The 2010 Census Assessment of the Update Enumerate Operations documents the results of four 2010 Census field enumeration operations. The four operations that comprised the Update Enumerate Operations were:

• Update Enumerate Production,
• Update Enumerate Quality Control,
• Remote Update Enumerate, and
• Remote Alaska.

The Update Enumerate Operations were conducted in communities where housing units do not have traditional mailing addresses (for example, no house number or street name), and the geography is very remote or rural. All four of these operations involve 2010 Census enumerators interviewing and verifying the status of housing units in areas that did not receive a mail back 2010 Census questionnaire. Enumeration methodology was essentially the same across the Update Enumerate Operations; however, the implementation of each operation differs according to the climate, cultural characteristics, and remoteness of the geographical areas in which the communities or housing units were located. Refer to Appendix I: Fundamental UEO Differences in the 2010 Census for differences between the four Update Enumerate Operations production methodologies.

The Census Bureau implemented the Update Enumerate operation enumeration methodology in communities with special enumeration needs, including places where housing units did not have city-style mailing addresses (e.g., house number and street name), resort areas with high concentrations of seasonally vacant housing units, selected American Indian reservations, and communities along the Mexican-American border.

Alaskan native villages and sparsely populated communities in very remote areas of Maine and southeast Alaska constituted the Remote Alaska and Remote Update Enumerate operations, respectively. These areas have unique challenges associated with the accessibility to communities where the population ranges from several hundred people to just a few people. Communities are widely scattered and rarely linked by roads. Most are accessible only by small engine airplane, snowmobile, four-wheel-drive vehicles, dogsled, or some combination thereof.

For the 2010 Census, Remote Alaska and Remote Update Enumerate were not included in either the initial Local Update of Census Addresses program or the Address Canvassing operation to update the 2010 Census Master Address File due to their remote nature.

Each Update Enumerate Operation contained quality control activities intended to identify and correct data errors detected during the enumeration phase. Update Enumerate Quality Control was a separate and distinct operation, with separate staff, but concurrent to Update Enumerate production. For Remote Alaska and Remote Update Enumerate, the crew leader conducted a personal verification of the housing units classified as vacant or delete by the production enumerator. In addition, if the crew leader observed enumerator performance deficiencies, enumerators received additional on-the-job training. For Remote Alaska, the sworn-in tribal leader/representative participated in their tribal final housing unit count reconciliation.

The Group Quarters Advance Visit operation occurred in February 2010 and identified Group Quarters addresses. These addresses were included on address lists for the Update Enumerate Operations. Due to timing of the operations and operational challenges in remote areas, crew leaders that worked on Remote Alaska and Remote Update Enumerate received additional training and conducted the Group Quarters enumeration. Any Group Quarters found during Update Enumerate were enumerated later during the Group Quarters Enumeration operation.

The Paper-Based Operations Control System provided the Cost and Progress System at Census Bureau Headquarters with daily check-in data. The system made progress data available such as assignment of work, check-in of cases, cost of the operation to date, and reports for monitoring progress at the national, Regional Census Center, and Local Census Office levels. The Paper-
Based Operations Control System did not capture cases worked as Usual Home Elsewhere. In addition, due to system availability, report data were limited and often delayed at checkin/checkout.