This memorandum documents the release of version 3.0 of the 2020 Census Operational Plan. The 2020 Census Operational Plan describes the current design of the 2020 Census. The purpose of this document is to provide the background information that supports evidence-based decision making in our 2020 Census design. It reflects the most current status of our operations and planning for conducting the census. This version of the 2020 Census Operational Plan provides updates on: which operations are to be included in the 2020 Census, planned tests and milestone schedules, results from previous tests, program and project risks, descriptions of the census operations, the quality analysis process, and design decisions, including those decisions that have been made and those that remain.

The purpose of the 2020 Census is to conduct a census of population and housing and disseminate the results to the President, the states, and the American people. The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place, and the challenge is to conduct a 2020 Census at a lower cost per household (adjusted for inflation) than the 2010 Census, while maintaining high quality results.