Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on October 12, 2017, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on October 31, 2017. While he addressed the full array of operations for the 2020 Census Program, this was also the fulfillment of his pledge to the Congress in the Spring of 2017 that he would conduct a thorough analysis of the cost and design of the 2020 Census. Central to his testimony was the delivery of a revised lifecycle cost estimate of $15.6 billion, which includes contingency funding of $1.2 billion. Detailed information on the new lifecycle cost estimate will be delivered to the Congress in early December.

On October 5, 2017, the Department of Commerce, United States Census Bureau, received GAO’s decision sustaining the protest of the Decennial Device as a Service (dDaaS) contract award. The decision included recommendations for corrective action. Census takes GAO’s recommendations seriously, and immediately began examining all potential paths forward to enable Census to proceed with this important program without endangering the critical path for the 2020 Decennial Census. As part of that process, Census began developing an action plan to implement GAO’s recommended corrective action. Census also convened a meeting with the awardee and the protestor to describe the steps Census was taking and to facilitate a dialogue between the two.

For the 2018 End-to-End Census Test, the Census Bureau completed Quality Control listing, the final phase of the In-Field Address Canvassing operation, slightly ahead of schedule. [See the September 2017, 2020 Census Monthly Status Report for more details on testing locations, production work, system integration, operational successes, and challenges.] Several successes to note so far: For the first time, the Listing and Mapping Application (LiMA) was integrated with the overall Operation Control System – Enterprise Censuses and Surveys Enabling (ECaSE) will be used in the 2020 Census. This was the first test of overall integration of decennial systems. Also for the first time, the Census Bureau used, and integrated with other systems, the planned 2020 Decennial Applicant Personnel, and Payroll System (DAPPS) for capturing time and expenses of field staff. Another big success is the successful implementation of an independent quality control component for address canvassing. Currently 24 systems for the 2020 Census have been released, tested, received authorization to operate, deployed, and used or are being used in support of the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. Of these 24 systems, 23 were used for the Address Canvassing operation. One system, the Recruitment and Assessment (R&A) system, was deployed for recruiting staff for peak operations. Significant efforts continue to prepare and integrate geographic files, systems, applications, recruiting and hiring, forms, and a myriad of other activities needed to conduct peak operations next spring (see pp. 10-14).

Other operations for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test, Self-Response and Non-ID Processing, followed by personal visit interviewing of nonresponsing addresses and Group Quarters data collection, will take place next spring and summer in Providence, Rhode Island.

Based on the 2020 Census Integrated Master Schedule, through October 31, 2017, 57.1 percent of the activities in the 2018 End-to-End Census Test had been completed (see pp. 43).

For the 2020 Census operations (see pp. 22-35), the next iteration of the 2020 Census Operational Plan (v.3.0), was issued on October 27, 2017. Detailed Operational Plans (DOPs) also will be prepared and released for 33 of the 35 operations that constitute the 2020 Census, and 16 of those DOPs already have been released in the *2020 Census Memorandum Series.

The Census Bureau completed and made public the **2020 Census Integrated Communications Plan at the 2020 Census Quarterly Program Management Review as well. This first draft of the 2020 Census Integrated Communications Plan (v1.0) identifies the path forward for future communications‐related efforts. It lays out the foundational steps to develop a comprehensive communications campaign and provides a high‐level overview of anticipated communications strategies. The activities and strategies described within this draft are intended to reflect the planned and potential efforts of the Census Bureau as an agency; distinctions among internal Census Bureau teams and contractor roles and responsibilities will be detailed in future iterations of the plan. This draft sets the foundation that will guide the development of a final research‐based, data‐driven integrated communications and partnership plan for the 2020 Census and the identification of campaign audiences, themes, and messaging. Future iterations of the plan (v2.0 to be produced in summer 2018 and v3.0 in summer 2019) will be augmented with findings from yet‐to‐be completed campaign research, and they will provide greater detail as 2020 approaches.

The promotional outreach events continued for the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Program, the first major operation for the 2020 Census. A total of 668 promotional presentations have been completed as of October 30, 2017, and another 49 promotional events are scheduled in November 2017. Printing and shipping of LUCA Invitation Reminder packages were completed on October 9, 2017, to tribal, state, and local governmental entities. Within the Invitation Reminder packages are the registration forms and security guideline forms which the governmental entities will need to return before they can participate in the LUCA address review. As of October 30, 2017, the Census Bureau had received 12,115 responses from the 39,332 unique governments that are eligible to participate and therefore received invitations; 6,513 have registered to participate in the LUCA Operation, covering 60.3 percent of the population and 60.4 percent of the housing by at least one LUCA participant.

The 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program (RDP) submitted for publication in the Federal Register, as part of Phase 3 ̶ Data Delivery of the RDP, the proposed design for the 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data File to be produced as a prototype product from the 2018 End-to-End Census Test.

The 2020 Census In-Office Address Canvassing Interactive Review (IR) production continues, and is meeting the expected production goals. The clerks have reviewed 11,155,278 blocks during Interactive Review from the beginning of production in September 2015 through October 31, 2017. They have completed 100 percent of the 11,155,485 total blocks nationally through the first pass in Interactive Review. Going forward, blocks will continue to be triggered back in for review as needed. Forty-two staff are working Interactive Review (IR) in production, and 18 are performing Quality Control (QC). This process classifies the blocks into three categories:

• Passive = blocks that do not show signs of change and need no further review at this time.
• Active = blocks that show signs of change and need to move to the next phase of In-Office Address Canvassing for further review.
• On Hold = blocks that need new imagery to do the Interactive Review.

As of October 31, 2017, 60.7 percent of the blocks were classified as Passive, 28.9 percent were classified as Active, and 8.4 percent were classified as On-Hold. As of October 31, 2017, 157,908 blocks have been triggered for IR re-review. Triggered blocks which are still being worked through IR will be included in the "Total Blocks Reviewed" number above, but not be included in any of the Totals (Active, Passive, Hold) until they are re-reviewed. The triggered blocks accounted for 2.0 percent of the total completed. Blocks may remain in “On Hold” status for
review at a later date due to “future growth” (for instance, there are signs that construction will
be taking place but the houses are not built) or “imagery issues” (for instance, cloud cover obscures views of the structures).

The Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing (CEDCaP) program (see pp. 37-38) provided the final version of their vision/scope documentation for release to the 2020 Census program and for 2020 Census Portfolio Management Governing Board approval. For Product Release 8 (2018 End-to-End Census Test), the program supported joint Decennial and CEDCaP Systems Requirement Review, and continued iterative development and testing for needed CEDCaP capabilities.

Systems Engineering and Integration completed the 2020 System Requirements Review #3 (SRR#3) on October 5, 2017. In (SRR#3), the Decennial Census Management Division (DCMD) presented the business requirements for 2020 Census peak operations plus Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) and Geographic Programs.

The following are the major contracts the Census Bureau has acquired to aid in the 2020 Census: Census Questionnaire Assistance (CQA), Census - Schedule A Human Resources and Recruiting, Payroll System (C-SHaRPS), Third-Party Fingerprinting (not awarded), decennial Device as a Service (dDaaS), Immix/Pega [sub, Decennial Service Center (DSC)], 2020 Field IT Deployment (FITd), Integrated Communications Contract (ICC), Technical Integrator, Pega, and Printing.

For the Census Bureau-United States Postal Service (USPS) Partnership effort, the focus has been on the Postal Carriers as Enumerators pilot. The two pilot sites are North Attleboro, Massachusetts; and Warwick, Rhode Island. Comments on the Interagency Agreement were received from many USPS and Census Bureau stakeholders and are being incorporated.

USPS was welcomed at the Census Bureau to conduct a registration drive for Informed Delivery, where just under 100 people signed up for the free notification service that gives eligible residential consumers the ability to preview their letter mail, wherever they are, before it arrives. To further the partnership, Census Bureau staff met with the USPS Chief Marketing Officer and marketing team to continue exploring partnership opportunities for the 2020 Census.

Some other key program updates include:

• Completed In-Field Address Canvassing Quality Control listing before the scheduled completion date of October 5, 2017.
• Facilitated a Paper Data Capture (PDC) Stakeholder meeting with the Technical Integrator (TI) on October 10, 2017, to walk through the 2018 End-to-End Census Test data capture operation and discuss the TI’s proposed approach to the Paper Handling Analysis of Alternatives (AoA).
• Conducted the Training Release 2 (Field Enumeration) Test Readiness Review (TRR) on October 11, 2017.
• Cancelled the Release C (self‐response) TRR #1, which was scheduled for October 11, 2017. Due to the replan of the Group Quarters operation, the software planned for TRR #1 was rescheduled as a new TRR #3 in March 2018.
• Delivered Geographic Reference File-Codes (GRF-C) files, Geographic Reference File-Names (GRF-N) Files, Master Address File Extract (MAFX) files, and Spatial Data to Decennial Statistical Studies Division, Field Division, the Control and Response Data System (CaRDS), and the Decennial Applicant Personnel and Payroll System (DAPPS) for TRR on October 11, 2017.
• Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing (CEDCaP) Product Release 8 (2018 End‐to‐End Census Test) delivered capabilities for Training Release 2 (Field Enumeration) on October 11, 2017. Systems in this release include ECaSE‐FOCS, ECaSE‐Enum, Listing and Mapping Application/Mobile Case Management (LiMA/MCM) and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).
• Delivered the GRF-C to Enterprise Censuses and Surveys Enabling (ECaSE) for TRR on October 12, 2017.
• The Government Publishing Office (GPO) awarded the contract to Cenveo to acquire the necessary printing and mailing services to support self-response for the Test, with an option for extending through the 2020 Census, on October 16, 2017.
• Held 2018 End-to-End Census Test Address Canvassing Just In Time Debriefing Webinar for Providence, Rhode Island, Area Census Office management staff and Regional Census Center Area managers on October 18, 2017.
• Received the Address Canvassing Address Update file (ADDUP) and the Associated Structure Coordinate Update File (STRUCT) on October 20, 2017.
• Continued iterative development and testing for CEDCaP Capabilities for Release C Self‐Response (in preparation for the Test Readiness Review scheduled for November 17, 2017) and Release D Field Enumeration (in preparation for the Test Readiness Review scheduled for December 6, 2017).
• Enterprise Censuses and Surveys Enabling-Internet Self-Response (ECaSE-ISR) continued development for the Internet Self-Response (ISR) application, Census Questionnaire Assistance-Internet Self-Response (CQA-ISR) application, and Coverage Improvement Application.
• Awaiting clearance from the Department of Commerce to publish the Federal Register Notice on the draft design of the prototype P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data File to be produced from the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. Revisions to the file structure account for the use of a combined race and ethnicity question in the Test and for a proposed group quarters table. The public will have 60 days to comment on the Notice once it is published in the Federal Register.
• Began development of scope for 2018 Systems Interface testing for the apportionment calculation (this will be a simulation using 2010 data).

• Participated in a 2020 schedule integration session, specific to 2020 Address Canvassing schedule development, on October 3, 2017.
• Participated in a Training Release 1/Release A/Recruiting Release 2 lessons learned session between system and operation areas, related to Address Canvassing on October 4, 2017.
• Held quarterly meeting on October 4, 2017, with the Government Accountability Office to discuss Open Recommendations, Strategies and Priorities.
• Completed the 2020 System Requirements Review #3 (SRR#3) on October 5, 2017. In SRR#3, the Decennial Census Management Division (DCMD) presented the business requirements for 2020 Census peak operations plus Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) and Geographic Programs.
• Released on October 6, 2017, final reports on 2020 Census tribal consultations with the following groups: State-Recognized Tribes, Federally Recognized Tribes, Oklahoma Tribes, and the Navajo Nation, respectively.
• The Integrated Communication Contractor (Team Young & Rubicam [Y&R]) delivered the final English language questionnaire for the Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Study (CBAMS) survey based on final comments from the Census Bureau on October 9, 2017, and the Spanish language questionnaire on October 13, 2017.
• Delivered 2020 Group Quarters operations requirements to the Decennial Contracts and Execution Office (DCEO) and the Chief Technology Office on October 13, 2017.
• Released Version 1 of the 2020 Integrated Communications Plan to the public on October 27, 2017.
• Held quarterly 2020 Census Program Management Review on October 27, 2017.
• Issued the 2020 Census Operational Plan (v.3.0) on October 27, 2017. Detailed Operational Plans (DOPs) also will be prepared and released for 33 of the 35 operations that constitute the 2020 Census, and 16 of those DOPs already have been released in the *2020 Census Memorandum Series.
• Invited official liaisons to participate in Phase 2, the Voting District Project, of the Redistricting Data Program (RDP) and informed legislative leadership of that invitation.
• Submitted for publication in the Federal Register, as part of Phase 3 ̶ Data Delivery of the RDP, the proposed design for the 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data File to be produced as a prototype product from the 2018 End-to-End Census Test.