Acronyms from U.S. OMB January 2000

A-123 Designation for the Office of Management and Budget Circular on "Internal Control Systems." This circular prescribes policies and procedures to be followed by executive departments and agencies in establishing, maintaining, evaluating, improving, and reporting on internal controls in their program and administrative activities.

A-130 Designation for the Office of Management and Budget Circular on "Management of Federal Information Resources." This circular establishes policy and responsibilities for the development and implementation of computer security programs by executive branch departments and agencies, such as risk analysis, recertification, and contingency planning.

AAG (Association of American Geographers) A professional organization founded in 1904 to advance professional studies in geography and to encourage the application of geographic research in education, government and business.

AAP (Affirmative Action Plan) A 5-year plan the Bureau submits to the Department of Commerce and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission outlining the actions the Bureau plans to take in support of affirmative employment over the next 5 year period. See also AEP (Affirmative Employment Plan).

AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion Research) Established 1947. An organization that promotes interest in methods and applications of public opinion and social research.

AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) An organization of the state departments of highways and transportation in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the United States Department of Transportation, whose purpose is to foster the development, maintenance, and operation of a nationwide, integrated transportation system.

ACA (American Cartographic Association) One of three professional member organizations of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping that is comprised of professional cartographers, cartographic technicians, and anyone interested in mapping.

ACBUD Previous designation for the (Assistant Comptroller for Budget), Bureau of the Census.

ACES (Annual Capital Expenditures Survey) Provides data on capital expenditures needed for estimating the national income and product accounts, estimating productivity of United States industries, evaluating fiscal and monetary policy, and conducting research using capital expenditures data. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

ACF (Address Control File) The 1990 decennial census address control list. See ACL (Address Control List) for a description.

ACFIN Previous designation for the (Assistant Comptroller for Finance), Bureau of the Census.

ACIR (Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations) Established 1959. An organization that studies the relationships among local, state, and national levels of government, primarily in areas of taxation and finance.

ACL (Address Control List) An inventory of housing units contained within a specific geographic area.

ACR (Advance Census Report) An unaddressed short-form census questionnaire with respondent instructions delivered by the United States Postal Service to housing units in sparsely populated areas. The respondent completes the questionnaire and retains it for pickup by an enumerator.

ACS (Automated Control System) An interactive computer system established by Services Division to manage the check-in and flow of questionnaires associated with the Monthly and Annual Business Sample Revision. See also BSR (Business Sample Revision).

ACSD Designation for the (Administrative and Customer Services Division), Bureau of the Census.

ACSM (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping) A professional organization founded in 1941 dedicated to serving the public interest and advancing the profession of surveying and mapping and land information activities.

ACUS (Administrative Conference of the United States) Established by statute in 1964 as an independent agency of the Federal Government to promote improvements in efficiency, adequacy and fairness in regulatory programs, grants and benefits.

ADAPSO (Association of Data Processing Service Organizations) A trade association for vendors of computer systems, software, and services.

ADB_(AfDB) (African Development Bank) Also AfDB. A bank established to finance economic and social development projects in African countries through direct transfer of funds.

ADB_(AsDB) (Asian Development Bank) Also AsDB. A bank established to foster economic growth in the Asian and Pacific region by promoting investment and making loans.

ADC (Assistant Division Chief) An acronym used to refer to a specified position in the Census Bureau.

ADMIN Designation for (Administration), (Administrator), or (Administrative).

ADP (Automated Data Processing) The data processing operations performed by a system of electronic or electrical machines so interconnected and interacting as to reduce to a minimum the need for human assistance or intervention.

ADPE (Automatic Data Processing Equipment) The equipment used for automatic data processing.

ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) A labor relations process designed to settle a dispute by having the parties fashion a resolution, rather than having the dispute decided by a third-party. Uses techniques such as mediation, negotiated rule-making, and mini-trial. May be used instead of, or in conjunction with, traditional litigation or grievance processes.

AEA (American Economic Association) Established 1885. An organization that encourages historical and statistical research into actual conditions of industrial life and provides a forum for economic discussion.

AEP (Affirmative Employment Plan) See AAP (Affirmative Action Plan) for description.

AES (Assets and Expenditures Survey) Provides data on capital expenditures, depreciable assets, and operating expenses. (Services Division)

AFFIRM (Association For Federal Information Resource Managers) Established 1979. An organization whose objective is to promote the concept and practice of Information Resource Management within the United States Government. Acts as an independent clearinghouse and arranges conferences and seminars on Federal government management practices.

AFT (American Federation of Teachers) Established 1916. An organization that works with teachers and other educational employees in organizing on collective bargaining issues, as well as research and educational issues.

AG (Agriculture; agricultural) Pertains to the Census of Agriculture.

AGFS Designation for the (Agriculture and Financial Statistics Division), Bureau of the Census.

AGR Previous designation for (Agriculture Division), Bureau of the Census.

AHS (American Housing Survey) A source of information for frequent and up-to-date information on the Nation's housing supply. Collected for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by the Housing and Household Economics Statistics Division. (Formerly the Annual Housing Survey)

AHS-MS (American Housing Survey - Metropolitan Sample) Provides data on selected housing and demographic characteristics. The metropolitan sample is conducted in 44 metropolitan areas on a rotating basis.

AHS-NS (American Housing Survey - National Sample) Provides data on selected housing and demographic characteristics. The national sample is conducted biennially in housing units selected from the 1990 decennial census and new construction universe.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) An advanced computer programming language aimed at enabling computers to emulate the human mode of reasoning.

AIANA (American Indian and Alaska Native Areas) This is a geographic area classification which includes Alaska Native Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village Statistical Areas, American Indian Reservations and Trust Lands, Tribal Designated Statistical Areas, and Tribal Jurisdiction Statistical Areas.

AICS (Automated Inventory Control System) A 1990 decennial census automated shared network system designed to control and track supply and equipment inventories of all types, from the initial order through the in-use state to the point of final disposition.

AID Designation for the (Agency for International Development). Also referred to as USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

AIEA (American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut) A race/ethnic classification.

AIMS (Administrative Information and Management System) A Census Bureau-wide office automation system that provides general office support functions such as word processing, electronic mail, calculator and spreadsheet functions; displays common information such as rosters, schedules, and contacts; and controlled access to specific administrative applications such as budget, financial, procurement, and travel. The following applications are available in AIMS:

BMIS (Budget Management Information System) Creates and tracks a budget operating plan transaction, future year budgets Budget Planning Document (BPD), program authorizations (BC-502A), and project descriptions (BC-502B).

CAIS (College Applicant Information System) Allows managers to search for qualified applicants based upon a variety of criteria such as college major, grade point average, and so forth. Personnel Division will also schedule interviews between managers and applicants via CAIS.

CLIS (Census Legislative Information System) Displays legislative information that might affect the Census Bureau. Users can select bills based on specific criteria.

EMIS (Employee Management Information System) Currently consists of the Position Description Library. Personnel Action and Employee Record information are in development.

MAIS (Memorandum Approval Information System) Creates and tracks all memoranda which require approval prior to distribution. Includes the Staff Announcement and Concurrence System (SACS) and the Census Memorandum Approval System (CMAS). The SACS distributes memos which announce positions at the branch chief level or higher. The CMAS distributes memos intended for all Census Bureau distribution.

PMIS (Purchase Management Information System) Creates a procurement request (CD-435) for the purchase of materials and resources. Provides the ability to change, delete, approve/deny, and track a procurement request.

TMIS (Travel Management Information System) Interactively creates travel orders. Provides the ability to change, delete, approve/deny, and track a travel order.

AIR (American Indian Reservation) - An American Indian area with boundaries established by treaty, statute, and/or executive or court order. The reservations and their boundaries are identified for the Census Bureau by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Federally-recognized Tribes) and state governments (state-recognized Tribes).

AIS (Administrative Information System) A previous Census Bureau automated system that provided administrative information and performed administrative work. Ran on MAPPER software and UNISYS hardware.

ALCT (Address List Compilation Test) A test conducted in 1984 of several methods for developing an address list for the 1990 decennial census.

ALFE (Appeals and Long-Form Experiment) A 1993 mailout test conducted to study how emphasis on mandatory response, confidentiality, and benefits of the census affect response rates and data quality. The test also is studying whether respondent-friendly form construction and a full implementation strategy can improve mail response for long forms. Parallel to the study of short forms in the Simplified Questionnaire Test (SQT).

ALGOL (Algorithmic Language) A landmark programming language used for solving mathematical problems. Developed in 1958.

ALOC (Acceptable Level of Competence) The minimum level of performance (i.e., fully successful) at which an employee must be performing to be certified for a within-in grade increase.

AM-FM (Automated Mapping/Facilities Management International Association) A professional association established in 1978 to foster information exchange, education opportunities, and research and development that will advance and promote the benefits of geographic and facilities management information systems.

AMA (American Marketing Association) Established 1915. A professional society of marketing and market research executives, sales managers, promotion managers, advertising specialists, and others interested in marketing. Fosters research and sponsors seminars, conferences, and other educational programs.

AMS (Address Management System) The information system the USPS maintains to support its internal address operations and external customer products such as the ZIP+4, carrier route, and delivery sequence files that are based on potential address ranges. The new (1993-94) AMS II incorporates individual delivery point addresses and their delivery sequence to support USPS carrier delivery sequence sorting and commercial address services, such as Computerized Delivery Sequence.

ANA Designation for the (Administration for Native Americans), Department of Health and Human Services.

ANCSA (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) This law (P.L. 92-203, as amended by P.L. 94-204) provides the legal authority for establishment of the Alaska Native Regional Corporations and recognition of Alaska Native villages as tribal equivalent governments for participation in government programs.

ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) A statistical procedure for analyzing experimental data.

ANRC (Alaska Native Regional Corporation) A corporate entity organized to conduct both business and nonprofit affairs of Alaska Natives pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, P.L. 92-203, as amended by P.L. 94-204.

ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Established 1918. An organization that serves as a clearinghouse for nationally coordinated voluntary standards for fields ranging from information technology to building construction.

ANSO Designation for the (Administrative and Network Support Office), Bureau of the Census.

ANV (Alaska Native Village) A government unit specified to the Census Bureau by an appropriate authority recognized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (P.L. 92-203).

ANVSA (Alaskan Native Village Statistical Area) A 1990 decennial census statistical area that represents the geographic extent of an Alaska Native Village (ANV) as established for the Bureau of the Census by officials of the ANV and its Alaska Native Regional Corporation for the purpose of presenting census data.

APDU (Association of Public Data Users) Established 1975. An organization that facilitates the usage of public data through sharing information about files and applicable software, exchange of documentation, and joint purchasing of data.

API (Asian and Pacific Islander) A census race designation.

APL (A Programming Language) A high level programming language for scientific and business applications in which the fundamental objects are scalars, vectors, and matrices.

APMIS (Administrative & Publications Management Information System) The designation for an information system that encompasses the following management information and services systems: PMIS (Publications Management Information System); FMIS (Forms Management Information System); FACTS (Facilities Complaint Tracking System); SMIS (Space Management Information System); CARS (Census Automobile Reservation System); and CONRES (Conference Reservations System). See individual systems for descriptions.

APOC (Advance Post Office Check) A postal verification of the Census Bureau's residential addresses, conducted well in advance of Census Day, in mail census areas.

APOC_REC (APOC Reconciliation) A 1990 decennial census operation used to determine, through office and field checks, additional information about addresses identified by the United States Postal Service during APOC II or III as missed addresses, duplicates, or undeliverable and to assign geographic codes to valid new addresses.

APR (Agency Procurement Request) A procurement term whereby an agency requests a Delegation of Procurement Authority from the General Services Administration.

APSD Previous designation for the (Administrative and Publications Services Division), Bureau of the Census.

AR (Address Register) A book used by enumerators in a census that contains the street address and related information for every housing unit and special place listed and/or enumerated during the census.

ARA (Address Register Area) A small geographic area, usually a block group or part of a block group, established by the Census Bureau as a basic unit for data collection by a single enumerator during the 1990 decennial census. Conceptually equivalent to a 1980 or earlier decennial census enumeration district.

ARF (Address Reference File) A series of computerized files containing street and building records used to geocode the economic censuses.

ARIS (Administrative Records Information System) A reference source of large, national-level public and private record systems maintained by the Program and Policy Development Office.

ARTS (Annual Retail Trade Survey) A survey that shows national dollar volume estimates for sales, sales taxes, purchases, year-end inventories, sales/inventory ratios, gross margin, and accounts receivable balances of retail stores by kind of business. (Services Division)

AS (Area Sample) Retail and service businesses, enumerated by field representatives, that are not covered by the mail (list) sample. Collects monthly sales and inventory data for both employer and non-employer establishments. (Services Division)

ASA (American Statistical Association) Established 1839. A professional society of persons interested in the theory, methodology, and application of statistics to all fields of human endeavor.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) A code used in computers and communications systems in which each character, number, or special character is defined in eight bits.

ASCS (Annual Survey of Communication Services) Provides estimates of revenue and expenses for the communication sector. (Services Division)

ASD Designation for the (Aquisition and Security Division), Bureau of the Census.

ASM (Annual Survey of Manufactures) A sample survey conducted in the years between censuses, providing census type information. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) A professional organization founded in 1934 to foster photogrammetry, photo interpretation, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and other applications such as urban planning.

ASYNC (Asynchronous Communication) The transmission of a single character at a time. The common method of transmission between portable timesharing terminals and mainframes, between dumb terminals and minicomputers, and between microcomputers.

ATS (Annual Trade Survey) Provides annual sales and year-end inventory data, inventory valuation methods, purchases, and gross margin data at the United States total level. (Services Division)

AV (Audio Visual) A term that refers to the use of sound and visual imagery for the purpose of communicating information.

AWS (Alternate Work Schedule) A tour of duty which allows employees to work 80 hours a pay period over 9 days and have the 10th day of the regular work week off.

BAC (Budget Advisory Committee) A formal committee composed of the Director, Deputy Director, Principal Associate Directors, Associate Directors, Comptroller, and Chief, Budget Division. Members are responsible for planning, monitoring, and managing the use of Census Bureau funds within legislative and administrative policy guidelines.

BAS (Boundary and Annexation Survey) An annual survey of incorporated places and counties conducted by the Census Bureau to determine the correct legal limits and related information as of January 1 in the year of the survey. (Geography Division)

BASIC (Beginner All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) A programming language used in minor data processing tasks. Usually resident on small computers.

BAUD (BAUD RATE) The transmission speed of a communications channel. The BAUD rate is used to represent bits per second.

BBDP (Block Boundary Definition Project) A project similar to the Block Boundary Suggestion Project. This 1990 decennial census operation is limited specifically to Puerto Rico and is not related to the Public Law 94-171 program.

BBSP (Block Boundary Suggestion Project) The first phase of the Census Bureau's Public Law 94-171 program that provides an opportunity for states to suggest visible features, such as block boundaries, that are or may be voting district boundaries for the 1990 decennial census.

BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) A numerical representation in which decimal digits are represented by binary numerals.

BDP (Block Definition Program) A program similar to the Block Boundary Suggestion Project. This 1990 decennial census program was limited specifically to American Indian reservations and is not related to the Public Law 94-171 program.

BEA Designation for the (Bureau of Economic Analysis), Department of Commerce.

BG (Block Group) The groups of blocks in the areas where data for the 1980 decennial census were reported by block. For the 1990 decennial census the entire country was blocked. A BG comprises all census blocks that have the same first digit in a census tract or the block numbering area. For purposes of data tabulation BGs are equivalent to the tabulated enumeration districts used in the 1970-1980 decennial censuses.

BHR (Block Header Record) An alphabetic street name directory used in a census district office as a reference in assigning geographic codes.

BIA Designation for the (Bureau of Indian Affairs), Department of the Interior.

BIDC (Business and Industry Data Center) A project designed to encourage and assist business and industry in the use of census and survey data.

BIGCAT (Block-level Intercensal Geographic Changes and Transactions) A Census Bureau program whereby the public can obtain 1990 census population and housing data for areas with updated boundaries such as new incorporations, annexations, and other special areas.

BISYNC (Binary Synchronous Communication) A major category of synchronous communications protocols used in mainframe computers.

BIT (Binary Digit) A numeral in the binary scale of notation. This digit is represented by a 0 or 1.

BJS Designation for the (Bureau of Justice Statistics), Department of Justice.

BLM Designation for the (Bureau of Land Management), Department of the Interior.

BLS Designation for the (Bureau of Labor Statistics), Department of Labor.

BM (Benchmark) In the quality improvement lexicon, a benchmark is a best in class achievement. This achievement then becomes the reference point or recognized standard of excellence against which similar processes are measured.

BMF (Business Master File) The Internal Revenue Service's record of the status (active or inactive) of Employer Identification Numbers.

BMIS (Budget Management Information System) See AIMS

BNA (Block Numbering Area) An area used as a framework for numbering blocks in an area without census tracts.

BOA (Basic Order Agreement) A contract that allows the government to purchase goods or services according to the terms and conditions of the basic agreement between the government and one or more vendors.

BOC Designation for the (Bureau of the Census), Department of Commerce.

BPD (Budget Planning Document) A form used by Census Bureau divisions to document their requirements for budget years and out-years.

BPI (Bytes Per Inch) The measure per inch of a group of binary digits usually treated as a unit.

BPS (Building Permits Survey) Provides data on new construction of privately owned residential buildings, residential non-housekeeping buildings, nonresidential privately owned construction, and residential additions and alterations. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

BRDC (Boston Research Data Center) The only Census Bureau research center outside of Washington, DC where economists and policy analysts will be able to access Census Bureau microdata for research.

BRP (Business Recovery Plan) A Census Bureau program designed to increase the survival of a division or office as a business entity in the event of a disaster.

BRT (Basic Record Tape) The computer tapes containing the records of census information about each housing unit and each person. Neither names nor addresses are included on these files.

BSR (Business Sample Revision) The prefix used to describe the version of the current business samples. For example, BSR-87 refers to the samples introduced in 1987 (based on the 1982 Economic Census and 1983 and 1984 Company Organization Survey results) while BSR-92 refers to the samples introduced in 1992 (based on the 1987 Economic Census and 1988 and 1989 Company Organization Survey results.)

BTI (Base Table Image) A statistical table shell used in developing statistical tables for census reports.

BTS Designation for the (Bureau of Transportation Statistics), Department of Transportation.

BUCEN Designation for the (Bureau of the Census). This acronym is used in many foreign countries for the Census Bureau.

BUD Designation for the (Budget Divison), Bureau of the Census.

BXA Designation for the (Bureau of Export Administration), Department of Commerce.

BYTE The common unit of computer storage from personal computers to mainframes. A byte holds the equivalent of a single character, such as a letter, a dollar sign, or decimal point.

C A high-level computer programming language.

C2PO Designation for the (Census 2000 Publicity Office), Bureau of the Census.

CAC (Census Advisory Committee) A committee approved by the Secretary of Commerce and composed of members of the public, which meet two or more times a year to give advice to the Census Bureau.

CACC (Computer Assisted Clerical Coding) In the 1990 census, a VAX software system for coding write-in responses to the place of birth, migration, and place of work responses on the long-form questionnaires.

CAD-CAM (Computer Assisted Design/Computer Assisted Manufacturing) The integration of computer aided design with computer controlled manufacturing.

CADE (Computer Assisted Data Entry) A method of interactive data entry that combines keying and clerical editing. This method is also commonly referred to as Computer Assisted Data Input outside of the Census Bureau. A component in the modular data-management network, CASIC.

CAI (Computer Assisted Interviewing) A collection of methods for using computers to assist with data collection.

CAIS (College Applicant Information System) See AIMS

CAM (Census Administrative Manual) Part of the Census Bureau Directives System. The official medium of the Census Bureau for publishing internal administrative policy, regulations, and procedures. These directives are issued in the form of CAM Chapters. The other part of the directives system is the Census Administrative Memorandum Numbered Series (i.e., Numbered Memos). The Numbered Memo series contains policy and administrative information issued on an interim basis or policy not covered in a CAM Chapter. The Numbered Memos are available on the Census Bureau cc:Mail electronic bulletin board.

CAMS (Commerce Administrative Management System) A modern, administrative system procured for all agencies within the Department of Commerce, that supports the core financial system (CFS), personnel and payroll, purchasing, contracts, travel and transportation, real and personal property, inventory, grants, loans, and revenue requirements of each Commerce agency. Portions of the system are in the procurement process as of July 1994 and major modules of the system are planned to be operational at Census by October 1996.

CAMSIO Designation for the (Commerce Administrative Management Systems Implementation Office), Bureau of the Census.

CAO Designation for the (Congressional Affairs Office), Bureau of the Census.

CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) A method of data collection in which an interviewer uses a computer to display questions and accept responses during a face-to-face interview. A component in the modular data management network, CASIC.

CAPP (Census Awareness and Products Program) A census promotion program targeted especially for areas and populations expected to be difficult to count.

CAPS (Cost and Progress System) An automated cost and progress reporting system used to collect data from the processing offices during the 1990 decennial census.

CAR (Commerce Acquisition Regulations) Procurement regulations issued by the Department of Commerce, based on the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

CARP (Cluster Analysis and Regression Program) A statistical analysis package developed by the Statistical Laboratory of the University of Iowa. See also (SUPER CARP and PC CARP.)

CARS (Census Automobile Reservations System) An automated information system for managing and tracking Census motor pool vehicle reservations. Part of the APMIS (Administrative & Publications Management Information System).

CASC Designation for the (Central Administrative Support Center), Kansas City, Missouri, Department of Commerce. One of four Administrative Support Centers located throughout the United States. These centers provide administrative support services for all Department of Commerce field offices including the Census Regional Offices, in the same way the Financial Services Division in Germantown, Maryland, provides administrative support services for Department of Commerce and Census Bureau headquarters facilities. See MASC (Mountain Administrative Support Center), EASC (Eastern Administrative Support Center), and WASC (Western Administrative Support Center).

CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) The use of software packages that aid in developing all phases of an information system including analysis, design, and programming.

CASIC Designation for the (Computer Assisted Survey Information Collection Office), Bureau of the Census.

CASRO Designation for the (Computer Assisted Survey Research Office), Bureau of the Census.

CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) A method of data collection by telephone with questions displayed on a computer and responses entered directly into a computer. A component in the modular data management network, CASIC.

CATS (Control and Tracking System) A menu driven database system that controls and tracks work units of address registers or questionnaires through processing.

CBD (Commerce Business Daily) A newspaper published by the Department of Commerce. Its function is to publicize all procurement notices and awards in the Federal Government.

CBO (Characteristics of Business Owners Survey) A survey that collects demographic, financial, and economic information on business owners and their businesses every 5 years. (Economic Planning and Coordination Division)

CBP (County Business Patterns) A publication issued annually by the Economic Planning and Coordination Division. The data are derived from employment and payroll information reported to the Internal Revenue Service and Census Bureau current survey data.

CBT (Computer Based Training) The use of computers in teaching. Another term for Computer Assisted Instruction.

CBWRA Designation for the (Census Bureau Welfare and Recreation Association).

CCAP (Census Community Awareness Program) A census promotion program designed to educate the public of the need and value of census data.

CCD (Census County Division) A subdivision of a county that is a relatively permanent statistical area established cooperatively by the Census Bureau and the local government authorities. Used for presenting census statistics in those twenty-one states that do not have well-defined and stable minor civil divisions that serve as local governments.

CCF (Collection Control File) An automated system used in a field data collection office for management and control of field operations. Part of the Collection Control System for the 1990 decennial census.

CCI (Census of Construction Industries) Provides data on the estimates of the value of construction work done and estimates of the value of construction work put in place. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

CCS (Collection Control System) The complete set of automated programs used to meet collection, administrative, personnel, and management control requirements in a field data collection office for the 1990 decennial census.

CD Designation for (Commerce Department) forms.

CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read Only Memory) An optical disk that is created by a mastering process and used for reading information and data only.

CDP (Census Designated Place) A statistical area defined for a census as a densely settled concentration of population that is not incorporated but which resembles an incorporated place in that it can be identified with a name.

CE-HEO (Chief Executive/Highest Elected Official) A term generally used in reference to the principal officials of the Nation's more than 39,000 general purpose governments of counties, county subdivisions, and incorporated places.

CEA (Council of Economic Advisors) An independent agency in the Executive Branch of the Government responsible for analyzing and appraising the National economy for purposes of providing policy recommendations and advice to the President.

CECON Designation for the (Chief Economist), Bureau of the Census.

CELADE (Centro Latinoamericano de Demografia) Latin American Demographic Center, United Nations. Part of CEPAL (see below).

CEN Designation for the (Census Bureau). An abbreviation sometimes used for the Bureau of the Census.

CENDATA (Census Electronic Data Dissemination) A Census Bureau computer on-line information service which provides up-to-date information about census data products and their availability.

CENTRACK (Census Tracking) The management and operational control module of the Integrated Microcomputer Processing System (IMPS). See also (IMPS).

CENTREX Designation for (Central Exchange). A General Services Administration telephone system.

CENTRY (Census Entry) The data entry module of the Integrated Microcomputer Processing System (IMPS). See also (IMPS).

CENTS (Census Tabulation System) The tabulation module of the Integrated Microcomputer Processing System (IMPS) that produces publication-quality tables. See also (IMPS).

CEPAL (Comision Economica para America Latina y el Caribe) Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations. See also (ECLAC).

CEPS (Census Electronic Publication System) An electronic composition system used by the Administrative and Publications Services Division to produce text and tables for Census Bureau publications.

CERL (Construction Engineering Research Laboratory), United States Army Corps of Engineers. Creators of the Geographic Resource Analysis Support System (GRASS) Geographic Information System (GIS) software package, a public domain product.

CES (Consumer Expenditures Survey) A continuing survey that provides timely data for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Collected by the Demographic Surveys Division, Bureau of the Census.

CFC (Combined Federal Campaign) Annual charity drive for Federal Government agencies.

CFCC (Census Feature Class Code) An alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the basic characteristics of a map feature in the Census Bureau's TIGER File.

CFCU Designation for the (Census Federal Credit Union).

CFN (Census File Number) A 10-digit number unique to a manufacturing plant or establishment.

CFO Designation for the (Chief Financial Officer), Bureau of the Census.

CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) An annually revised codification of general and permanent rules and regulations of each Federal agency published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

CFS (Core Financial System) A modern, off-the-shelf financial system procured for all agencies within the Department of Commerce, that supports the general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, budget execution and funds control, cost accumulation and allocation, and financial reporting requirements of each Commerce agency. The system is in the procurement process as of July 1994 and is planned to be operational at Census by October 1996. The CFS will be part of the future Commerce Administrative Management System (CAMS).

CH (Census of Housing) One of the three subject titles for the 1990 decennial census reports.

CICA (Competition in Contracting Act) Promotes and provides for full and open competition in Federal contracting procedures with firm statutory provisions.

CICRED (Committee for International Coordination of National Research in Demography) Established 1972. An organization that facilitates the cooperation and coordination of activities of national institutes and regional and international centers of demographic research.

CICS (Customer Information Control System) A widely used IBM teleprocessing monitor.

CIE (Conferencia Interamericana de Estadistica) The Inter-American Statistical Conference. An organization comprised of the chief statisticians of the Americas.

CIENES (Centro Interamericano de Ensenanza de Estadistica) The Inter-American Statistical Training Center of the Organization of American States (OAS). See also (OAS).

CIR (Current Industrial Reports) Statistical reports on a variety of industrial products. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

CL (Crew Leader) First line supervisor of census enumerators for field data collection operations.

CLD (Crew Leader District) The geographic area assigned to a crew leader, formed by grouping together a number of enumerator assignment areas.

CLIS (Census Legislative Information System) See AIMS

CLO Designation for the (Customer Liaison Office), Bureau of the Census.

CM (Current Month) The most recent month for which data are requested on business survey forms.

CM0 Designation for the (Continuous Measurement Office), Bureau of the Census

CMMI (Census of Manufactures and Mineral Industries) Provides detailed data on manufacturing activities for small geographic areas, individual industries, products shipped, and materials consumed. Collected every 5 years. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

CMS Designation for the (Correspondence Management Staff), located in the Information Management Staff, Policy Office, Bureau of the Census.

CMSA (Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area) An area defined by the Office of Management and Budget as a Federal statistical standard. In metropolitan areas where Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSAs) are defined, the larger area of which the PMSAs are components is designated a CMSA.

CNMI Designation for the (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

CNSTAT (Committee on National Statistics) Established in 1972 at the recommendation of the President's Commission on Federal Statistics at the National Academy of Science (NAS), National Research Council (NRC). The committee selects and studies topics identified by committee members, Federal agencies, and Congress to improve the effectiveness of the Federal statistical system, including the statistical methods and the quality of the information on which public policy decisions are based.

COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) A high level programming language used in business applications.

COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) Annual adjustments to annuities to reflect changes in the cost of living based on the rate of inflation.

COM (Computer Output to Microfilm) Transfer of information from a computer, reduced to micro images through an intermediate photographic device without intermediate display on paper.

COMP Designation for the (Comptroller), Bureau of the Census. Established January 1993 and elevated to Associate Director level in May 1994.

CONCOR (Consistency and Correction System) The edit module of an Integrated Microcomputer Processing System (IMPS). See also (IMPS).

CONRES (Conference Reservation System) An automated information system which allows administrative offices to make reservations for the Census auditorium and other Census wide conference rooms. The system will also allow users to view the availability or print a report showing the availability of conference rooms or the auditorium. Part of the APMIS (Administrative & Publications Management Information System).

COPAFS (Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics) A council established in 1980 by twelve professional associations, including the American Economic Association, American Statistical Association, and the Association of Public Data Users, to increase the effectiveness of professional associations and their individual members who are concerned about Federal statistical policy and programs.

COS (Company Organization Survey) Solicits information annually from large companies in the economic censuses concerning changes in their organization. (Economic Planning and Coordination Division)

COTR (Contracting Officer's Technical Representative) A procurement term used to refer to the person in an agency who can answer technical questions about the requirements and specifications of a specific contract.

COVEVL (Coverage Evaluation) Statistical studies conducted to evaluate the level and sources of coverage error in censuses and surveys.

COVIMP (Coverage Improvement) Statistical studies conducted to evaluate methods to improve coverage for censuses and surveys.

CP (Census of Population) One of the three subject titles for the 1990 decennial census reports.

CPDO Designation for the Customer and Product Development Office, reporting to the Principal Associate Director for Programs, Bureau of the Census.

CPH (Census of Population and Housing) One of the three subject titles for the 1990 decennial census reports.

CPI (Characters Per Inch) A measure of the character density on computer tape.

CPM (Critical Path Method) An activity network model. The CPM seeks to determine the expected time of completion of the total project and times of completion of the sub-projects of which it is 0composed.

CPPS (Current Point of Purchase Survey) A continuing survey collected for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Demographic Surveys Division and used in the Consumer Price Index.

CPR (Commerce Performance Review) A program designed to identify and implement better ways to perform the work of the Department of Commerce.

CPS (Current Population Survey) Provides monthly data on employment and unemployment as well as current data about other social and economic conditions. Collected for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Demographic Surveys Division.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) The unit of a computing system that includes the circuit controlling the interpretation and execution of instructions.

CQM (Census Quality Management) A Bureau-wide program to improve and enhance management and communication practices. Based on the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. See also (TQM).

CQR (Count Question Resolution) A Census Bureau program that allows local governments that suspect an error in their population and housing unit count data from the 1990 census to request review of blocks with the suspected errors for misallocations of addresses, missed housing units, or problems with the boundaries of the entity as shown in the Census Bureau's files.

CRF (City Reference File) A file from the Economic and Agriculture Census that links the Zip codes and Post Office name information to the geographic entities and their associated codes used in that census.

CRIM (Council on Regulatory and Information Management) An organization representing businesses, especially small businesses, which desire more carefully crafted Federal information collections and the release of data collected in a timely and more readily understandable manner. Formerly the Business Council on the Reduction of Paperwork (BCORP).

CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) A television like screen that can be used for entering data into or retrieving it from the computer.

CSAC (Census Statistical Areas Committee) A committee established at the local level to determine census tracts and other statistical areas for its jurisdictional area in cooperation with the Census Bureau.

CSAKP (Census Statistical Areas Key Person) A person designated by the members of a Census Statistical Areas Committee to act as the contact person with the Bureau of the Census.

CSAQ (Computerized Self Administered Questionnaire) An electronic questionnaire used to facilitate the entry of data by survey respondents. The electronic questionnaire is created by the Census Bureau using an electronic forms development software package. The questionnaire is sent to the respondent either by mailing a floppy disk or by transmitting via a modem. A component in the modular data-management network, CASIC.

CSC (Computer Support Center) The center where programmers, systems analysts, or anyone involved in ADP operations can call to resolve problems regarding software, hardware, procedural, or operational problems. Located in the Office of the Associate Director for Information Technology.

CSL (Company Skip List) A manual which lists, for field representatives, certainty retail and service companies, so that establishments associated with these companies are skipped.

CSMR Designation for the (Center for Survey Methods Research), located in the Statistical Research Division, Bureau of the Census.

CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System) The basic retirement system available to Federal employees hired before 1984.

CSSO (Council of State School Officers) Established 1927. An association that represents members' views on educational issues before civic and professional organizations, Federal agencies, Congress, and the public.

CSvD Designation for the (Computer Services Division), Bureau of the Census.

CT (Census Tract) A small, relatively permanent, homogenous subdivision of metropolitan areas and selected non-metropolitan counties, delineated for the purpose of presenting census data.

CTPP (Census Transportation Planning Package) A set of cost-reimbursable special tabulations, produced for the Department of Transportation, in each state and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The detailed cross-tabulations have been designed to meet the needs of state and local transportation planners, and are provided for counties, places of 2,500 or more inhabitants, and block groups of census tracts or custom-defined local areas such as transportation analysis zones (TAZs).

CTSI (Census Tract Street Index) A file/listing produced by the Census Bureau that allows users to assign addresses to census tracts. This was produced primarily to meet the reporting needs of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

CUE (Correction, Update and Extension) A Geographic Base File/Dual Independent Map Encoding (GBF/DIME) System Program designed to correct, update, and extend the GBF/DIME-File and Metropolitan Map Series, and to develop procedures by which each metropolitan area can systematically maintain current and accurate files and maps.

CV (Coefficient of Variation) The ratio of the standard error to the value being estimated, usually expressed in terms of a percentage. Also known as the relative standard deviation.

DA (Disclosure Avoidance) Statistical methods used in the tabulation of the 1990 decennial census data to ensure confidentiality of respondents prior to releasing 1990 decennial census data products.

DABS (Decennial Automated Budget System) A system that allows for entry, review, analysis, and allocation of decennial budget estimates in one central database.

DAO (Department Administrative Order) A series of administrative regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines issued by the Department of Commerce.

DAPS 90 (Display and Profiles Software for the 1990 Decennial Census) The DAPS 90 program allows Census Bureau analysts, on request, to do profiles for Metropolitan Areas, Congressional Districts, cities, and so forth, for specific geographical areas.

DASD (Direct Access Storage Device) A unit of computer equipment that allows direct, quick access to storage for entry or retrieval of information.

DBA (Data Base Administrator) The individual responsible for controlling the content, design, or use of a database.

DBMS (Data Base Management System) A complex set of software programs that controls the organization, storage, and retrieval of data in a database. It also controls the security and integrity of the database.

DCDC (Decennial Census Decision Conference) Planning conferences held in preparation for the 1990 decennial census.

DCF (Data Capture File) A 1990 decennial census computer file corresponding to the 1980 Decennial Automated Control File but including census tract/BNA and block group categories instead of enumeration district.

DCL (DEC Control Language) A command language for issuing requests for action in the VAX/VMS environment.

DD-EFT (Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer) An automated payroll transfer system that allows for the direct deposit of payroll funds to a specified banking account.

DDA (Digital Differential Analyzer) An incremental differential analyzer, usually electronic.

DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) A minicomputer manufacturing corporation that provided computer support for the 1990 decennial census.

DIAMOND (Data Information Access for Modified On-Line Network Delivery) The DIAMOND mission is to guide and support the Bureau's conversion to a customer-oriented organization with the primary focus being on improving our information dissemination programs.

DIME (Dual Independent Map Encoding) See GBF/DIME-File (Geographic Base File/Dual Independent Map Encoding File) for description.

DIR Designation for the (Director's) Office, Bureau of the Census.

DLA Designation for the (Defense Logistics Agency), Department of Defense.

DLG (Digital Line Graph) Line information, in digital form, derived by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from its 1:24,000-scale and 1:100,000-scale maps; these files currently contain hydrography (streams, water bodies and wetlands) and transportation features (roads and trails, railroads, pipelines, power transmission lines, and miscellaneous transportation).

DMD Designation for the (Decennial Management Division), Bureau of the Census.

DO (District Office) The temporary local Census Bureau offices established for periodic censuses for data collection purposes.

DOC Designation for the (Department of Commerce).

DOD Designation for the (Department of Defense).

DOE Designation for the (Department of Energy).

DOEd Designation for the (Department of Education).

DOI Designation for the (Department of the Interior).

DOJ Designation for the (Department of Justice).

DOL Designation for the (Department of Labor).

DOO (Department Organization Order) An organization order series issued by the Department of Commerce which provides the organizational structure and functional statements for all agencies within the Department of Commerce. DOO 35-2B pertains to the Bureau of the Census.

DOS (Disk Operating System) A computer operating system that uses disks to assemble, edit, and execute programs.

DOT Designation for the (Department of Transportation).

DP (Data Processing) The transformation of collected data into useful information by electronic equipment; sometimes referred to as ADP (Automated Data Processing) or EDP (Electronic Data Processing).

DPA (Delegation of Procurement Authority) A procurement term whereby the General Services Administration, which has the authority for all Federal procurement, delegates the responsibility for procurement to an individual agency.

DPD Designation for the (Data Preparation Division), Bureau of the Census, Jeffersonville, Indiana.

DPDO Designation for the (Decennial Policy and Design Office), Bureau of the Census.

DPI (Dots Per Inch) A measure of the degree of resolution of any device that provides an image consisting of dots.

DSCMO Designation for the (Decennial Systems and Contracts Management Office), Bureau of the Census.

DSD Designation for the (Demographic Surveys Division), Bureau the Census.

DSF (Delivery Sequence File) The nationwide file of address and delivery information developed by the USPS to document individual mail delivery points.

DSMD Designation for the (Demographic Statistical Methods Division), Bureau of the Census.

DSS (Decision Support System) An integrated management information and planning system that allows users to integrate, analyze, and predict the impact of decisions before they are made.

DSSD Designation for the (Decennial Statistical Studies Division), Bureau of the Census.

DUSD Previous designation for the (Data User Services Division), Bureau of the Census.

EA (Enumeration Area) See ED (Enumeration District) for description.

EAC (Economic and Agriculture Census) The Censuses of Agriculture, Construction, Minerals, Manufacturing, Minority and Women-Owned Businesses, Retail Trade, Service Industries, Transportation, and Wholesale Trade conducted by the Census Bureau every 5 years, in years ending in "2" and "7".

EAGC (Economic, Agriculture, and Governments Censuses) Same as EAC but includes the Census of Governments.

EAM (Electronic Accounting Machine) Pertains to data processing equipment that is predominantly electro-mechanical, such as a keypunch, mechanical sorter, collator, and tabulator.

EAMM (Early Alert Motivation Mail-out Flyer) A message flyer designed to promote cooperation with the census, printed in multiple languages, and mailed shortly before the mail-out of census questionnaires to postal patrons in areas with high proportions of residents whose primary language is other than English. Also referred to as the 4M Flyer.

EAP (Employee Assistance Program) An assessment and referral service for all Headquarters Employees. Coordinated by the Health Unit, Personnel Division.

EASC Designation for the (Eastern Administrative Support Center), Norfolk, Virginia, Department of Commerce. One of four Administrative Support Centers located throughout the United States. These centers provide administrative support services for all Department of Commerce field offices including the Census Regional Offices, in the same way the Financial Services Division in Germantown, Maryland, provides administrative support services for Department of Commerce and Census Bureau headquarters facilities. See also CASC (Central Administrative Support Center), MASC (Mountain Administrative Support Center), and WASC (Western Administrative Support Center).

EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) A character set designed originally for use with IBM computers.

EC (Economic Census) Sometimes used to refer to the economic census, a collective term covering the Censuses of Construction, Minerals, Manufacturing, Minority and Women-Owned Businesses, Retail Trade, Service Industries, Transportation, and Wholesale Trade conducted by the Census Bureau every five years, in years ending in "2" and "7".

ECA Designation for the (Economic Commission for Africa), United Nations.

ECE Designation for the (Economic Commission for Europe), United Nations.

ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) See also (CEPAL).

ECOSOC Designation for the (Economic and Social Council), United Nations.

ED (Enumeration District) A geographic area into which counties are divided for the purpose of taking a census. Often used as a work unit or unit of measure. Also referred to as an EA (Enumeration Area). EDs were replaced with Address Register Areas (ARAs) as the data collection unit in the 1990 census and with Block Groups (BGs) for data tabulation.

EDA Designation for the (Economic Development Administration), Department of Commerce.

EDF (Edited Detail File) See HEDF (100-Percent Edited Detail File) and SEDF (Sample Edited Detail File) for description.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) The electronic transfer of business transaction information in a standard format between business partners. A component of the modular data-management network, CASIC.

EDP (Electronic Data Processing) Pertains to data processing equipment that is predominantly electronic, such as an electronic digital computer.

EEC (European Economic Community) Established 1958. The objective of the community is to promote economic cooperation, balanced expansion, increased stability, and closer relations among member states by establishing a common market.

EEO Designation for the (Equal Employment Opportunity Office), Bureau of the Census.

EEOC Designation for the (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), an independent Federal agency.

EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) A non-volatile storage chip that holds its content until erased.

EFQ (Enumerator Friendly Questionnaire) A questionnaire with questions written in a form to be read by an enumerator to the respondent in direct interview enumeration.

EFU (Edit Follow-up) See FEFU (Failed Edit Follow-up) for description.

EGIRT (Economic Geographic Information Reference Tape) Prior to 1992, the control file for geographic codes related to all economic censuses, used prior to 1992, for editing the Address Reference File, the City Reference File, and so forth. It was the source for creating the Geographic Reference Manual. It contained names and codes for all geographic entities that are recognized for the economic censuses data tabulation. For the 1992 Economic and Agriculture Census it was replaced with the Economic Geographic Reference File (EGRF). (See below).

EGRF (Economic Geographic Reference File) The current reference file of geographic entities for the economic census. Replaces the Economic Geographic Information Reference Tape (EGIRT) used in earlier economic censuses. See EGIRT for detailed definition.

EI (Employer Identification) A control number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. See EIN (Employer Identification Number) for description.

EIA Designation for the (Energy Information Administration), Department of Energy.

EIC (Employer Identification Change) An employer identification for which the Social Security Administration has obtained revised kind-of-business classification information.

EIM (Electronic Image Management) An automated system that stores, retrieves, transmits, processes, and manages documents.

EIN (Employer Identification Number) A unique number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service to every employer in the United States for the purposes of identification. Similar in purpose to the Social Security Number assigned to individuals.

EMIS (Employee Management Information System) See AIMS

ENUM (Enumerator) A census field operations employee. A person who collects information by interviewing, thereby carrying out enumeration (counting), pre-listing, pre-canvass, and other Census Bureau field operations.

EOD (Entrance on Duty) Date used to indicate the start of an employee's tenure in a position or agency.

EPA Designation for the (Environmental Protection Agency).

EPCD Designation for the (Economic Planning and Coordination Division), Bureau of the Census.

ES (Expert Systems) An artificial intelligence application that uses a knowledge base of human expertise to aid in solving problems.

ESA Designation for the (Employment Standards Administration), Department of Labor.

ESCAP Designation for the (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), United Nations.

ESCWA Designation for the (Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia), United Nations.

ESDI (Enhanced Small Device Interface) A hardware standard for connecting disk and tape drives to computers.

ESMPD Designation for the (Economic Statistical Methods and Programming Division), Bureau of the Census.

ETA Designation for the (Employment and Training Administration), Department of Labor.

EUROSTAT (Statistical Office of the European Community) Collects, coordinates, and disseminates statistical information on the European community member states and the main countries with whom the community maintains relations.

EXEC_STAFF (Executive Staff) Consists of the Director, Deputy Director, Principal Associate Directors, and Associate Directors.

FAA Designation for the (Federal Aviation Administration), Department of Transportation.

FACA (Federal Advisory Committee Act) (P.L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2). Enacted by Congress in 1972 to provide uniform standards for the operation of advisory committees established or used by the Executive Branch, to monitor their number and activity, and to protect public access to their deliberation.

FACT (Film and Automated Camera Technology) See FACT 90 Below.

FACTS (Facilities Complaint Tracking System) An automated information system that allows Census Bureau administrative offices to report building problems directly to the Administrative and Publications Services Division's Office Services Section, the General Services Administration's Building Manager's office, and the offices of the maintenance personnel, all simultaneously, via local DEC printers. Part of the APMIS (Administrative and Publications Management Information System).

FACT_90 (Film and Automated Camera Technology for 1990) An automated data conversion system consisting of automated microfilm cameras, microfilm processors, and Film Optical Sensing Devices for Input to Computer (FOSDIC) systems, modified for use in the 1990 decennial census.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), United Nations. Established 1945. An organization established to raise the levels of nutrition and standards of living of peoples of member countries.

FAPS (Field Automated Payroll System) An automated payroll system established for field enumerators, district, and regional office personnel.

FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) Federal government wide policies, procedures, regulations, and guidelines governing all aspects of government procurement. Issued by the General Services Administration.

FASD Designation for the (Financial and Administrative Systems Division), Bureau of the Census.

FAX (Facsimile Devices) Devices that allow for the communication of a printed page between remote locations, usually over private lines or the public dial-up telephone system.

FBI Designation for the (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

FCC Designation for the (Federal Communications Commission).

FCM (Feature Change Map) A map that is updated by a Census Bureau regional office geographic staff to include all visible features not shown on the original map. It is used as input to the TIGER File.

FEARS (Field Employees Automated Retirement System) An automated system to generate retirement information for Field Division Schedule A employees.

FECA (Federal Employees' Compensation Act) Provides workers' compensation benefits for civilian personnel in the service of the United States who suffer injury or death in the performance of official duty.

FEDSIM Designation for the (Federal Systems Integration and Management Center), General Services Administration.

FEDSTRIP (Federal Standard Requisitioning and Issuing Procedures) A method of procuring items directly from the General Services Administration supply catalog.

FEFU (Failed Edit Follow-up) An operation in which missing or illegal information on a questionnaire is pursued by telephone or personal visit. Also known as EFU (Edit Follow-up).

FEMA Designation for the (Federal Emergency Management Agency).

FERS (Federal Employees Retirement System) Retirement system for all Federal employees first entering government service after 1983.

FFU (Field Follow-up) A data collection procedure involving personal visits by enumerators to residential addresses to perform any of the following operations: resolve inconsistent or missing data items on returned questionnaires identified during content edit and possible enumeration errors discovered in coverage edit; conduct vacant/delete check; obtain data for blank or missing questionnaires; and check on addresses for which no questionnaire has been checked in.

FGDC (Federal Geographic Data Committee) A Federal interagency committee organized in response to OMB Circular A-16, "Coordination of Surveying and Mapping Activities," that requires Federal agencies to coordinate various surveying, mapping, and spatial data activities conducted by the Federal Government with similar activities conducted by State and local governments and the private sector to meet the spatial data needs of the Nation. Replaces the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on Digital Cartography (FICCDC).

FHWA Designation for the (Federal Highway Administration), Department of Transportation.

FHWAR (Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife, and Associated Recreation) Survey A reimbursable survey conducted for the Department of the Interior by the Demographic Surveys Division.

FICCDC (Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on Digital Cartography) A committee established by the Office of Management and Budget in 1983 to eliminate duplication and waste in Federal mapping activities, to develop and promulgate standards for digital cartographic data products, and to improve communication throughout the Federal Government concerning digital cartographic activities. This was replaced by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).

FIFO (First In, First Out) An accounting concept, also used in ADP programs, where the oldest data are used first.

FIN Designation for the (Finance Division), Bureau of the Census.

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) A National Institute of Standards and Technology program to achieve compatibility and interchangeability among data systems. (Also includes geographic codes).

FIPS-PUBS (Federal Information Processing Standards/Publications) Publications issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to report the FIPS program standards.

FIRMR (Federal Information Resources Management Regulation) A single regulation for use by Federal or executive agencies in their management, acquisition, and use of information resources. Issued by the General Services Administration.

FLD Designation for (Field Division), Bureau of the Census.

FLRA Designation for the (Federal Labor Relations Authority).

FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) An act which regulates the pay, work, and overtime provisions for Federal employees.

FMCS (Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service) An independent agency of the Federal Government that acts as a neutral third-party in the resolution of disputes between unions and employers. The agency also provides training in dispute resolution.

FMFIA (Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act) of 1982. Requires annual evaluations and reports on whether an agencys' accounting and financial management systems conform to the principles and standards established by the Comptroller General.

FMIS (Forms Management Information System) An automated system used to track Census Bureau forms production services and cost accounting for forms production work by the Forms and Mail Management Branch. Part of APMIS (Administrative and Publications Management Information System).

FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) of 1974. An act that requires Federal agencies to provide, to the public, access to and copies of existing agency records. Access can be denied only if records are within specific exempted categories, such as Title 13 data.

FORTRAN (Formula Translator) A high level programming language used mainly to solve scientific and engineering problems.

FOSDIC (Film Optical Sensing Device for Input to Computers) An optical device that reads the location of filled-in dots on a precisely aligned form that has been microfilmed, converting the data to a magnetic tape format. FOSDIC dots represent numeric or alphabetic codes.

FPM (Federal Personnel Manual) The official personnel policy, procedures, and regulation manual issued by the Office of Personnel Management.

FPMR (Federal Procurement Management Regulations) Government-wide procurement guidelines, policies, and procedures issued by the General Services Administration.

FRA Designation for the (Federal Railroad Administration), Department of Transportation.

FRB Designation for the (Federal Reserve Board). The agency charged with administering and making policy for the Nation's credit and monetary affairs. Helps maintain the banking industry in sound condition.

FRC Designation for the (Federal Records Center), National Archives and Records Administration.

FSCPE (Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates) The term also is applied to the state agency components of the FSCPE. Primarily involved with the intercensal estimation of population change.

FSCPP (Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Projections) The term is also applied to the state agency components of the FSCPP. Primarily involved with evaluations of data and methodology.

FSD Designation for the (Financial Services Division), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, Germantown, Maryland. The central administrative center for processing and paying travel vouchers, travel requests, GBLs, FEDSTRIP orders, imprest fund transactions, and purchase orders for Department of Commerce headquarters agencies. Formerly the Management Services Center.

FSS Designation for the (Federal Supply Service), General Services Administration.

FTC Designation for the (Federal Trade Commission).

FTD Designation for the (Foreign Trade Division), Bureau of the Census.

FTE (Full Time Equivalent) For budget and personnel ceiling purposes, this is the percentage of an employee's work time (including paid leave) in a position. For example, two employees who work half of their time on one project represent one FTE.

FTS (Federal Telecommunications System) A government network of leased, long distance telephone circuits that are paid for on a monthly contract basis rather than by the minute.

FTSR (Foreign Trade Statistical Regulation) Regulatory requirements codified in Title 15 CFR Part 30, "Commerce and Foreign Trade." Used to define requirements for the collection of foreign trade statistics.

FU (Follow-up) A secondary census or survey operation, predominantly in data collection, carried out to successfully complete an initial operation. It is most often a telephone or personal visit interview to obtain missing data or clarify original responses. See also EFU (Edit Follow-up), FEFU (Failed Edit Follow-up), FFU (Field Follow-up), NRFU (Non-Response Follow-up), and TFU (Telephone Follow-up.) Extensive mail follow-up is conducted in the Agriculture and Economic censuses.

FV (Firm Verification) Communication with a business respondent to obtain the reason for a large fluctuation or apparent inconsistency of figures.

FY (Fiscal Year) Covers the period from October 1 through September 30 of a given year.

GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) Professional standards, guidelines, and accounting rules the Census Bureau must follow in its financial management practices.

GAO Designation for the (General Accounting Office).

GARM (Geographic Areas Reference Manual) A geographic reference source developed by the Census Bureau as a guide for local census statistical areas committees and other agencies and groups working with the Census Bureau to maintain and improve the geographic areas, concepts, and methods used for presentation of decennial and economic census data.

GASP (General and Annual Survey Processing) The automated processing system used to process Services Division's annual surveys.

GBF (Geographic Base File) A generic term for a computer file of geographic attributes of an area (street names, address ranges, geographic codes, hydrography, railroads, and so forth).

GBF-DIME (Geographic Base File/Dual Independent Map Encoding File) A Census Bureau geographic base file representing a map on a segment basis containing the segment name, address range, and ZIP code if applicable, geographic information for both sides of each segment, node numbers, and x/y coordinate information for each record in the file. The file contains information describing an urban street network and is computer-verified for completeness and consistency.

GDP Designation for (Gross Domestic Product) The total value of all goods and services provided in a country by residents and non-residents of that country without regard to their allocation among domestic and foreign claims.

GEO Designation for the (Geography Division), Bureau of the Census.

GEO-CAT (Geographic-Catalog of Political and Statistical Areas) A control file and inventory of geographic entities and selected attributes associated with the TIGER File.

GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) A term used to refer to the principle that invalid data entered into a computer produces invalid output.

GIS (Geographic Information System) A database system for the storage, retrieval, and maintenance of data about major aspects of the earth's surface.

GLIS (Geographic and Land Information Society) A proposed new professional member organization of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping.

GMAF (General Merchandise, Apparel, and Furniture) A term which describes stores specializing in department store types of merchandise. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

GNP Designation for (Gross National Product) The total monetary value of the domestic and foreign output of all residents in a country, including income received from abroad by residents for factor services rendered overseas, and after subtracting transfers to countries abroad of income by residents of other countries.

GOSIP (Government Open System Interconnection Profile) A United States Government mandate that all new network procurements must comply with open system interconnections.

GOVS Designation for the (Governments Division), Bureau of the Census.

GPO Designation for the (Government Printing Office).

GPS (Global Positioning System) A technology using satellites and portable receivers to determine exact positions on the earth's surface.

GQ (Group Quarters) A place where people live that is not the typical household-type living arrangement. There are two types of group quarters: institutional and noninstitutional.

GRASS (Geographic Resource Analysis Support System) A public domain Geographic Information System (GIS) created by the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory.

GRIN (Geographic Reference Identification Number) A specialized geographic coding scheme used to facilitate clerical processing by reducing transcription workloads, that is, the multiple set of codes for an entity are assigned a single code that relates to them.

GRM (Geographic Reference Manual) A detailed list made available in published form for each Economic and Agriculture Census (EAC) of all the geographic entities and their associated codes as recognized in that EAC.

GSA Designation for the (General Services Administration).

GSS (Geographic Support System) The TIGER System plus all other geographic activities supporting the census and survey activities of the Census Bureau; for example, all 1990 decennial census geographic products, 1992 Economic and Agriculture Census geographic products, the operations that use the boundary change information collected in the Boundary Annexation Survey, the United States Geological Survey map files, and so forth.

GTUB (Geographic Tabulation Unit Base) A geographic record containing a unique combination of geographic codes. It is the smallest unique area required for tabulation purposes above the block group level; for example, the combination of state/county/minor civil division/place/census tract that identifies a unique geographic area and its combination of codes.

GUS (Geographic Update System) A decentralized hardware/software system to encode updates to the TIGER File.

GWFPAS (General Workforce Performance Appraisal System) The performance appraisal system designed to cover all Federal employees, except for those covered by the Merit Pay Performance Appraisal System and the Senior Executive Service Performance Appraisal System.

HCFA Designation for the (Health Care Financing Administration), Department of Health and Human Services.

HCHB Designation for the (Herbert C. Hoover Building), Main Commerce Building.

HDS (Hospital Discharge Survey) A reimbursable survey conducted for the National Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services, by the Demographic Surveys Division.

HEDF (Hundred-percent Edited Detail File) These are files composed of individual records of information on persons and housing units in households that received the 100-percent, or short form, census questionnaire. These files are used for tabulation purposes and are not released to the public.

HEO (Highest Elected Official) See CE/HEO for description.

HHES Designation for the (Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division), Bureau of the Census.

HHS Designation for the (Department of Health and Human Services).

HIS (Health Interview Survey) Provides facts on health and population characteristics related to illness, injury, and disability, as well as cost and uses of medical services. (Demographic Surveys Division)

HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) This law (P.L. 101-73), as implemented by the Federal Reserve Board's Regulation C, requires the reporting of census tract number along with other information in order to identify areas with possible discrimination in providing mortgages.

HN-SN (House Number/Street Name) The integral part of a city-type address, such as 100 Main Street.

HOB (House Office Building) Each of three office buildings of the United States House of Representatives.

HOSS (Housing Sales Survey) Provides monthly and quarterly statistics on new single-family non-farm house sales. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

HQ A term sometimes used to designate the Census Bureau (Headquarters) in Suitland, Maryland.

HRD Designation for the (Human Resources Division), Bureau of the Census.

HSP Designation for a (High Speed Printer).

HTC Designation for the (Hagerstown Telephone Center) A field office established to test methods of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing, in Hagerstown, Maryland.

HTE (Hard-to-Enumerate) A term used to describe an area whose environment and/or population may present difficulties for enumeration.

HU (Housing Unit) A house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied as separate living quarters or, if vacant, intended for occupancy as separate living quarters.

HUD Designation for the (Department of Housing and Urban Development).

HVS (Housing Vacancy Survey) Provides current evaluated information on housing vacancy rates for rental and homeowner units and characteristics of vacancies on a national, regional, and inside and outside (Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area) basis, and characteristics of occupied housing units on a national basis. (Housing and Household Economics Statistics Division)

IA (Identical Additional [position]) A position description that can be used by more than one employee.

IAOS (International Association for Official Statistics) A section of the International Statistical Institute (ISI). See also (ISI).

IASC (International Association for Statistical Computing) A section of the International Statistical Institute (ISI). See also (ISI).

IASI (Inter-American Statistical Institute) A professional statistical organization for the Western Hemisphere sponsored by the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS). See also (OAS).

IASS (International Association of Survey Statisticians) A section of the International Statistical Institute (ISI). See also (ISI).

IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) Commonly referred to as the World Bank.

IC (Integrated Circuit) An electronic circuit or combination of circuits contained on semi-conductor material; the basis of a computer's intelligence.

ICA (International Cartographic Association) An association of member nations established to advance the study of cartographic problems, investigate and coordinate cartographic research involving cooperation among various nations, exchange ideas and documents, further training, and encourage the spread of cartographic knowledge.

ICB (Information Collection Budget) The Office of Management and Budget's account of permitted burden hours each Federal agency may place upon the public in the form of various information collections.

ICM (Integrated Coverage Measurement) A coverage measurement technique that combines estimates of missed persons with enumeration results before producing a single set of official census results.

ICR (Internal Control Review) A review to assure the implementation and use of special accounting procedures designed to prevent mismanagement and fraud. Conducted in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-123, "Internal Control Systems."

ID (Identification Number) A control number used to identify questionnaires for the 1990 decennial census processing operations.

IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) Established 1959. Promotes the investment of public and private capital in a specific region for development purposes.

IDP (Individual Development Plan) A career planning document prepared by employees, usually in conjunction with preparing performance plans.

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields.

IFB (Invitation for Bids) A procurement term whereby a procurement is formally advertised to vendors for bids.

IG Designation for the (Inspector General).

IGU (International Geographical Union) An organization of nations formed in 1922 to identify problems in geography, initiate and coordinate research involving several countries, and organize the International Geographic Congresses.

IHS Designation for the (Indian Health Service), Department of Health and Human Services.

IMF (International Monetary Fund) A forum in which members discuss monetary exchange problems and provide advice on how best to manage currency and related international monetary exchange policies.

IMPS (Integrated Microcomputer Processing System) Computer software developed by the former International Statistical Programs Center specifically to meet the needs of developing countries. IMPS contains modules to perform data entry, editing, tabulation, operational control, and statistical analysis with a common user interface and a common data dictionary.

IMS (Information Management System) A large database management system. Usually referred to as MIS (Management Information System). See also (MIS).

INC (Incorporated Place) A political unit, incorporated as a city, town (except in New England, New York, or Wisconsin), village or borough (except in Alaska or New York), having legally prescribed limits, powers, and functions. Also known as an incorporated municipality.

INEGI (Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Geografia e Informatica) Mexico's National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Data Processing.

INS Designation for the (Immigration and Naturalization Service), Department of Justice.

IPEDS (Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System) A data collection of educational institutions taken via reimbursable agreement for the National Center for Education Statistics, Department of Education. (Governments Division)

IPL (Initial Program Load) The procedure that causes an operating system to begin.

IQC (Indefinite Quantity Contract) A contract that specifies a minimum and maximum amount of items. Delivery orders can be issued against the contract as needed during the term of the contract.

IQTOC (Indefinite Quantity Task Order Contract) A contract that allows the government to purchase an unspecified amount of specific services from one or more selected contractors.

IRM (Information Resources Management) The planning, budgeting, organizing, directing, training, and control associated with government information. The term encompasses both information itself and the related resources, such as personnel, equipment, funds, and technology. Refer to OMB Circular A-130, "Management of Federal Information Resources," for further information.

IRS Designation for the (Internal Revenue Service), Department of the Treasury.

ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) A method of gaining access to data by referencing a key word.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) An international telecommunications standard that allows a communications channel to carry voice, video, and other data.

ISI (International Statistical Institute) An organization established to promote the development and improvement of statistical methods and their application throughout the world. Encourages international cooperation among statisticians and the exchange of information and ideas.

ISPN (Integrated Survey Processing Network) A term used generally to refer to any aspect of automating survey processing.

ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) An organization of nations for the advancement of photogrammetry, photo interpretation, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and other applications such as urban planning.

ISSRO Designation for the (Information Systems Support and Review Office), Bureau of the Census.

IT Designation for (Information Technology), Bureau of the Census.

ITA Designation for the (International Trade Administration), Department of Commerce.

ITC Designation for the (International Trade Commission).

ITRMS (Information Technology Resource Management System) The primary source of hardware, software, and application information for Information Resource Management (IRM) planning and decision making.

IUSSP (International Union for the Scientific Study of Population) Established 1928. An organization established to advance the progress of quantitative and qualitative demography as a science, promote international cooperation to study population problems, and stimulate demographic research.

I_&_O (Industry and Occupation) The industry and occupation reported for the current or most recent job activity in response to questions on the 1990 decennial census long form questionnaire.

JAD (Joint Application Development) A process originally used in computer system development. It is a structured, facilitated workshop approach that incorporates group decision making techniques and group dynamics. During the JAD process, the facilitator captures all ideas, changes, and concerns expressed by participants.

JCL (Job Control Language) A command language that directs the operating system to run application programs in the computer.

JFMIP (Joint Financial Management Improvement Program) A program established with the goal of defining Federal financial management systems standards to be used by all Federal agencies in planning their financial improvement projects. The standards will result in greater consistency in department and agency financial systems and information. The most recent available standards were released April 1994.

JRID (Job Run Identification) An identification number used to control jobs in computer processing operations.

K (kilo) Designation for one thousand.

KGL (Key Geographic Location) A visible feature, man-made or natural, that serves as a landmark for map orientation or represents entities for which a name-match geocoding capability and retrievability by type are highly desirable.

KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) A statement usually required on applications for Federal employment, listing job skills and experience.

L-E (List/Enumerate) A 1990 decennial census method of enumeration in which enumerators canvass a geographic area, list each residential address, and collect a questionnaire from or enumerate the household.

L-L (List/Leave) A method of enumeration in which enumerators list each residential address and at the same time deliver the census forms for return by mail.

LAN (Local Area Network) The electronic linking, by cable or infrared beams, of several or all computer workstations within a specific physical area to a file server or storage and processing device. It allows all users connected to the network to access the server's software and data files and to exchange electronic messages via an electronic mail system. Frequently includes printers, scanners, and other related equipment.

LCD (Lowest Common Denominator) Data tabulation terminology used to specify the lowest geographic level of data presentation.

LEA (Local Education Area) See SD (School District) for description.

LF (Long Form) The decennial census questionnaire containing 100 percent and sample questions.

LFRA Designation for the (League of Federal Recreation Associations).

LGT (Longitudinal Survey of Work Experience) See also LWES (Longitudinal Work Experience Survey) for description.

LIFO (Last In, First Out) A computer queuing method in which the next item to be retrieved is the next item most recently placed in the queue.

LIS (Land Information System) Similar to a Geographic Information System (GIS), and often considered a subset of that topic, usually associated with digital files about individual properties such as tax assessment, rights of way, ownership, and so forth.

LOCRV (Local Review Program) See LR (Local Review) for description.

LPM (Lines Per Minute) The measure of speed for high-speed printer paper output.

LQ (Living Quarters) A place where a person lives or can live, including housing units and group quarters.

LR (Last Resort) Field enumeration terminology to indicate a last attempt to reach a respondent.

LSI (Large-Scale Integration) The process of integrating a large number of circuits on a single chip of semi-conductor material.

LSS (Living Situations Survey) A survey conducted in 1993 to determine the extent to which people live or stay at multiple residences, have no permanent residence, and other situations that often lead to counting errors.

LWES (Longitudinal Work Experience Survey) A series of longitudinal surveys of work experience and related characteristics of four selected age/sex groups. Collected for the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration by the Demographic Surveys Division. See also LGT (Longitudinal Survey of Work Experience).

M3 (Survey of Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders) An economic indicator program that shows changes in manufacturing. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

MA (Metropolitan Area) The MA classification is a statistical standard developed for use by Federal agencies in the production, analysis, and publication of data on MAs. The MAs are designated by the Office of Management and Budget. Metropolitan Areas can be classified as a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or as a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA), that is a MA divided into Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSAs.) See also MSA/CMSA/PMSA.

MAF (Master Address File) The Census Bureau's permanent list of addresses for individual living quarters based on a combination of the 1990 MAF that is linked to the TIGER data base. The file will be continuously updated and maintained over the decade through partnerships with the USPS, Federal, state, regional, and local agencies, and the private sector to provide a basis for the 2000 census address control file and other Census Bureau efforts.

MAIS (Memorandum Approval Information System) See AIMS

MAPS (Map Plotting System) A system that permits census maps to be reproduced from the TIGER File.

MARTS (Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey) Provides data on advance retail sales estimates for the United States, based on early reports from a sub-sample of the larger monthly retail survey panel, for 12 major kind-of-business categories. (Services Division)

MASC Designation for the (Mountain Administrative Support Center), Boulder, Colorado, Department of Commerce. One of four Administrative Support Centers located throughout the United States. These centers provide administrative support services for all Department of Commerce field offices including the Census Regional Offices, in the same way the Financial Services Division in Germantown, Maryland, provides administrative support services for Department of Commerce and Census Bureau headquarters facilities. See also CASC (Central Administrative Support Center), EASC (Eastern Administrative Support Center), and WASC (Western Administrative Support Center).

MBDA Designation for the (Minority Business Development Agency), Department of Commerce

MBO (Management by Objective) A management tool used by private and public sector managers to manage programs and funds by identifying and prioritizing the major objectives of programs or projects.

MCD Designation for the (Manufacturing and Construction Division), Bureau of the Census.

MCP (Master Control Program) The name for all operating systems produced by Burroughs.

MCR (Military Census Report) A decennial census questionnaire used to obtain population information for military personnel residing at military installations.

MECS (Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey) A survey conducted by the Census Bureau for the Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy. (Manufacturing and Construction Division)

MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) The technique used in banking to encode account numbers and check values so they can be automatically debited from accounts.

MICRO (Microcomputer) Small computers of desk top size.

MIG (Migration) Questions on location of previous residence on censuses or surveys. Also, information determined from those questions.

MIM (Map Image Metafile) A flat file of ASCII characters that is a self-documenting, full-image description of a digital census map.

MINI (Minicomputer) A mid-range computer capable of supporting many users.

MIS (Management Information System) An automated system designed to provide progress and status information to management as an aid to decision making.

MMS (Metropolitan Map Series) A set of large-scale decennial census maps covering all or part of a metropolitan area.

MO-MB (Mail-out/Mail-back) Descriptive of the enumeration method in which the post office delivers decennial census questionnaires to specific addresses and the respondents mail them back to the district office or processing office for processing.

MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) A formal memorandum defining and explaining agreements and decisions reached on specific issues by two or more parties. See also MOU (Memorandum of Understanding).

MOB (Mobility Status) A screener question on surveys and censuses to determine if a person lived in their current residence either 5 years earlier (censuses) or 1 year earlier (surveys). Used to determine whether or not to ask a series of questions on location of previous residence.

MODEM (Modulator-Demodulator) An electronic device that can be used to connect computers and terminals over communication lines.

MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) See MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) for description.

MPA (Monthly Product Announcement) A listing of census data products released by the Census Bureau. Issued by the Data User Services Division.

MPCD (Major Program Components Document) A decennial census report that provides, by program, a description and the budget assumptions underlying the major census operations.

MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) A local governmental unit that has legal jurisdiction over a geographic area for government service planning such as transportation and land use zoning.

MRC (Mail Reminder Card) A card mailed to recipients of census questionnaires reminding them to complete the questionnaire and mail it back to the Census Bureau.

MRR (Mail Return Rate) The total number of questionnaires returned by mail divided by the number of occupied housing units included in the mail back universe (the only ones that can return a questionnaire). This measure cannot be derived until the enumeration is completed and the final number of occupied housing units is determined.

MRTS (Monthly Retail Trade Survey) Provides estimated national and regional sales figures by kind of business. (Services Division)

MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) An area defined by the Office of Management and Budget as a Federal statistical standard. An area qualifies for recognition as an MSA if it includes a city of at least 50,000 population or an urbanized area of at least 50,000 with a total metropolitan area population of at least 100,000. See also (MA).

MSI (Meritorious Service Increase) An incentive award payment based on employee performance.

MSO Designation for the (Marketing Service Office), Bureau of the Census.

MSPB (Merit Systems Protection Board) An independent quasi-judicial agency in the Executive Branch that serves as the guardian of the Federal merit systems, to ensure that federal employees are protected against abuses by agency management.

MTIS (Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales) This is a monthly Economic Indicator of total business (manufacturers and trade) sales and inventories.

MTMT (Mail and Telephone Mode Test) A test conducted in 1993 to measure the public's preference for responding to the census by telephone, and to determine if providing alternatives to response by mail improved response rates.

MU (Multi-unit) An economic census term designating a company that conducts its operations at two or more locations or has two or more separate and distinct activities at the same location.

MUX (Multiplexor) In a communications environment, a multiplexor brings together several low-speed communications lines, transforms them into one high-speed channel, and reverses the operation at the other end.

MWTS (Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey) Provides data on estimated national sales and inventories, methods of inventory valuation, and stock/sales ratios. (Services Division)

NAB (National Alliance of Businessmen) Established 1968. An organization that works to solve problems of structural unemployment and promotes economic competitiveness by involving businesses in education and training programs that serve persons facing barriers to employment.

NAC (National Association of Counties) Established 1935. An organization that provides research and reference services for county officials and represents county officials and their deputies at the national level.

NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) Established 1942. An association that lobbies on behalf of the housing industry and conducts public affairs activities to increase public understanding of housing issues and their impact on the Nation's economy.

NAHRO (National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials) Established 1933. An organization engaged in community rebuilding through community development organizations, public housing, and conservation of existing neighborhoods through citizen action and government action.

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) The new economic classification system that replaces the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification for statistical purposes. The NAICS is a numerical code system used for classifying establishments by type of economic activity.

NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) Established 1895. An association that represents industries' views on national and international problems to government. Maintains public affairs and public relations programs.

NAPAP (National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program) A special program set up to evaluate the costs and benefits of acid rain.

NAR (National Association of Realtors) Established 1908. An association that promotes education, high professional standards, and modern techniques in real estate work, such as brokerage, appraisal, property management, land development and counseling.

NARA Designation for the (National Archives and Records Administration).

NARC (National Association of Regional Councils) Established 1967. An association that promotes regionalism as an approach to meeting problems that cross local government boundaries, including economic development, transportation, environmental management, housing services to the elderly, and rural development.

NAS (National Academy of Science) Established 1863. A private, honorary organization dedicated to the furtherance of science and engineering.

NASABF (North America Statistical Areas Boundary File) A prototype database of selected census geographic area boundaries for a portion of Canada and the United States in a uniform format, with geographic coordinates, attribute information, and geographic identification codes.

NASBIC (National Association of Small Business Investment Companies) Established 1958. An organization that sponsors executive training seminars for firms licensed as small business investment companies under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958.

NASS Designation for the (National Agricultural Statistics Service), Department of Agriculture.

NBS Designation for the (National Biological Survey), Department of the Interior.

NCES Designation for the (National Center for Educational Statistics), Department of Education.

NCGA (National Computer Graphics Association) An organization for individuals who use, manufacture, and sell computer graphics hardware and software.

NCGIA (National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis) A consortium of universities, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a research agenda and an education and outreach program that responds to: 1) spatial analysis and spatial statistics; 2) spatial relationships and database structures; 3) artificial intelligence and expert systems; 4) visualization; and 5) social, economic and institutional issues.

NCHS Designation for the (National Center for Health Statistics), Department of Health and Human Services.

NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) An organization of legislators and legislative staff from the states that exists to improve the quality and effectiveness of state legislation, to foster interstate communication and cooperation, and to ensure legislatures a strong, cohesive voice in the Federal system.

NCUA Designation for the (National Credit Union Administration).

NCVS (National Crime Victimization Survey) A survey that measures crime by the kind and number of incidents, obtains data on the socioeconomic characteristics of the victims of crime, and collects detailed information on the circumstances of crimes beyond that available in existing crime reports. Collected for the Department of Justice by the Demographic Surveys Division.

NDCDB (National Digital Cartographic Data Base) Independently held and maintained Federal digital cartographic data bases; replaced by the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

NECMA (New England County Metropolitan Area) A county-based equivalent to the official metropolitan areas in the six New England States, where the standard components are county subdivisions (cities and towns) instead of counties as in other states.

NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) Established 1926. An association that maintains and improves quality and reliability of products, ensures safety standards, and organizes and acts upon members' interests in productivity, competition, energy conservation, and efficiency.

NESC Designation for the (National Environmental Satellite Center), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

NFC Designation for the (National Finance Center), Department of Agriculture, New Orleans, Louisiana. Serves as the payroll processing center for many Federal agencies.

NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) A trade association which represents small business concerns.

NGA (National Governors' Association) An association established to help its members, the Governors of the states and territories, be more effective and to improve the Federal-State partnership.

NHHS (Non-Household Sources) Decennial census enumeration terminology for getting information on a household from a source outside of the specified household.

NHIS (National Health Interview Survey) Provides data on the amount and distribution of illness, its effects in terms of disability and chronic impairments, and the kind of health services people receive. (Demographic Surveys Division).

NIA Designation for the (National Institute on Aging), Department of Health and Human Services.

NIAA Designation for the (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), Department of Health and Human Services.

NICHD Designation for the (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), Department of Health and Human Services.

NIH Designation for the (National Institute of Health), Department of Health and Human Services.

NII (National Information Infrastructure) The current Federal Government terminology for the high-speed computer network that will interconnect Federal, state, local, academic, private sector, and citizen computers to support rapid access to data bases of all types.

NIST Designation for the (National Institute of Standards and Technology), Department of Commerce. Formerly NBS (National Bureau of Standards).

NLAES (National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey) A survey collected for the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Department of Health and Human Services by the Demographic Surveys Division.

NLC (National League of Cities) Established 1924. An organization that develops a national municipal policy to meet the future needs of cities and helps solve critical problems common to the Nations' cities.

NLRB Designation for the (National Labor Relations Board), Department of Labor.

NMD (National Mapping Division) An organization component of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Department of the Interior, with whom the Census Bureau cooperates to create and update the TIGER data base.

NOAA Designation for the (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Department of Commerce.

NOS Designation for the (National Ocean Service), NOAA, Department of Commerce.

NO_LQ (No Living Quarters) A designation on an enumerator's map or address register to show that the street, block, or other feature contains no living quarters.

NPR (National Performance Review) The current Federal Government initiative to streamline the Federal bureaucracy to create a government that works better and costs less.

NPS Designation for the (National Park Service), Department of the Interior.

NRC (National Research Council) A council organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and of advising the Federal Government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities.

NRFU (Non-Response Follow-up) A decennial census operation in which enumerators visit addresses from which no questionnaires have been returned by mail.

NSDI (National Spatial Data Infrastructure) A framework of geospatial data and the means to share, access, disseminate, and use the data.

NSF (National Science Foundation) Established 1950. An independent agency in the Executive Branch concerned with the support of basic applied research and education in the sciences and engineering.

NSGIC (National States Geographic Information Council) Founded in 1991 to be an advocate for States' interests in the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

NSP (National Services Program) A census promotional program through which the Census Bureau participates in annual conferences and other meetings of national minority organizations to distribute information, conduct workshops, and meet with local leadership about the importance of a complete count. Sponsored by the Data User Services Division.

NTACS (National Truck Activity & Commodity Survey) Provides trip-specific information on commodity-carrying trucks. Collected for the Department of Transportation by the Services Division.

NTIA Designation for the (National Telecommunications and Information Administration), Department of Commerce.

NTIS Designation for the (National Technical Information Service), Department of Commerce.

NTS (National Travel Survey) A survey used to collect information on th