A Complex Use Case - Documenting the Consumer Expenditure Survey at BLS

The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) is a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) program that measures how US families spend their money. These data are also input to the CPI. BLS selected DDI-3.2 to document CE, including the entire life-cycle.CE is conducted as 2 separate surveys, Interview and Diary. The data are combined during processing and packaged in 2 ways, one for CE dissemination and one for CPI. Changes in design occur every odd numbered year. Yearly estimates are created every 6 months, PUMD issued yearly, and data sent to CPI monthly. CE processing is divided into 4 sub-systems: 1) sample selection and collection; 2) initial edit subsystem; 3) estimation and edit subsystem, with data sent to CPI; and 4) final edits, tables, microdata. Data are processed in packages by expenditure type.A documentation system needs to handle all these features. For development, BLS is conducting a phased approach, adding complexity from phase to phase. The incremental systems are designed to establish that DDI and the Colectica system are sufficiently sophisticated to account for each feature of CE. This paper will go into detail about the particulars of the CE survey, describe progress made, and plans for the future.