Successes and lessons learned from the 2017 Census Test were presented at the 2020 Census Program Management Review on July 11, 2017. Most User Acceptance Testing for response processing and data file creation from this test was also completed.

Activities continue for next month’s (August 2017) start of the first major operation of the 2018 End-to-End Census Test (pp. 10-18) -- Address Canvassing. The Beckley, West Virginia; and Seattle, Washington, Area Census Offices (ACOs) opened on July 17, 2017. (The Providence ACO opened May 26, 2017). Address Canvassing Production Classroom training modules were completed and uploaded to the laptops to be used for Census Field Supervisor Training on July 31, 2017. The Field Dry Run of provisioning and training with Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing laptops for Address Canvassing operations was completed. All equipment was configured and deployed to the Beckley, West Virginia, and Pierce County, Washington, Area Census Offices by July 14, 2017. (This had been completed for the Providence, Rhode Island ACO on May 26, 2017). A successful Operational Readiness Review (ORR) for Training Release 1: Address Canvassing was held, and the Production Readiness Review for Release A (Address Canvassing) was conducted on July 26, 2017. The Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing (CEDCaP) capabilities for Training Release 1 for Address Canvassing was also released to production. Recruiting and selection of staff for the operation continued with no major issues in any of the three sites.

For 2020 Census operations, the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) program for the 2020 Census continues (see p. 25-27). The LUCA Promotional Outreach events continued, with a total of 500 completed to date and 106 more scheduled. Printing and shipping LUCA Invitation packages to eligible governmental units was also started on July 17, 2017. In addition, Geographic Partnership Support Desk training to support this mailing was completed at the National Processing Center.

The 2020 Census In-Office Address Canvassing Interactive Review production continues, and is meeting the expected production goals. The clerks have reviewed 11,155,309 blocks during Interactive Review from the beginning of production in September 2015 through July 31, 2017. They have completed 100 percent of the 11,155,486 total blocks nationally through the first pass of Interactive Review. As of July 31, 2017, 74.7 percent of the blocks were classified as Passive, 18.2 percent were classified as Active, and 4.6 percent were classified as On-Hold.

The Redistricting Data Program (RDP)’s Federal Register Notice announcing Phase 2 – the Voting District Project, 30-day comment period closed on July 28, 2017.

For the Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing (CEDCaP) program (p. 38), work continues on Increment 21 commitments. (Commitments refer to part of the Scalable Agile Framework methodology that CEDCaP and the Office of Innovation and Implementation are using as part of the CEDCaP Release Train. The objective of the Release Train is to deliver “potentially shippable” integrated software at the end of each 40-day developmental cycle called Program Increment. At the start of each Program Increment, all the CEDCaP project teams participate in a planning session to identify the work, or commitments, that their team plans to get completed in the next 40 days.) For Program Increment 21, the focus of the CEDCaP project teams is Releases A, C, and D for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. Release A covers In-Field Address Canvassing, Release C is Self-Response, and Release D is Field Enumeration.

For the Census Bureau-United States Postal Service Partnership effort, development of core program management documentation, including an integrated project plan, common reporting process, risk register, and roles and responsibilities matrix, began on July 6, 2017, with a targeted completion of August 2017.

From the 2020 Census Integrated Master Schedule, through July 31, 2017, 93.6 percent of 2017 Census Test activities, and 37.4 percent of 2018 End-to-End Census Test activities had been completed.

Extensive engagements with stakeholders and oversight also continued. The quarterly Program Management Review (PMR) was held on July 11, 2017, and was broadcast live on the internet (and the video will be archived). Ron Jarmin and Enrique Lamas, are respectively fulfilling the non-exclusive duties of Director and Deputy Director, met with Rep. Gowdy, the new chair of our House Oversight Committee, and briefed him on the status of IT systems development, budget, and other 2020 Census matters. The Census Bureau provided comments to GAO on their draft report about our planned uses of administrative records, and they issued their final report on our 2020 Census address canvassing plans. GAO currently has one 2020 Census audit in progress, and the Office of Inspector General has three. Both OIG and GAO plan to launch a new audit next month on the address canvassing portion of the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. Finally, the Census Bureau held a meeting with GAO on July 20, 2017, to review its open recommendation list. This was the first of planned quarterly meetings to discuss open recommendations.

Some specific program updates include:

• Finalized and accepted the 2017 Census Test closeout documentation from the Census Questionnaire Assistance contractor on July 19, 2017. This provided the final documentation needed to “close out” work on the 2017 Census Test. Contents included the final successes and lessons learned, as well as final equipment dispositions and final deliverables.
• Completed most User Acceptance Testing for response processing and data file creation.
• Provided the draft Paper Data Capture (PDC) lessons learned document to the PDC Integrated Project Team (IPT) on July 12, 2017 for review and feedback.

• At the 2020 Census Program Management Review on July 11, 2017, the Census Bureau discussed plans to conduct Address Canvassing in three sites and continue peak operations in the Providence, Rhode Island, site.
• Opened Beckley, West Virginia; and Seattle, Washington, Area Census Offices (ACOs) on July 17, 2017. (Providence ACO opened May 26, 2017.)
• Completed Address Canvassing Production Classroom training modules and uploaded to the laptops to be used for Census Field Supervisor Training on July 31, 2017.
• Submitted the full Paperwork Reduction Act package for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test to the Office of Management and Budget.
• Held the Operational Readiness Review (ORR) for Training Release 1: Address Canvassing.
• Developed Frequently Asked Questions document for use by Census Questionnaire Assistance agents on July 6, 2017.
• The Government Publishing Office (GPO) posted the solicitation (contract terms) to acquire the necessary printing and mailing services for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test, with an option for extending through the 2020 Census. An award is planned on or about September 15, 2017.
• Delivered key geographic test files to operations teams on July 27, 2017.
• Conducted the Production Readiness Review for Release A (Address Canvassing) on July 26, 2017 and Recruiting Release 2 (Nonresponse Followup, Update Leave, Group Quarters recruiting) on July 31, 2017.
• Completed the Field Dry Run of provisioning and training with Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) laptops for Address Canvassing operations by July 14, 2017. All equipment was configured and deployed to the Beckley, West Virginia, and Pierce County, Washington, Area Census Offices (ACO) by July 14, 2017. (All equipment was configured and deployed to the Providence, Rhode Island ACO by May 26, 2017.)
• Released to production Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing (CEDCaP) capabilities for Training Release 1 for Address Canvassing. All Training systems were deployed to production by July 10, 2017. All Production systems required for Training were deployed to production by July 28, 2017.

• The LUCA Integrated Project Team’s (IPT) LUCA Promotional Outreach events continued to occur in July 2017. A total of 500 promotional presentations have been completed to date by staff, and another 106 promotional events are scheduled for August 2017 through November 2017.
• Publically released the 2020 Census Response Processing Detailed Operational Plan on July 11, 2017.
• Received approval on July 12, 2017 to proceed with acquisition activities with the General Services Administration for Wave 1 Area Census Offices (ACOs).
• Completed Geographic Partnership Support Desk (GPSD) training to support the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) invitation mailing at the National Processing Center (NPC) on July 13, 2017.
• Released the Paper Data Capture Detailed Operational Plan on July 14, 2017.
• Started printing and shipping of LUCA Invitation packages on July 17, 2017.
• Reviewed the first deliverable for TD013, the Technical Integrator’s (TI) Paper Data Capture (PDC) Business Process Model (BPM) during the July 20-27, 2017, period, and accepted (it) with comments. TD013 is the 13th TD issued under the 2020 Census Technical Integrator (TI) contract. The cope of TD013 provides for assessment, build, and technical integration support for Paper Data Capture Solution for the 2020 Census.
• The Redistricting Data Program (RDP)’s Federal Register Notice announcing Phase 2 – the Voting District Project, 30-day comment period closed on July 28, 2017.
• Completed the 2020 Software Requirements Review #2 (SRR2) on July 31, 2017. Recent Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) and Program-Level Change Requests proposed four 2020 System Requirement Reviews, Critical Design Reviews, Test Readiness Reviews, and Production Readiness Reviews (the original plan was for one of each).
• Participated in System Readiness Review for the 2020 Census on July 31, 2017.
• Baselined all Address Canvassing capability requirements for the 2020 Census July 31, 2017.
• Completed a revision of the 2020 Census Questionnaire Assistance (CQA) Business Process Model in support of the revised CQA Detailed Operational Plan.
• The Cloud team delivered a secure solution for the Disclosure Avoidance System (DAS) compliant with Title 13 requirements.
• The Technical Evaluation Team (TET) and Price Evaluation Team (PET) evaluated Third Party Vendor (3PV) Fingerprinting Proposals.