For the 2018 End-to-End Census Test, the Census Bureau has completed all aspects of the Address Canvassing operation in all three sites. Of the 24 systems that will be used for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test, 23 were deployed and used for the Address Canvassing operation. One system, the Recruitment and Assessment (R&A) system, has been deployed for recruiting staff the Census Bureau will need for peak operations in Spring 2018. 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. 8-16). The Census Bureau conducted the Release C (Self-Response) Test Readiness Review (TRR) #2 on November 17, 2017.

As of November 27, 2017, the Providence, Rhode Island, Area Census Office (ACO) had met roughly half of its goal to have 1,889 applicants for peak operations positions. The ACO has been utilizing various methods of outreach to increase their recruiting numbers to be on target with their designated goals. Extensive outreach and blitz campaigns occurred over the Thanksgiving weekend and will continue into the holiday season. The Census Bureau delivered print orders and print files to the Government Publishing Office (GPO) vendors for all self-response questionnaires, and participated in project-level testing of translations of the Nonresponse Followup field enumeration instrument. Also, the Quarterly Census Questionnaire Assistance Program Management Review meeting for Census Bureau executive and senior-level management was conducted on November 14, 2017, and the final lease agreement for the second of the two planned call centers for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test located in Jacksonville, Florida, was completed. Based on the 2020 Census Integrated Master Schedule, through November 30, 2017, 60.0 percent of the activities in the 2018 End-to-End Census Test had been completed (see pp. 41).

For the 2020 Census Operations, during November, numerous operations continued developing their detailed schedules in the 2020 Census Integrated Master Schedule to baseline by mid-December.

The promotional outreach events continued for the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA), the first major operation for the 2020 Census. As of November 30, 2017, a total of 671 promotional presentations and 75 Training Workshops had been completed. As of November 30, 2017, the Census Bureau had received 15,155 responses from the 39,332 unique governments that are eligible to participate and therefore received invitations. Of those, 8,049 had signed up to participate in the LUCA Operation and 7,106 had declined. Governments typically decline due to insufficient staff, because another level of government is participating, or because they are too busy. The 8,049 who had registered to participate in the LUCA Operation cover 77.2 percent of the population and 76.6 percent of the housing by at least one LUCA participant.

The 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program (RDP) finalized participant guides for Phase 2 – the Voting District Project of the 2020 Census RDP, and published 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 been reviewing blocks during Interactive Review from the beginning of production in September 2015 through November 30, 2017. They have completed 100 percent of the 11,155,486 total blocks nationally through the first pass in Interactive Review. Going forward, blocks will continue to be triggered back in for review as needed. 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 November 30, 2017, 77.1 percent of the blocks containing 62.6 percent of the addresses were classified as Passive, 15.8 percent of the blocks containing 25.8 percent of the addresses were classified as Active, and 5.6 percent of that blocks containing 8.9 percent of the addresses were classified as On-Hold. As of November 30, 2017, 157,908 blocks have been triggered for IR re-review.

In the wake of the October 2017 merger of the management of the Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing (CEDCaP) Program into the 2020 Census Program, efforts continued in November to integrate program management and technical integration processes with a goal of reducing duplication while still maintaining the visibility into CEDCaP and monitoring the scope, schedule and cost baseline of CEDCaP. This includes planning to merge schedule management, change management and technical integration and the CEDCaP Release Train into 2020 Census processes. The Release Train is a Scaled Agile Framework delivery methodology that allows for short-term incremental delivery of functionality. The CEDCaP Release Train has 40-day increments. The CEDCaP Release Train will also be expanded to include the integration of non-CEDCaP systems delivering for the 2020 Census. (see pp. 37).

Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) completed the 2020 Critical Design Review #3 (CDR#3) on November 2 – 3, 2017. In CDR#3, SE&I presented the architecture design for 2020 Census peak operations plus Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) and Geographic Programs based on the requirements presented at System Requirements Review #3.

The Fingerprinting Contract was awarded on November 21, 2017. The contract is for the fingerprinting of all Schedule A hires required for 2018 End-to-End Census Test and 2020 Census field operations. The contract also includes an optional requirement for the vendor to take pictures of the selectees that will be sent to the Census Bureau so picture badges can be created.

The Census Bureau and United States Postal Service (USPS) Partnership effort, continues on the development of the Postal Carriers as Census Enumerators pilot. This pilot features the use of 40 postal carriers to conduct Nonresponse Followup enumeration in coordination with the 2018 End-to-End Census Test. The proposed pilot sites are North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and Warwick, Rhode Island. The Interagency Agreement and Federal Register Notice for the pilot are scheduled for completion in December 2017. Discussions involving the potential use of kiosks within Post Offices for internet self-response as part of the 2018 End-to-End Census Test are in progress. These kiosks would enable Post Office visitors to access the 2018 End-to-End Census Test internet self-response site. The proposed technical solution and cost estimate for the kiosk concept are scheduled to be delivered by the USPS in early December 2017.

The Census Bureau delivered its action plan on November 7, 2017, in response to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) final report: 2016 Address Canvassing Test: Interactive Address Canvassing Operations Review. The OIG held an entrance meeting on November 14, 2017, for their new audit on Systems Readiness for the 2018 End-to-End Census Test focused on: determining if critical systems such as the Enterprise Censuses and Surveys Enabling (ECaSE) – Operational Control System and ECaSE – Internet Self-Response will be ready to test during the 2018 End-to-End Census Test; if the Census Bureau has appropriate contingency plans in place to mitigate the risk of deficiencies in any of relevant systems; and if there are cost issues that will affect readiness of any of the relevant systems.

Some other key program updates include:

• Delivered print orders and print files to the Government Publishing Office (GPO) vendors for all self-response questionnaires. Print files for the Group Quarters questionnaires were delivered under the simplified acquisition utilized for the Group Quarters operation. Print orders and print files were delivered the week of November 6, 2017.
• Published, on November 8, 2017, in the Federal Register, a 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 from the date it was published in the Federal Register. Conducted the Quarterly Census Questionnaire Assistance Program Management Review meeting for Executive and Senior-level Census Bureau leaders on November 14, 2017.
• Completed the final lease agreement for the second of the two planned call centers for the 2018 Test located in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 10, 2017.
• Conducted the Quarterly Census Questionnaire Assistance Program Management Review meeting for Executive and Senior-level Census Bureau leaders on November 14, 2017.
• Delivered the last of key documentation required for the Release C TRR 2 entrance criteria to SE&I, as it relates to CQA system testing readiness on November 15, 2017.
• Participated in the Technical Integrator (TI) Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) on November 16, 2017. The purpose of the IBR was to verify the technical content and the realism of TI's performance budgets, resources, and schedules with respect to the Technical Directives (TD) initiated for Option Year 1.
• Conducted the Release C (Self-Response) Test Readiness Review (TRR) #2 on November 17, 2017.
• Delivered capabilities for TRR for Release C Self-Response (TRR occurred on November 17, 2017). Systems in this release include ECaSE-Operational Control System (OCS), ECaSE-Enumerate, ECaSE-Internet Self-Response (ISR), Control and Response Data System (CaRDS), integrated Computer Assisted Data Entry (iCADE) and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).
• Participated in the TI Program Management Review (PMR) on November 29, 2017. The Program Management Review (PMR) is a monthly review of progress against the specific work within each TI Technical Directive (TD). Each TD includes a requirement for a monthly status report, which the PMR satisfies.

• Briefed the National Advisory Committee on the 2020 Census Integrated Communications Plan on November 1-2, 2017.
• Completed the 2020 Critical Design Review #3 (CDR#3) on November 2-3, 2017. In CDR#3, SE&I presented the architecture design for 2020 Census peak operations plus Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) and Geographic Programs based on the requirements presented at System Requirements Review #3.
• Presented at and participated in the National Advisory Committee fall meeting, November 2-3, 2017.
• Completed the series of IT Infrastructure mini-Critical Design Reviews (CDRs) on November 15, 2017.
• Delivered the draft combined Decennial Logistics Management (DLM)/Field Infrastructure (FLDI) Detailed Operational Plan for Decennial Census Management Division Assistant Division Chief review/comment on November 22, 2017.
• The LUCA Integrated Project Team’s (IPT) LUCA Promotional Outreach events continued. A total of 671 promotional presentations had been completed as of November 30, 2017, and another 25 promotional events are scheduled in December 2017. The IPT started scheduling technical training workshops for partners who have agreed to participate in LUCA. A total of 125 technical training workshops have been scheduled for December 2017 and January 2018. As of November 30, 2017, the Census Bureau had received 15,155 responses from the 39,332 unique governments that are eligible to participate and therefore received invitations. Of those, 8,049 had signed up to participate in the LUCA Operation and 7,106 had declined. Governments typically decline due to insufficient staff, because another level of government is participating, or because they are too busy. The 8,049 who have registered to participate in the LUCA Operation cover 77.2 percent of the population and 76.6 percent of the housing by at least one LUCA participant. On November 13, 2017, the Census Bureau completed a reminder mailing to all governmental entities that had not yet responded to its invitation to participate in LUCA urging them to register.
• Provided draft 2020 Census Continuity of Operations (COOP)/Disaster Recovery Plans to Decennial Census Management Division management on November 30, 2017. The plans will cover Regional Census Center and Area Census Office mission-critical activities.