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The SIPP: The Evolution of a Phoenix

Population Association of America

April 17, 2008

David Johnson

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The SIPP Evolution

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The Unique Value of SIPP

• To provide a nationally representative sample for evaluating:– annual and sub-annual dynamics of income

– movements into and out of government transfer programs

– family and social context of individuals and households

– interactions between these items

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Purpose of SIPP

• Recommendation 2-1: The two primary goals for SIPP should be

to provide improved information on the distribution of income

and other economic resources for people and families and on

eligibility for and participation in government assistance

programs. Within these two goals, most attention should be paid

to improving the information for people who are economically at

risk.

– The Future of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, NAS, 1993

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Recent/Forthcoming SIPP reports• 2004 Marriage and Divorce table package

• Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Movements in the U.S. Income Distribution

2001-2003

• A Child’s Day, 2004, table package

• Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns of First-Time Mothers: 1961-2003

• Living Arrangements of Children: 2004

• Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements table package

• Providing Support: 2005 table package

• Net Worth and Asset Ownership of Households: 2002

• American’s with Disabilities: 2005

• Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Poverty

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Current Uses of SIPP (recent CBO reports)

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SIPP 2004 Panel Highlights

• Target of 45,000 Household sample • Reduced by half in Sept 2006 (wave 8) and

TMs eliminated• Continued collection until Jan 2008 (wave 12)• State representativeness and reliability for 33

states• Reduced seam bias• Currently wave 6 released

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SIPP 2008 Panel Highlights• Target of 45,000 Household sample • Wave 1 begins in Sept 2008• Modified 2004 Panel TM structure

– Same Wave 1, 2. Wave 3 TMs on Wave 4, etc.

• Collection for 3-4 years• State representativeness and reliability for 20

states• Waves released 9 months after data

collection completed

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Our work on SIPP Improvements

• Improve Processing System and Collection Instrument

• Develop Event History Calendar (EHC) Instrument

• Examine use of administrative records data to supplement and evaluate survey data

• Continue meetings with stakeholders, development of survey content, and use of reimbursable supplements

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Timeline for SIPP Development

2008 paper EHC

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Sep --- Jan --- May --- Sep --- Jan --- May --- Sep --- Jan --- May --- Sep --- Jan --- May --- Sep --- Jan --- May --- Sep --- Jan 2013

2009 SIPP Re-EngineeringInstrument Dev.

Processing andEvaluation

SIPP 2008 Panel – Waves 1 – 10 collection

Eval. Analysis

Systems Tests -Preparation

2009 Re-engineered SIPP automated

Prototype Reference Period

Field A

ctivities

2012/13 SIPP Re-EngineeringInstrument Refinement

Systems Tests -Preparation

2013 Reengineered SIPP Reference Period

Field A

ctivities

SIPP 2008 Panel – Waves 1 – 13 data release

Data GapSIPP 2004

2nd automated prototype

Reference Period

Field A

ct.

SIPP 2004 Panel data release

Waves 11 – 13

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Improving Processing System

• Convert CAPI instrument to BLAISE• Develop processing system in conjunction

with survey instrument for reengineered SIPP• Document processing system

– Convert from FORTRAN to SAS– Document edit and imputation procedures

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Evaluate use of EHC• An EHC interview is centered around a customized calendar that shows the reference period under investigation

•The calendar contains timelines for different domains

•Landmark events, such as holidays and birthdays can be used to aid the respondent’s memory

•Many surveys using EHC – PSID, LAFANS, ELSA

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2008 Paper Test • Paper instrument (Control card, EHC, and Assets Questions)

– Administered April/May 2008

• A reinterview evaluation and validation test

– Reinterview of 2004 panel SIPP respondents to recollect information for calendar year 2007 (about 2000 households)

• Cases completing Wave 12 of SIPP 2004 Panel (Primed)• Sample reduction cases cut after Wave 8 2004 Panel (Un-Primed)

– Pairwise comparison of responses from the two data sources

– Validation of responses using administrative records matched at the individual level; assess the occurrence, timing, and distributional differences.

• Interviewer debriefings and qualitative analyses to refine concepts and training procedures

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Screen shot of prototypeautomated EHC instrument

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Screen shot of prototypeautomated EHC instrument

Pop-up with question

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Re-engineered Survey Format/Content

• Survey Instrument –– Annual administration (Jan/Feb)

– BLAISE (plus EHC)

– Follow movers

– Limited feedback

• Content– Responding users indicated a broad

need for most of SIPP core content.

• Calendar –– Improvement on other designs by

integrating more closely with the

instrument programming language.

Front

Coverage

Demographics

Calendar Universe Screeners

Residence History

Marriage/Cohab/Fertility

Labor Force (emp/unemp/leave)

Soc. Welfare and Other Progs.

Health Insurance Coverage

Commuting, Work Schedule, Child Care

Assets / Balances

Annual Programs – Taxes – Lump Sum – Social

Insurance – Child Support

Adult Well-Being, Child Well-Being,Food Sufficiency

Health (Insurance, Expenditures, Disability

Wrap-up and MissingFollow-up visit/call Info

Back

Wkrs Cmp/Disab/Unemp Cmp

Landmark EventsEHC

CALENDAR

Type 2 Roster/Info

Relationship

Enrollment

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Use of Administrative Records

• National-level data– SIPP linked with administrative records data at the

person level– Examining imputation methods

• Creation of SIPP Synthetic Beta File matched with SSA data

• State-level data– Many social programs administered at the state-

level– SIPP data linked to social program data from states,

e.g., Maryland, Illinois

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Stakeholder Meetings and presentations

• Association of Public Policy and Management (Nov 2007)

• Event History Calendar Conference (Dec 2007)

– See http://psidonline.isr.umich.edu/Publications/Workshops/ehc-07papers.html

• American Economic Association, Session (Jan 2008)

• Population Association of America, Panel (April 2008)

• SIPP Small Grants and Workshop (October 2008)

– See http://www.npc.umich.edu/opportunities/research_grants/sipp2007/

• ASA Survey Research Methods Committee (Sept 2008)

• CNSTAT Panel (Karl Scholz (chair), Pat Ruggles (study director))

(report due fall 2008)

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URL: http://www.sipp.census.gov/sippSource: U.S. Census Bureau, Demographics Survey Division,

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