Current:Home > ContactThe Census Bureau failed to adequately monitor advertising contracts for 2020 census, watchdog says-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
The Census Bureau failed to adequately monitor advertising contracts for 2020 census, watchdog says
lotradecoin fiat currency support View Date:2024-12-25 21:26:52
The U.S. Census Bureau didn’t properly administer or monitor contract orders worth hundreds of millions of dollars dealing with advertising to promote participation in the 2020 census, possibly wasting taxpayers’ dollars, according to the Office of Inspector General.
Bureau contracting officers failed to make sure standards were followed to measure the performance of contractors and didn’t receive supporting documentation for paid media invoices totaling $363 million, according to an audit report released last month by the watchdog agency.
“As a result, the bureau could have accepted substandard performance, potentially wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on advertising that did not fully meet program goals and reach intended audiences,” the report said.
The inspector general’s audit focused on $436.5 million worth of contract orders for paid advertising promoting participation in the once-a-decade head count that determines political power and the allocation of $2.8 trillion in federal funding in the U.S.
One example was an order in May 2020 to spend $2.2 million on flyers placed on pizza boxes that promoted filling out the census questionnaire online during the early days of stay-at-home orders issued because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bureau couldn’t provide supporting documentation showing that the flyers had been delivered in ZIP codes where the intended audience lived, the audit report said.
While the findings in the audit report are valid, the communications campaign was a success despite facing many challenges, the Census Bureau said in a response.
The U.S. head count campaign was the first to encourage all participants to fill out the form online and also faced unprecedented obstacles in reaching people from the pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes and social justice protests that sometimes hampered census takers’ ability to reach homes, according to the bureau.
The campaign “increased awareness of the census and encouraged self-response through a variety of communication channels, successfully pivoting to use innovative communication techniques in lieu of in-person local and national activities,” the bureau said.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on X, formerly known as Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP.
veryGood! (562)
Related
- How a small group of nuns in rural Kansas vex big companies with their investment activism
- Oregon’s top court hears arguments in suit filed by GOP senators seeking reelection after boycott
- The U.S. is unprepared for the growing threat of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses
- How to watch 'Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God,' the docuseries everyone is talking about
- Head of Theodore Roosevelt National Park departs North Dakota job
- A US pine species thrives when burnt. Southerners are rekindling a ‘fire culture’ to boost its range
- Zach Braff Reveals Where He and Ex Florence Pugh Stand After Their Breakup
- 1 in 5 seniors still work — and they're happier than younger workers
- Streamer stayed awake for 12 days straight to break a world record that doesn't exist
- Prosecutors say NYC courthouse fire suspect burned papers with complaints about criminal justice
Ranking
- Big Georgia county to start charging some costs to people who challenge the eligibility of voters
- Coca-Cola recalled 2,000 Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta cases due to possible contamination
- The Sweet Way Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Are Incorporating Son Rocky Into Holiday Traditions
- NFL free agency: How top signees have fared on their new teams this season
- White House says deals struck to cut prices of popular Medicare drugs that cost $50 billion yearly
- Vodka, doughnuts and a side of fries: DoorDash releases our favorite orders of 2023
- Prosecutors say NYC courthouse fire suspect burned papers with complaints about criminal justice
- Biden. Rolling Stones. Harrison Ford. Why older workers are just saying no to retirement
Recommendation
-
A teen was falling asleep during a courtroom field trip. She ended up in cuffs and jail clothes
-
Shooting of Palestinian college students came amid spike in gun violence in Vermont
-
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs to miss game against the Chargers because of quadriceps injury
-
'Thanks for the memories': E3 convention canceled after 25 years of gaming
-
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey announce engagement with new photos
-
Boston mayor defends decision to host a holiday party for elected officials of color
-
Trevor Noah returns to host 2024 Grammy Awards for 4th year in a row
-
Alaska governor’s budget plan includes roughly $3,400 checks for residents and deficit of nearly $1B