Total	19,104

Instrument -- The chart below shows the various modules included in the 2002 instrument.

Section	2002 SPD Modules
A	Household Roster
	Adult Questions
B	Employment & 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
Y	Extended Measures of Child Well-Being
	Self-administered Questions
Z	Marital relationship and conflict
AA	Parental depression scale

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" module which is the same as the module asked in 1999.

2003+ -- Depending on funding, the SPD will collect data in 2003 from the same reduced sample households used in 2002. The 2003 instrument will not include any additional modules. The extension of SPD to 2003 and beyond and the decision to initiate any new data collection to evaluate any changes in welfare programs that result from 2002 reauthorization will depend on Congressional action.

Research and evaluation activities -- DSMD applied a cross-sectional weight to the 1997 Bridge data to compare to official CPS March income data to help assess the effects of nonresponse bias on the SPD estimates. This file available for research purposes.

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, technical documentation, SPD working papers, SPD data collection materials, instrument documentation for the 1998, 1999 and 2000 SPD instruments, and program code for merging files. The 1997 Bridge and the first longitudinal files are available on the web site through DataFerrett.

SPD grant competition � On behalf of the Census Bureau, the Poverty Research Center of Northwestern University-University of Chicago holds a small grant competition for academic research using the SPD. The results of the first grants were presented at a conference at the Census Bureau in May 2001. A second round of grants has been awarded and a third round of competition is underway.

SPD Introduction

SPD Overview

Analytic Uses of SPD Data

Contact: (dsd.survey.of.program.dynamics@census.gov)
URL: http://www.sipp.census.gov/SPD/