The Survey of Program Dynamics Users’ Guide is primarily intended as a reference for analysts using data files produced and distributed by the U.S. Census Bureau. This document provides an overview of the Survey of Program Dynamics and its goals, a history of its development and implementation, an explanation of the survey’s design (and the implications of that design), a description of available data products, and specific methods for accessing and analyzing the data.

The Users’ Guide is divided into three sections, plus an appendix. The first section contains introductory material, including background information on the survey. The second section contains more technical information on how to properly use the data and interpret the results. The third section contains directions for working with the Survey of Program Dynamics data files. The appendix contains a list of abbreviations and a glossary of terms used in this document.

Some of the information contained in the first section of this guide may be useful to a broader audience, especially people who are interested in measuring the effects of we lfare reform or in the methodology of sample surveys. An invaluable companion volume to this guide would be the Survey of Income and Program Participation Users’ Guide, also available from the Census Bureau.