Agmt20 County of San Mateo and RWC Public Library

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Exhibit A In consideration of the payments set forth in Exhibit B, Contractor shall provide the following services: I. Project Background: Every 10 years, the federal government is required to count all people residing in the United States through a national census. The United States Census Bureau has designated April 1, 2020 as National Census Day, the official start date of the 2020 census response period. Ensuring a complete count of San Mateo County residents is essential for many reasons. The decennial census serves as the cornerstone of our democracy and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. It was included to ensure that everyone is equally represented in our political system and government resources are allocated fairly. It is also used to make important community decisions, like where to build homes, parks, schools, and roads and where to offer health, childcare, and transportation services. And businesses rely on census data to determine where to open facilities, what products to develop, and how to market their services. Census 2020 is at high risk for undercount. There are several challenges facing the upcoming census. Despite declining self -response rates, the Census Bureau will conduct the Census 2020 at a lower cost per household than in 2010. There will be fewer local offices, less field staff, and the primary strategy for data collection will be via internet. The Census Bureau has historically faced challenges counting certain households and population groups, regardless of budget and staffing. These include recent immigrants, households with limited English proficiency, households with low income, racial/ethnic minorities, children under five years of age, persons who are disabled, rural residents, renters, and those with unstable or unconventional housing. California has been the hardest -to -count state in the nation. In 2016, about 75% of all Californians belonged to one or more groups that tend to be undercounted. The County of San Mateo is home to many of who are in these hard to count groups. In addition, there are new barriers facing the Census 2020 that will require significant efforts to address: • Distrust & Data Privacy: There is a widening distrust of government among diverse segments of the population (immigrant and nonimmigrant alike), raising concerns about how census data will be used and whether it will remain confidential. • Online Survey: Heightening data privacy concerns is the fact that, for the first time, the bulk of census responses are expected to be collected online (an estimated 12% of San Mateo County residents will receive paper version in initial mailings). In addition to security challenges, this poses barriers for vulnerable communities and populations without digital access and computer literacy. As reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government House of Representatives on October 12, 2017 the projected self -response rate for Census 2020 is 55%, significantly lower than 63.5% in 2010. An undercount in the Census 2020 could have significant impact on the State of California and San Mateo County, affecting federal funding for critical community programs, representation at all levels of government, and data used for decision-making across sectors. If segments of the County are not counted in 2020, theirvoices may not be fully considered when making important budget, program and policy decisions. rel Jii�l� 4.r. )r r�iJ�2/`rJ2/ 16, 2016 Page 10 ATTY/AGR2020.048/2020 Census - County of San Mateo (Page 10 of 18)