population was tested to give an accurate picture of the entire  market.  A  good  rule  of  thumb  is  at  least  20 percent of the male high school seniors (MHSS) must test in order to use the ASVAB as a quality indicator. If less  than  20  percent  tested,  you  can  use  all  service accession data or past production information. l Accession Data - These columns give the total from each ZIP Code accessed by all services for the last fiscal year (FY), the number of Navy contracts for the last  FY,  the  percent  of  all  service  accessions  that  went Navy for the last FY, and the same information for the current FY to date. Verification of Market Reports It is your responsibility to verify the information given on the market share reports. You should use both internal   and   external   sources   to   complete   your verification. EXTERNAL  SOURCES  OF  MARKETING INFORMATION.–  The supply of external sources of marketing information seems to be endless. Some of the most  used  sources  include  the  following: l Census data - A national census is conducted at 10-year intervals. This  information  becomes  less accurate  as  time  passes.  Local  and  state  agencies  may conduct more frequent censuses that will be more up to date. l Universities - Most universities have a marketing project  ongoing  in  their  business  curriculum.  Many publish comprehensive demographic reports that may include  information  on  population,  economy, employment, and other relevant subjects. . City planning commissions - They usually keep population figures and projections. l  Chamber  of  Commerce  -  The  Chamber  of Commerce  can  not  only  give  census-type  data  but  also can  give  you  a  great  deal  of  information  about competition such as industry and educational facilities. l   Schools  -   It   is   imperative   that   up-to-date information  regarding  current  enrollment  be  obtained directly from your assigned schools. For some reason, these  numbers  may  differ  from  the  ones  obtained  from state boards of education. l  Tax  offices  -  Tax  offices  may  have  some relevant information, but keep in mind that some of your population  may  not  be  listed  on  local  tax  rolls. l  Transportation  offices  -  Public  transportation systems  often  keep  demographic  information  on  file  to plan for future routes and services. l   You   would   also   want   to   obtain   figures concerning any institution or population group that may be included in census data that you know should be deleted  from  your  recruitable  market.  Examples  would be   military   installations,   prison   systems,   large institutions or communities whose religion prohibits military  service,  and  large  concentrations  of  otherwise ineligible population. Keep in mind that the numbers you  collect  have  in  all  probability  already  been subtracted  from  your  marketing  data.  Occasionally, circumstances change or you may find something that was missed in a previous analysis. INTERNAL   SOURCES   OF   MARKETING INFORMATION.–  You will be able to verify some of the  data  on  the  marketing  reports  with  information available  within  your  station,  zone,  or  NRD.  Rough check Navy new contracts with past production records. Some statistics may differ slightly due to out-of-area contracts. You should be able to cross-check ASVAB information with listings provided to your stations. A complete verification of all ASVABs is not necessary, but  if  you  get  the  feeling  the  upper  mental  group percentages are off, cross-check a few schools. Steam  Conference When the time comes for your district to conduct its biannual  STEAM,  the  enlisted  programs  officer  (EPO) will task you with providing up-to-date demographic information.  Recruiters  in  charge  (RINCs)  should  gather information about their assigned territory and the zone supervisor  (ZS)  will  consolidate  the  information  for  the stations within the zone. Any discrepancies found in previous marketing reports should be fully documented with written evidence to be presented at the STEAM conference.  Keep  in  mind  that  small  deviations  of population will not significantly change your RAF or gosling share. If you want to challenge the numbers, (1) be  sure  the  difference  is  significant  and  (2)  have documentation to support your claims. The following data is required to conduct a STEAM: l ZIP Code list by station and zone 5-6