2020 CENSUS

Continued 

Management 

Attention Needed to 

Address Challenges 

and Risks with 

Developing, Testing, 

and Securing IT 

Systems

Report to Congressional Requesters

August 2018

GAO-18-655

United States Government Accountability Office
United States Government Accountability Office

Highlights of GAO-18-655, a report to 

congressional requesters

August 2018

2020 CENSUS

Continued Management Attention Needed to Address 

Challenges and Risks with Developing, Testing, and 

Securing IT Systems

What GAO Found

The Census Bureau (Bureau) has continued to make progress in developing and 

testing information technology (IT) systems for the 2020 Census. Specifically, as 

of June 2018, the Bureau had completed all development activities for 36 of the 

44 systems needed to support the 2018 End-to-End Test, and was in the 

process of completing these activities for the remaining 8 systems. In addition, 

the Bureau had completed all system and integration testing activities for 20 of 

the 44 systems, and was in the process of conducting these activities for the 

remaining 24 systems. 

Nevertheless, the Bureau continues to face significant challenges and risks in its 

efforts to manage the schedules, contracts, costs, and cybersecurity of its 2020 

Census systems.

• Schedule management: The Bureau’s schedule for developing systems to 

support the 2018 End-to-End Test has experienced delays. These delays 

have compressed the time available for system and integration testing, and 

several systems experienced problems during the 2018 End-to-End Test. In 

addition, the Bureau is currently revising the system development and testing 

schedule for the 2020 Census as a result of challenges experienced and 

lessons learned while completing these activities during the 2018 End-to-End 

Test. Continued schedule management challenges may compress the time 

available for the remaining system and integration testing and increase the 

risk that systems will not function as intended. 

• Contractor oversight: Among other challenges, the Bureau is still filling 

vacancies in the government program management office that is overseeing 

its key integration contractor. In June 2018, Bureau officials reported that 33 

of the office’s 58 federal employee positions were vacant. This adds risk that 

the office may not be able to provide adequate oversight of contractor cost, 

schedule, and performance.

• IT cost growth: The Bureau reported that its estimated IT costs had grown 

from $3.41 billion in October 2015 to $4.97 billion in December 2017—an 

increase of $1.56 billion. This increase was due, in large part, to the addition 

of technical integration services and updated costs for other major contracts 

(such as the contract for mobile devices). The amount of cost growth since 

the October 2015 estimate raises questions as to whether the Bureau has a 

complete understanding of the IT costs associated with the 2020 Census.

• Cybersecurity: The Bureau has made progress by completing the security 

assessments for 33 of the 44 systems needed to support the 2018 End-toEnd Test. However, as of June 2018, the Bureau had identified nearly 3,100 

security weaknesses that will need to be addressed in the coming months.

Because the 2020 Census involves collecting personal information from over 

a hundred million households across the country, it will be important that the 

Bureau addresses system security weaknesses in a timely manner and 

ensures that risks are at an acceptable level before systems are deployed.

With the 2020 Census less than 2 years away, it is critical that the Bureau 

address these challenges and risks to ensure that its IT systems are developed, 

tested, and secured in time to support the count of the nation’s population.

View GAO-18-655. For more information, 

contact Nick Marinos at (202) 512-9342 or 

marinosn@gao.gov. 

Why GAO Did This Study

One of the Bureau’s most important 

functions is to conduct a complete and 

accurate decennial census of the U.S. 

population. The decennial census is 

mandated by the Constitution and 

provides vital data for the nation. The 

Bureau plans to significantly change 

the methods and technology it uses to 

count the population with the 2020 

Census, such as by offering an option 

for households to respond to the 

survey via the Internet. In preparation

for the 2020 Census, the Bureau is 

conducting a test of all key systems 

and operations (referred to as the 2018 

End-to-End Test), which began in 

August 2017 and runs through April 

2019.

GAO was asked to review the Bureau’s 

IT readiness for the 2020 Census. This 

report (1) determines the Bureau’s 

progress in developing and testing 

systems for the 2018 End-to-End Test 

and (2) describes the challenges and 

risks that the Bureau has faced in 

implementing and securing these 

systems. To do this, GAO reviewed 

key documentation, including plans for 

system development and testing, and 

outcomes of key IT milestone reviews 

and security assessments.

What GAO Recommends

Over the past decade, GAO has made 

93 recommendations specific to the 

2020 Census to address the issues 

raised in this and other products. As of 

August 2018, the Bureau had 

implemented 61 recommendations, 

and had taken initial steps—including 

developing action plans—to implement 

the other 32 recommendations. GAO is 

not making additional 

recommendations in this report.
Page i GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Letter 1

Background 3

The Bureau Has Made Progress in Developing and Testing Its IT 

Systems for the 2018 End-to-End Test 6

The Bureau Continues to Face Challenges and Risks in 

Implementing Its IT Systems for the 2020 Census 9

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 21

Appendix I Status of Development and Testing for Systems in the 2018 

End-to-End Test, as of June 2018 24

Appendix II Comments from the Department of Commerce 31

Appendix III GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments 33

Tables

Table 1: The Census Bureau’s Original Milestone Dates for 

Operational Releases for the 2020 Census, as of July 

2018 11

Table 2: Total 2020 Census Information Technology (IT) Costs 

Estimated by the Census Bureau, by Cost Category, as of 

December 2017 15

Table 3: Development, Testing, and Deployment Status for the 44 

Systems in the Census Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, 

as of June 2018 24

Figures

Figure 1: Development Status for the 44 Systems in the Census 

Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, as of June 2018 6

Figure 2: Testing Status for the 44 Systems in the Census 

Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, as of June 2018 7

Figure 3: Development and Testing Status for System Operations 

in the Census Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018 8

Contents
Page ii GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Figure 4: The Census’s Bureau’s Expected Performance and 

Scalability Test Plans for the 2020 Census, as of July 

2018 12

Figure 5: Total Information Technology Costs Estimated by the 

Census Bureau, as of December 2017 14

Figure 6: Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in Census 

Bureau Systems Included in the 2018 End-to-End Test, 

as of June 2018 17

Figure 7: Authorization to Operate Status for 44 Systems Being 

Used in the Census Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, as 

of June 2018 20

Abbreviations

Bureau U.S. Census Bureau 

CEDCaP Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing 

CIO chief information officer 

Commerce Department of Commerce 

FISMA Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 and 

Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 

FITARA Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act 

IT information technology 

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology 

OMB Office of Management and Budget 

POA&M plan of action and milestones 

PII personally identifiable information

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the 

United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety 

without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain 

copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be 

necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.
Page 1 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

441 G St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20548

August 30, 2018

Congressional Requesters

Conducting the decennial census of the U.S. population is mandated by 

the Constitution and provides vital data for the nation. The information 

that the census collects is used to apportion the seats of the House of 

Representatives; redraw congressional districts; allocate billions of dollars 

each year in federal financial assistance; and provide a social, 

demographic, and economic profile of the nation’s people to guide policy 

decisions at each level of government. Further, businesses use census 

data to market new services and products and to tailor existing ones to 

demographic changes.

For 2020, a complete count of the nation’s population is an enormous 

undertaking. The U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau), a component of the 

Department of Commerce (Commerce), is seeking to control the cost of 

the census while it implements several innovations and manages the 

processes of acquiring and developing information technology (IT) 

systems. However, in recent years, we have identified challenges that 

raise serious concerns about the Bureau’s ability to conduct a costeffective count of the nation, including issues with the agency’s research, 

testing, planning, scheduling, cost estimation, systems development, and 

cybersecurity practices. We also added the 2020 Census to GAO’s highrisk list in February 2017.1

Currently, the Bureau is conducting the 2018 End-to-End Test, which 

began in August 2017 and runs through April 2019. This effort is the 

Bureau’s final opportunity to test all key systems and operations in a 

census-like environment to ensure readiness for the 2020 Census.

Given the importance of the IT systems to the 2018 End-to-End Test and 

the 2020 Census, you asked us to review the Bureau’s IT readiness for 

the 2020 Census. Our specific objectives were to (1) determine the 

progress that the Bureau has made in developing and testing the critical 

 1

GAO, High-Risk Series: Progress on Many High-Risk Areas, While Substantial Efforts 

Needed on Others, GAO-17-317 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 15, 2017). GAO maintains a

high-risk program to focus attention on government operations that it identifies as high risk 

due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement or the 

need for transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges.

Letter
Page 2 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

IT systems for the 2018 End-to-End Test, and (2) describe the challenges 

and risks that the Bureau has faced in implementing and securing these 

systems.

To determine the progress in developing and testing systems for the 2018 

End-to-End Test, we updated information related to our recent work on 

the Bureau’s system development and testing efforts.2 To do this, we 

reviewed relevant Bureau documentation on the 44 IT systems in the 

2018 End-to-End Test, including the 2020 Census Operational Plan, the 

Bureau’s system integration and implementation plan, outcomes of key IT 

milestone reviews, and requirements traceability matrices. We also 

interviewed agency officials, including the Chief Information Officer (CIO), 

the Associate Director for Decennial Census Programs, and officials from 

the Bureau’s technical integration contractor.

To describe the challenges and risks that the Bureau has faced in 

implementing and securing these systems, we reviewed Bureau 

documentation, including risk and issue registers, meeting minutes from 

2020 Census executive review meetings, and presentations from bimonthly meetings from the Bureau’s technical integration contractor. We 

also reviewed documentation discussing the Bureau’s progress in 

mitigating or addressing the risks and challenges, including plans for 

2020 Census system development and testing, deliverables from key 

contractors (including the technical integration contractor), the basis of 

estimate documentation for the 2020 Census cost estimate developed in 

December 2017, results of 2020 Census executive review board 

meetings, outcomes from security assessments, and the Bureau’s list of 

plans of action and milestones (POA&Ms). In addition, we interviewed 

relevant agency officials, including the CIO and the Chief Information 

Security Officer.

 2

For example, GAO, 2020 Census: Actions Needed to Mitigate Key Risks Jeopardizing a 

Cost-Effective and Secure Enumeration, GAO-18-543T (Washington, D.C.: May 8, 2018); 

2020 Census: Continued Management Attention Needed to Mitigate Key Risks 

Jeopardizing a Cost-Effective and Secure Enumeration, GAO-18-416T (Washington, D.C.: 

Apr. 18, 2018); 2020 Census: Actions Needed to Mitigate Key Risks Jeopardizing a CostEffective Enumeration, GAO-18-215T (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 31, 2017); 2020 Census: 

Continued Management Attention Needed to Oversee Innovations, Develop and Secure 

IT Systems, and Improve Cost Estimation, GAO-18-141T (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 12, 

2017); 2020 Census: Sustained Attention to Innovations, IT Systems, and Cost Estimation 

Is Needed, GAO-17-584T (Washington, D.C.: May 3, 2017); and Information Technology: 

Better Management of Interdependencies between Programs Supporting 2020 Census Is 

Needed, GAO-16-623 (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 9, 2016). 
Page 3 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

We conducted this performance audit from August 2016 to August 2018 

in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain 

sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that 

the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and 

conclusions based on our audit objectives.

For the 2020 Census, the Bureau is significantly changing how it intends 

to conduct the census, in part by re-engineering key census-taking 

methods and infrastructure, and making use of new IT applications and 

systems. For example, the Bureau plans to offer an option for households 

to respond to the survey via the Internet and enable field-based 

enumerators3 to use applications on mobile devices to collect survey data 

from households. In December 2017, the Bureau estimated the total cost 

of the redesigned 2020 Census to be about $15.6 billion, more than $3 

billion higher than it estimated in October 2015.

To inform the design of the 2020 Census operations and systems, the 

Bureau held several major operational tests. These tests included (1) the 

2016 Census tests in Texas and California, which evaluated, among other 

things, the efficiency of non-response follow-up4 using contractorprovided mobile devices; and (2) the 2017 Census Test—a nationwide 

sample of how individuals respond to Census questions using paper, the 

Internet, or the phone—which evaluated key new IT components, such as 

the Internet self-response system and the use of a cloud-based 

infrastructure.

Currently, the Bureau is conducting the 2018 End-to-End Test, which 

began in August locations—Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Washington 

state. The Bureau is currently testing its non-response operation in Rhode 

 3

Enumerators are Census Bureau employees who travel from door-to-door throughout the 

country to try to obtain census data from individuals who do not respond through other 

means, including the Internet, on paper, or by phone.

4

In non-response follow-up, if a household does not respond to the census by a certain 

date, the Bureau will conduct an in-person visit by an enumerator to collect census data 

using a mobile device provided by the Bureau.

Background
Page 4 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Island.5 This operation began in May 2018 and is scheduled to conclude 

in August 2018.

The Bureau plans to rely heavily on both new and legacy IT systems and 

infrastructure to support the 2018 End-to-End Test and the 2020 Census 

operations. For example, the Bureau’s plans call for deploying and using 

44 systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test. Eleven of these systems are 

currently being developed or modified as part of an enterprise-wide 

initiative called Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing 

(CEDCaP).6 This initiative is a large and complex modernization program 

intended to deliver a system-of-systems to support all of the Bureau’s 

survey data collection and processing functions, rather than continuing to 

rely on unique, survey-specific systems with redundant capabilities.

As part of the 2018 End-to-End Test, the Bureau plans to incrementally 

test, deploy, and use the 44 systems from December 2016 through the 

end of the test in April 2019.7 These systems are to be deployed in 14 

groups based on the operations that they support in the test, including 

address canvassing, self-response (i.e., Internet, phone, or paper), field 

enumeration, and tabulation and dissemination. A system may be 

deployed for one operation in the 2018 End-to-End Test (such as address 

canvassing), and then be deployed again for a subsequent operation in 

the test (such as field enumeration).

Following the 2018 End-to-End Test, the Bureau has additional system 

development and testing activities planned leading up to the 2020 

Census. Specifically, Bureau officials said they expect that the 44 

systems used in the 2018 End-to-End Test will need to undergo further 

development and testing due to, among other things, the need to add 

 5

The Bureau originally planned to perform the entire 2018 End-to-End Test in all three 

locations. However, in May 2017, the Bureau scaled back the operational scope of the test 

and, of the three planned test sites, the Bureau would fully implement the test in the 

Rhode Island site only.

6

The Bureau is pursuing enterprise-wide technology solutions intended to support other 

major surveys the Bureau conducts as well, such as the American Community Survey and 

the Economic Census.

7

Prior to deployment in the 2018 End-to-End Test, the systems are to undergo various 

forms of testing, including system-level testing to ensure that the system meets business 

requirements, and integration testing to validate (among other things) the interfaces 

between systems.

The Bureau Plans to Rely 

Heavily on IT for the 2018 

End-to-End Test and the 

2020 Census
Page 5 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

functionality that was not part of the end-to-end test, scale system 

performance to support the number of respondents expected during the 

2020 Census, and to address system defects identified during the 2018 

End-to-End Test. Bureau officials also reported that they plan to use an 

additional 8 systems that were not included in the 2018 End-to-End 

Test—for a total of 52 systems—to carry out the 2020 Census 

operations.8

As of June 2018, the Bureau planned to deploy the 52 systems for the 

2020 Census in four groups, or operational releases, to support the key 

operations in the 2020 Census: (1) recruiting and hiring; (2) address 

canvassing; (3) self-response, non-response follow-up, and fraud 

detection; and (4) reporting and coverage measurement.9 The systems 

are grouped according to the operations that they support during the 2020 

Census. For example, the third operational release—which includes the 

most systems—has 47 systems to be used for self-response (including 

via the Internet), non-response follow-up, and fraud detection.

In addition to its systems and applications, the Bureau is designing, 

configuring, and managing the IT infrastructure needed for the 2020 

Census. The Bureau’s 2020 Census infrastructure includes: (1) an on 

premises data center being managed by the Bureau; (2) an on premises 

data center being managed by the Bureau’s technical integration 

contractor; (3) a cloud-based infrastructure using Amazon Web Services 

being managed by the technical integration contractor; (4) hardware 

located at the National Processing Center for printing and mailing 

systems; and (5) hardware managed and located elsewhere for those 

systems that are provided as software-as-a-service.10

 8

Several of these systems are for the coverage measurement operation, which was 

removed from the scope of the 2018 End-to-End Test. Coverage measurement evaluates 

the quality of the census data by estimating the census coverage based on a postenumeration survey.

9

Similar to the 2018 End-to-End Test, a system being used in the 2020 Census may be 

deployed multiple times (with additional or new functionality) if that system is needed for 

more than one of these operations.

10Software-as-a-service involves purchasing commercial software that is operated and 

maintained by a commercial vendor. Examples of systems that the Bureau has acquired 

as software-as-a-service include Census Questionnaire Assistance (the phone response 

system), and Recruiting and Assessment.
Page 6 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

The Bureau has made progress in developing and testing the IT systems 

for the 2018 End-to-End Test. In this regard, it has finished developing a 

majority of the 44 systems in the test. Specifically, as of June 2018, the 

Bureau had completed all development activities for 36 of the 44 systems 

in the test, and was in the process of completing these activities for the 

remaining 8 systems. Figure 1 summarizes the development status for 

the 44 systems planned for the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of June 2018.

Figure 1: Development Status for the 44 Systems in the Census Bureau’s 2018 Endto-End Test, as of June 2018

In addition, as of June 2018, the Bureau had completed all testing 

activities (e.g., system and integration testing) for 20 of the 44 systems 

included the 2018 End-to-End Test, and was in the process of conducting 

these tests for the remaining 24 systems. Figure 2 summarizes the status 

of testing for the 44 systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test. Further, 

appendix I provides additional details about the status of the development 

and testing activities for these systems.

The Bureau Has 

Made Progress in 

Developing and 

Testing Its IT Systems 

for the 2018 End-toEnd Test
Page 7 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Figure 2: Testing Status for the 44 Systems in the Census Bureau’s 2018 End-toEnd Test, as of June 2018

In total, as of June 2018, the Bureau had completed all development and 

testing activities to support 10 of the 14 operations in the 2018 End-toEnd Test, such as in-field address canvassing and response 

processing.11 For the remaining 4 operations—field enumeration, group 

quarters enumeration, fraud detection, and reporting—system 

development and/or testing activities were in process, but had not been 

completed. Figure 3 depicts the total number of systems supporting each 

operation, the number of systems that have completed development and 

testing, and the status of the operation.

 11As stated previously, the 44 systems in the test are to be deployed multiple times in a 

series of operations (such as group quarters enumeration). That is, a system may be 

deployed for one operation in the 2018 End-to-End Test (such as address canvassing), 

and be deployed again for a subsequent operation in the test (such as group quarters 

enumeration). As such, additional development and testing is to occur each time a system 

is deployed.
Page 8 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Figure 3: Development and Testing Status for System Operations in the Census Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, as of June 

2018

a

In addition to non-response follow-up, field enumeration also includes operations such as 

update/leave and coverage improvement. In update/leave, listers update a housing unit’s address 

and leave a questionnaire to allow the household to self-respond. The goal of coverage improvement 
Page 9 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

is to resolve erroneous enumerations (such as people counted in the wrong place or more than once) 

and omissions.

Even as the Bureau has made progress in its system development and 

testing activities, it continues to face challenges in managing and 

overseeing the development and testing of its IT systems for the 2018 

End-to-End Test and the 2020 Census. Specifically, we have noted 

challenges in the Bureau’s efforts to manage the schedules, contracts, 

costs, governance and internal coordination, and cybersecurity of its 

systems.

The Bureau has faced significant challenges in managing its schedule for 

developing and testing systems for the 2018 End-to-End Test. Further, 

due, in part, to these challenges, the Bureau is replanning key IT 

milestones for the 2020 Census.

In May 2018, we reported that the Bureau had delayed by several months 

key IT milestone dates (e.g., dates to begin system integration testing) for 

a majority of the 14 operations in the 2018 End-to-End Test.12 For 

example, the Bureau moved the test readiness review date for the fraud 

detection operation from April 2018 to July 2018—a delay of 3 months. 

These delays have compressed the time the Bureau has had for 

integration testing before the systems are deployed in the 2018 End-toEnd Test.

Several of the systems subsequently experienced problems during the 

end-to-end test, including the mobile device applications being used by 

enumerators for the non-response follow-up13 operation of the test.14 For 

example, Bureau officials reported that enumerators have experienced 

problems with the sensitivity of the mobile devices’ touch screen. More 

 12GAO-18-543T.

13In non-response follow-up, if a household does not respond to the census by a certain 

date, the Bureau will send out employees to visit the home. The Bureau’s plan is for these 

enumerators to use a census application, on a mobile device provided by the Bureau, to 

capture the information given to them by the in-person interviews.

14As mentioned previously, the non-response follow-up operation of the End-to-End Test 

is being performed in Rhode Island and began in May 2018 and is scheduled to conclude 

in August 2018.

The Bureau 

Continues to Face 

Challenges and Risks 

in Implementing Its IT 

Systems for the 2020 

Census

Schedule management
Page 10 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

specifically, in certain cases, the mobile device application did not identify 

that the enumerator had made a selection on the touch screen until after 

the enumerator attempted to select it multiple times.

In addition, we previously reported that the delays in system development 

and testing had reduced the time available to conduct the security 

reviews and approvals for the systems being used in the 2018 End-toEnd Test.15 Officials in the Bureau’s Office of Information Security stated 

that the original plan was to have at least 6 to 8 weeks to perform security 

assessments for each system. However, given the compressed time 

frames, Bureau officials informed us that, in some instances, they have 

had 5 to 8 days to complete certain assessments. This resulted in 

systems being deployed before the security of all system components 

were assessed.16 We concluded that, going forward, it would be important 

for these security assessments to be completed in a timely manner and 

that risks be at an acceptable level before the systems are deployed.

Due in part to IT development and testing schedule challenges that it has 

identified during the 2018 End-to-End Test, the Bureau is in the process 

of revising the milestone dates for the additional system development and 

testing that is to occur after the 2018 End-to-End Test and before the 

2020 Census. As noted earlier, the Bureau plans to develop, test, and 

deploy the 52 systems in the 2020 Census in four operational releases.

According to the Bureau’s plans, the agency originally planned to 

complete development for its first 2020 Census operational release (for 

recruiting and hiring) in May 2018. However, in June 2018, Bureau 

officials reported that the Bureau did not meet the May 2018 delivery date 

for the 2020 Census recruiting and hiring operational release. 

Additionally, the agency originally planned to complete integration and 

testing for this operational release by July 2018. However, in July 2018, 

Bureau officials reported that this milestone had been delayed to August 

2018. The Bureau’s original milestone dates for the operational releases, 

reflecting the system development completion status for recruiting and 

hiring, are shown in table 1.

 15GAO-18-543T.

16According to the Bureau’s Chief Information Security Officer, components that do not 

have all controls assessed are to be tracked until the assessments are completed, even if 

it is after the system deploys.
Page 11 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Table 1: The Census Bureau’s Original Milestone Dates for Operational Releases for the 2020 Census, as of July 2018 

Operational release 

name

Number of 

systems in the 

operational release

Expected completion 

date for system 

development

Expected completion date 

for integration and test

Expected 

deployment date

1. Recruiting and hiring 21 May 2018 (Not met) July 2018 (Not met) September 2018

2. Address canvassing 29 November 2018 March 2019 May 2019

3. Self-response, nonresponse follow-up, 

and fraud detection

47 February 2019 June 2019 November 2019

4. Reporting and 

coverage 

measurement

25 October 2019 February 2020 July 2020

Source: GAO analysis of Census Bureau data. | GAO-18-655

Bureau officials reported that they intend to revise the development and 

testing milestone dates for all four operational releases for the 2020 

Census, but that they do not expect the final deployment dates to change. 

The officials further noted that they are planning to incorporate lessons 

learned to date from the 2018 End-to-End Test as part of the replanning 

efforts. However, Bureau officials had not yet identified a specific time 

frame for completing these efforts.

Managing the schedule for system development and testing is also 

important because the Bureau plans to conduct system performance and 

scalability testing after the 2018 End-to-End Test and prior to the 2020 

Census.17 Specifically, in February 2018, the Bureau established an 

approach to conducting performance and scalability testing that began in 

February 2018 (with system design reviews and analyses) and is 

expected to be completed in October 2019.

As of July 2018, the Bureau reported that it had completed design 

reviews and analysis for 11 systems (such as the operational control 

system) and had developed performance test plans for 8 systems. Figure 

4 summarizes the Bureau’s performance and scalability test plans.

 17Performance testing is the process of determining how a system behaves under a 

specific workload (e.g., number of users). Scalability testing is a subset of performance 

testing to determine a system’s effectiveness in handling an increasing number of users.
Page 12 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Figure 4: The Census’s Bureau’s Expected Performance and Scalability Test Plans for the 2020 Census, as of July 2018

As planning for the 2020 Census continues, it will be important for the 

Bureau to provide adequate time for system development and testing 

activities. This will help ensure that the time available for security 

assessments is not reduced as it has been, thus far, during the 2018 Endto-End Test. We have previously reported that, without adequate time for 

completing these security assessments, the Bureau will be challenged in 

ensuring that risks are at an acceptable level before the systems are 

deployed for the 2020 Census.

The Bureau also faces challenges in managing its significant contractor 

support. The Bureau is relying on contractor support in many areas to 

prepare for the 2020 Census. For example, it is relying on contractors to 

develop a number of systems and components of the IT infrastructure. 

These activities include (1) developing the IT platform (as part of the 

CEDCaP program) that is intended to be used to collect data from 

households responding via the Internet and telephone, and for nonresponse follow-up activities; (2) procuring the mobile devices and cellular 

service to be used for non-response follow-up; and (3) deploying the IT 

and telecommunications hardware in the field offices. According to 

Bureau officials, contractors are also providing support in areas such as 

fraud detection, cloud computing services, and disaster recovery.

In addition to the development of technology, the Bureau is relying on a 

technical integration contractor to integrate all of the key systems and 

infrastructure. The Bureau awarded a contract to integrate the 2020 

Census systems and infrastructure in August 2016. The contractor’s work 

Contract management
Page 13 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

was to include evaluating the systems and infrastructure and acquiring 

the infrastructure (e.g., cloud or data center) to meet the Bureau’s 

scalability and performance needs. It was also to include integrating all of 

the systems, supporting technical testing activities, and developing plans 

for ensuring the continuity of operations. Since the contract was awarded, 

the Bureau has modified the scope to also include assisting with 

operational testing activities, conducting performance testing for two 

Internet self-response systems, and providing technical support for the 

implementation of the paper data capture system.

However, the Bureau continues to face staffing challenges that could 

impact its ability to manage and oversee the technical integration 

contractor. Specifically, the Bureau is managing the integration contractor 

through a government program management office, but this office is still 

filling vacancies. In June 2018, Bureau officials reported that 33 of the 

office’s 58 federal employee positions were vacant. This means that the 

Bureau has only filled 2 of these positions since we originally reported 

about this risk in October 2017. These vacancies increase the risk that 

the program management office may not be sufficiently staffed to provide 

adequate oversight of contractor cost, schedule, and performance.

The development and testing schedule delays during the preparations for 

the 2018 End-to-End Test raise concerns about the Bureau’s ability to 

effectively perform contractor management. As we reported in November 

2016, a greater reliance on contractors for these components of the 2020 

Census requires the Bureau to focus on sound management and 

oversight of the key contracts, projects, and systems.18

The Bureau faces challenges in controlling IT cost growth. Specifically, 

the Bureau’s October 2015 cost estimate included about $3.41 billion in 

total IT costs for fiscal years 2012 through 2023. These included costs 

for, among other things, system engineering, test and evaluation, and 

infrastructure, as well as for a portion of the CEDCaP program.19

However, in October 2017, we reported20 that IT costs would likely be at 

 18GAO, Information Technology: Uncertainty Remains about the Bureau’s Readiness for a 

Key Decennial Census Test, GAO-17-221T (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 16, 2016).

19The 2020 Census program pays for the portion of costs for the CEDCaP program that 

relate to 2020 Census operations. According to the October 2015 estimate, the portion of 

CEDCaP costs associated with the 2020 Census was estimated at $328 million of the 

$548 million total program estimate.

20GAO-18-215T. 

IT cost growth
Page 14 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

least $4.8 billion, due to increases in costs associated with the CEDCaP 

program21 and certain IT contracts (including those associated with 

technical integration and mobile devices).

In December 2017, the Bureau reported that its estimated IT costs had 

grown from $3.41 billion to $4.97 billion—an increase of $1.56 billion. 

Figure 5 identifies the Bureau’s estimate of total IT costs associated with 

the 2020 program as of December 2017.

Figure 5: Total Information Technology Costs Estimated by the Census Bureau, as 

of December 2017

The cost increases were due, in large part, to the Bureau (1) updating the 

cost estimate for the CEDCaP program, (2) including an estimate for 

technical integration services, and (3) updating costs related to other 

major contracts (such as mobile device as a service).22 Table 2 describes 

the IT costs that comprised the Bureau’s cost estimate as of December 

2017.

 21In May 2017, the Bureau reported that the CEDCaP program’s cost estimate was 

increasing by about $400 million—from its original estimate of $548 million in 2013 to a 

revised estimate of $965 million in May 2017.

22As part of mobile device as a service, the Bureau plans to provide mobile devices 

(including mobile phones, tablets, and laptops) and cellular service to field staff to support 

operations such as address canvassing and non-response follow-up.
Page 15 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Table 2: Total 2020 Census Information Technology (IT) Costs Estimated by the 

Census Bureau, by Cost Category, as of December 2017

Dollars in millions

IT cost category Expected cost 

Technical integration services $1,492

Census questionnaire assistance $817

Other IT services, such as day-to-day IT support $808

Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing 

(CEDCaP) costs related to the 2020 Census

$509a

Decennial device as a service $489

Field IT deployment $450

Other non-CEDCaP systems, such as recruitment and 

personnel systems

$401

Total $4,966

Source: GAO analysis of Census Bureau data. | GAO-18-655

a

The 2020 program pays for a portion of the costs for the CEDCaP program. As of May 2017, the 

Census Bureau estimated that the entire cost of the CEDCaP program would be about $965 million.

IT cost information that is accurately reported and clearly communicated 

is necessary to help ensure that Congress and the public have 

confidence that taxpayer funds are being spent in an appropriate manner. 

However, the amount of cost growth since the October 2015 estimate 

raises questions as to whether the Bureau has a complete understanding 

of the IT costs associated with the 2020 program. We have ongoing work 

reviewing the extent to which the Bureau’s December 2017 cost estimate 

is reliable.

Effective governance can drive change, provide oversight, and ensure 

accountability for results. Further, effective IT governance was envisioned 

in the statutory provisions enacted in 2014 and referred to as the Federal 

Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA),23 which 

strengthened and reinforced the role of the departmental CIO. The 

component CIO (such as the Bureau’s CIO) also plays a role in effective 

IT governance, as the component is subject to the oversight and policies 

of the parent department implementing FITARA.

 23Carl Levin and Howard P. ‘Buck’ McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2015, Pub. L. No. 113-291, div. A, title VIII, subtitle D, 128 Stat. 3292, 3438-50 (Dec. 

19, 2014).

Governance and internal 

coordination
Page 16 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Our work has noted that officials in Commerce’s Office of the Secretary 

have increased their oversight of the Bureau’s preparations for the 2020 

Census by holding regular meetings to discuss contracts, expected costs, 

and risks, among other topics.24 For example, Bureau officials in the 

Decennial Directorate told us that they have recently begun meeting with 

the Secretary of Commerce on a monthly basis, and with the Under 

Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs on a weekly basis, to 

discuss 2020 Census issues. Moreover, the department’s Acting CIO has 

also been involved in overseeing the Bureau’s IT system readiness.

The Bureau has also appointed two new assistant directors within the 

Decennial Directorate. Each of these individuals is responsible for 

overseeing aspects of the 2020 Census program, to include schedules, 

contracts, and system development. In addition, Bureau officials told us 

that the CIO (or a designated representative) is to be a member of the 

governance boards that oversee all of the operations and technology for 

the 2020 Census, in order to ensure executive-level oversight of the key 

systems and technology.

Nevertheless, in August 2016, we reported on challenges that the Bureau 

has had with IT governance and internal coordination, including 

weaknesses in its ability to monitor and control IT project costs, 

schedules, and performance.25 We made eight recommendations to the 

Secretary of Commerce to direct the Bureau to, among other things, 

better ensure that risks are adequately identified and schedules are 

aligned. The department agreed with our recommendations. As of June 

2018, the Bureau had fully implemented five of the recommendations and 

had taken initial steps toward implementing the other three 

recommendations.

Given the schedule delays and cost increases previously mentioned, and 

the vast amount of development, testing, and security assessments left to 

be completed, we remain concerned about executive-level oversight of 

systems and security. Moving forward, it will be important that the CIO 

and other Bureau executives continue to use a collaborative governance 

approach to effectively manage risks and ensure that the IT solutions 

meet the needs of the agency within cost and schedule.

 24GAO-18-543T.

25GAO-16-623.
Page 17 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

In November 2016, we described the significant challenges that the 

Bureau faced in securing systems and data for the 2020 Census, and we 

noted that tight time frames could exacerbate these challenges.26 Two 

such challenges were (1) ensuring that individuals gain only limited and 

appropriate access to the 2020 Census data, including personally 

identifiable information (PII), such as name, personal address, and date 

of birth; and (2) making certain that security assessments were completed 

in a timely manner and that risks were at an acceptable level.27 Protecting 

PII, for example, is especially important because a majority of the 44 

systems to be used in the 2018 End-to-End Test contain such 

information, as reflected in figure 6.28

Figure 6: Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in Census Bureau Systems 

Included in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of June 2018

To address these and other challenges, federal law specifies 

requirements for protecting federal information and information systems,

 26GAO-17-584T.

27GAO-17-221T.

28According to officials in the Bureau’s Office of Information Security, 26 systems contain 

data that is protected from disclosure under Title 13 of the U.S. Code. This law protects 

information provided by the public for the Bureau’s censuses and surveys and requires 

that the Bureau keep it confidential. 13 U.S.C. § 9. The Bureau may not disclose or 

publish any private information that identifies an individual or business, such as names, 

addresses, Social Security numbers, and telephone numbers. 

Cybersecurity
Page 18 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

such as those systems to be used in the 2020 Census. Specifically, the 

Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 and the Federal 

Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) require executive 

branch agencies to develop, document, and implement an agency-wide 

program to provide security for the information and information systems 

that support operations and assets of the agency.29

Accordingly, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 

developed risk management framework guidance for agencies to follow in 

developing information security programs.30 In addition, the Office of 

Management and Budget’s (OMB) revised Circular A-130 on managing 

federal information resources required agencies to implement the NIST 

risk management framework to integrate information security and risk 

management activities into the system development life cycle.31

In accordance with FISMA, NIST guidance, and OMB guidance, the 

Bureau’s Office of the CIO established a risk management framework. 

This framework requires system developers to ensure that each of the 

Bureau’s systems undergoes a full security assessment, and that system 

developers remediate critical deficiencies. In addition, according to the 

framework, system developers are to ensure that each component of a 

system has its own system security plan that documents how the Bureau 

intends to implement security controls. As a result of this requirement, 

system developers for a single system might develop multiple system 

security plans which all have to be approved as part of the system’s 

complete security documentation.

According to the Bureau’s framework, each of the 44 systems in the 2018 

End-to-End Test will need to have complete security documentation (such 

as system security plans) and an approved authorization to operate prior 

 29The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-283, 128 

Stat. 3073 (Dec. 18, 2014) largely superseded the Federal Information Security 

Management Act of 2002, enacted as Title III, E-Government Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 

107-347, 116 Stat. 2899, 2946 (Dec. 17, 2002).

30NIST, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information 

Systems: A Security Life Cycle Approach, SP 800-37, Revision 1 (Gaithersburg, Md.: 

February 2010).

31OMB, Revision of OMB Circular A-130, Managing Federal Information as a Strategic 

Resource (Washington, D.C.: July 28, 2016).
Page 19 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

to its use in the 2018 End-to-End Test.32 In May 2018, Bureau officials 

reported that they had recently updated their policies related to obtaining 

an authorization to operate. Specifically, once a system undergoes a 

security assessment and receives an authorization, the system moves 

into continuous monitoring.33 According to the Bureau’s Chief Information 

Security Officer, authorized systems do not need a formal reauthorization 

unless the risk posture of the system changes; this could occur, for 

example, if the system undergoes significant new development.

As of June 2018, most of the systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test had 

received an authority to operate. Specifically, according to the Bureau:

• Thirty-three of the 44 systems in the test had obtained an 

authorization to operate and were under continuous monitoring.

• Eight systems had obtained an authorization, but will need to be 

reauthorized due to additional significant planned development or 

changes to the infrastructure environment (e.g., from a data center 

to a cloud-based environment).

• Three systems do not yet have an authorization to operate for the 

2018 End-to-End Test.

Figure 7 summarizes the authorization to operate status for the systems 

being used in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as reported by the Bureau.

 32According to the Bureau’s framework, systems are to obtain security authorization 

approval from the authorizing official in order to operate. Specifically, the authorizing 

official evaluates the security authorization package and provides system authorization if 

the overall risk level is acceptable. In addition, according to the Bureau’s IT security 

program policy, the issuance of an authorization to operate for a system requires support 

of both the technical authorizing official (i.e., the CIO) and the business authorizing official 

responsible for funding and managing the system (i.e., the Associate Director for 

Decennial Census Programs). 

33According to the Bureau’s risk management framework, once a system obtains an 

authorization, it is transitioned to the continuous monitoring process where the authorizing 

official can provide ongoing authorization for system operation as long as the risk level 

remains acceptable.
Page 20 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Figure 7: Authorization to Operate Status for the 44 Systems Being Used in the 

Census Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, as of June 2018

According to the Bureau’s framework, security assessment findings that 

need to be remediated are tracked in a plan of action and milestones 

(POA&M). Specifically, the POA&M provides a description of the 

vulnerability identified in the security assessment as a result of a control 

weakness. As of June 2018, the Bureau had nearly 3,100 open POA&Ms 

to remediate issues identified during security assessments performed for 

the 2018 End-to-End Test. Of these nearly 3,100 POA&Ms, 43 were 

considered “very high risk” or “high risk” weaknesses. Further, over 2,700 

of the POA&Ms were related to the infrastructure components being 

developed by the technical integration contractor. Officials from the 

Bureau and the technical integration contractor reported that they are 

currently working to address these POA&Ms.

Further, because several of the systems that will be a part of the 2018 

End-to-End Test and the 2020 Census are not yet fully developed, the 

Bureau has not finalized all of the security controls to be implemented; 

assessed those controls; developed plans to remediate control 
Page 21 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

weaknesses; and determined whether there is time to fully remediate any 

deficiencies before the systems are needed for the test. Also, as 

discussed earlier, the Bureau is facing system development and testing 

challenges that are delaying the completion of milestones and 

compressing the time available for security testing activities.

In addition, while the large-scale technological changes (such as Internet 

self-response) increase the likelihood of efficiency and effectiveness 

gains, they also introduce many cybersecurity challenges. The 2020 

Census also involves collecting PII on over a hundred million households 

across the country, which further increases the need to properly secure 

these systems. Thus, it will be important that the Bureau provides 

adequate time to perform these security assessments, completes them in 

a timely manner, and ensures that risks are at an acceptable level before 

the systems are deployed.

Moving forward, the Bureau’s continued attention to addressing the 

challenges and risks that we have identified in its efforts to manage the 

schedules, contracts, costs, governance and internal coordination, and 

cybersecurity of its IT is critical. Over the past decade, we have made 93 

recommendations specific to the 2020 Census to help address, among 

other things, the Bureau’s implementation and management of IT, 

scheduling, and cost estimation. The Bureau has generally agreed with 

those recommendations and has taken action to address 61 of them. 

However, as of July 2018, the remaining 32 recommendations had not 

been fully implemented, although the Bureau had taken initial steps—

including developing action plans—to address them. Continued 

management attention to fully implementing these recommendations is 

essential for a cost-effective and secure enumeration.

Commerce provided written comments on a draft of this report. In its 

comments, reprinted in appendix II, Commerce stated that it did not have

any substantive disagreements with the findings in the report. The 

department further stated that, while it had made progress over the past 

year as a result of increased management focus in the areas of cost 

estimation, scheduling, IT security, contract management, and 

governance, much work remains to prepare and implement the IT 

systems for the 2020 Census. Commerce also provided technical 

comments, which we addressed, as appropriate.

Agency Comments 

and Our Evaluation
Page 22 GAO-18-655 2020 Census 

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Commerce, the 

Acting Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, and interested congressional 

committees. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on the 

GAO website at http://www.gao.gov. 

If you or your staffs have any questions about this report, please contact 

Nick Marinos at (202) 512-9342 or marinosn@gao.gov. Contact points for 

our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found 

on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to 

this report are listed in appendix III.

Nick Marinos 

Director, Cybersecurity and Data Protection Issues 
Page 23 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

List of Requesters

The Honorable Ron Johnson

Chairman 

The Honorable Claire McCaskill

Ranking Member 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

United States Senate

The Honorable Gary Peters

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency 

Management

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

United States Senate

The Honorable Trey Gowdy

Chairman 

The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings

Ranking Member 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

House of Representatives

The Honorable Mark Meadows

Chairman 

The Honorable Gerald E. Connolly

Ranking Member 

Subcommittee on Government Operations 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

House of Representatives

The Honorable Will Hurd

Chairman 

The Honorable Robin L. Kelly

Ranking Member 

Subcommittee on Information Technology 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

House of Representatives

The Honorable Thomas R. Carper

United States Senate
Appendix I: Status of Development and Testing 

for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018

Page 24 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

As part of the 2018 End-to-End Test, the Census Bureau (Bureau) plans 

to incrementally test, deploy, and use the 44 systems from December 

2016 through the end of the test in April 2019. These operations include 

address canvassing, self-response (i.e., Internet, phone, or paper), field 

enumeration, and tabulation and dissemination. According to the Bureau, 

a single system may be deployed multiple times throughout the test (with 

additional or new functionality) if that system is needed for more than one 

of these operations.

Table 3 describes the status of development and testing, and describes if 

a portion of functionality has been deployed for each system in the 2018 

End-to-End Test. The table also describes key system deployment dates 

and the delay in these dates since August 2017. 

Table 3: Development, Testing, and Deployment Status for the 44 Systems in the Census Bureau’s 2018 End-to-End Test, as 

of June 2018 

System name and description

Status of 

development

Status 

of 

testing 

Expected/ 

actual first 

deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Expected/ actual 

final deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Has at least 

a portion of 

the system’s 

functionality 

been 

deployed?

1. Block Assessment, Review and 

Classification Application

Interactive review tool that is 

designed to assist an analyst in 

assessing a set of geographic 

work units.

Complete Complete December 2016 n/a Yes

2. OneForm Designer Plus

Tool that creates paper forms 

including decennial 

questionnaires, letters, 

envelopes, notices of visit, 

language guides, and other 

Decennial field and public 

materials.

Complete Complete March 2017 n/a Yes

3. Census Document System

Web-based system for requesting 

forms design services, publications 

and graphics services, and printing 

services.

Complete Complete March 2017 September 2017 Yes

4. MOJO Recruiting Dashboard

System that provides a dashboard 

to show recruiting metrics.

Complete Complete March 2017 June 2018 Yes

Appendix I: Status of Development and 

Testing for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End 

Test, as of June 2018
Appendix I: Status of Development and Testing 

for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018

Page 25 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

System name and description

Status of 

development

Status 

of 

testing 

Expected/ 

actual first 

deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Expected/ actual 

final deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Has at least 

a portion of 

the system’s 

functionality 

been 

deployed?

5. Listing and Mapping Application

Single instrument that enables 

field users to capture and provide 

accurate listing and mapping 

updates to the Master Address 

File/Topologically Integrated 

Geographic Encoding and 

Referencing Database.

Complete Complete July 2017 April 2018 

(1-month delay)

Yes

6. Mobile Case Management

Tool that provides mobile devicelevel survey case management 

and dashboards, and manages 

data transmissions and other 

applications on the mobile device.

Complete Complete July 2017 April 2018 

(1-month delay)

Yes

7. MOJO Optimizer/Modeling 

Service to optimize the field 

workers’ routes.

Complete Complete August 2017 April 2018 

(1-month delay)

Yes

8. Integrated Logistics 

Management System

System to manage logistics and 

resource planning.

Complete Complete August 2017 July 2018 Yes

9. Matching and Coding Software

System that allows for clerical 

matching and geocoding during 

Non-ID Processing.

Complete Complete February 2018 n/a Yes

10. Real Time Non-ID Processing

System that matches addresses in 

real-time, geocodes addresses in 

real-time, and geo-locates housing 

units using web map services.

Complete Complete February 2018 n/a Yes

11. Concurrent Analysis and 

Estimation System

System that stores data and uses 

it to execute statistical models in 

support of survey flow processing, 

analysis, and control.

Complete Complete March 2018 n/a Yes

12. Enterprise Censuses and 

Surveys Enabling (ECaSE) –

Internet Self-Response (ISR) 

Tool that supports self-response 

data collection via the Internet for 

respondents and by call center 

agents on behalf of respondents.

Complete Complete March 2018 

(1-month delay)

n/a Yes
Appendix I: Status of Development and Testing 

for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018

Page 26 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

System name and description

Status of 

development

Status 

of 

testing 

Expected/ 

actual first 

deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Expected/ actual 

final deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Has at least 

a portion of 

the system’s 

functionality 

been 

deployed?

13. Census Questionnaire 

Assistance

Provides call center capability for 

self-response and assists 

respondents with responding to 

and completing census 

questionnaires.

Complete Complete March 2018 

(1-month delay)

April 2018 

(1-month delay)

Yes

14. Census Hiring and Employment 

Check

Administrative system that 

automates the clearance 

processing of all personnel at 

Census Bureau Headquarters, the 

Bureau of Economic Analysis, the 

Regional Offices, the National 

Processing Center, and two 

Computer-Assisted Telephone 

Interview sites. 

Complete Complete March 2017 June 2018

(4-month delay)b

Yes

15. Decennial Physical Access 

System 

System that is used to generate 

badges for certain employees, 

including enumerators, listers, and 

Census Field Supervisors.

Complete Complete March 2018 June 2018 Yes

16. Census Human Resources 

Information System

Web-based personal information 

tool providing personnel and 

payroll information on desktops.

Complete Complete March 2017 July 2018 Yes

17. Commerce Business System

System that collects and reports 

labor hours and costs for the 

activities that the National 

Processing Center performs.

Complete Complete March 2017 July 2018 Yes

18. Decennial Service Center 

Suite of systems to handle all IT 

service requests initiated by field 

staff.

Complete Complete March 2017 July 2018 Yes

19. Desktop Services 

Suite of systems that includes 

chat.

Complete Complete March 2017 July 2018 Yes

20. 2020 Website

Website for the 2018 

End-to-End Test. 

Complete Complete June 2018 January 2019 Yes
Appendix I: Status of Development and Testing 

for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018

Page 27 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

System name and description

Status of 

development

Status 

of 

testing 

Expected/ 

actual first 

deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Expected/ actual 

final deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Has at least 

a portion of 

the system’s 

functionality 

been 

deployed?

21. Unified Tracking System

Data warehouse that is to combine 

data from a variety of Census 

systems, bringing the data to one 

place where the users can run or 

create reports to analyze survey 

and resource performance.

Complete In 

progress

December 2016 July 2018 Yes

22. Master Address 

File/Topologically Integrated 

Geographic Encoding and 

Referencing System

Database that contains, manages, 

and controls a repository of spatial 

and non-spatial data used to 

provide extracts to define census 

operations, provide maps, and 

support Web applications. 

Complete In 

progress

December 2016 October 2018 Yes

23. Automated Tracking and Control

Tool that provides customer, 

employee, and workflow 

management by automating 

business and support activities. It 

provides outbound call tracking for 

Geographic Partnership Programs 

and material tracking and check-in.

Complete In 

progress

February 2018 July 2018 Yes

24. Intelligent Postal Tracking 

Service

Mail tracking system developed by 

the Census Bureau and the U.S. 

Postal Service to trace individual 

mail pieces during transit.

Complete In 

progress

February 2018 July 2018 Yes

25. Decennial Applicant, Personnel 

and Payroll Systems

System that supports personnel 

and payroll administration for 

temporary, intermittent Census 

Bureau employees participating in 

the 2018 End-to-End Test.

Complete In 

progress

March 2017 July 2018

(11-month delay)b

Yes

26. Recruiting and Assessment

Tool that provides capabilities for 

applicant recruiting and the 

applicant pre-selection 

assessment process.

Complete In 

progress

March 2017 July 2018

(5-month delay)b

Yes
Appendix I: Status of Development and Testing 

for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018

Page 28 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

System name and description

Status of 

development

Status 

of 

testing 

Expected/ 

actual first 

deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Expected/ actual 

final deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Has at least 

a portion of 

the system’s 

functionality 

been 

deployed?

27. Identity Management System 

System used to ensure that the 

right individuals have access to the 

right resources at the right times 

for the right reasons.

Complete In 

progress

March 2017 January 2019 Yes

28. ECaSE – Field Operational 

Control System 

System that manages field 

assignments, reviews and 

approves field worker’s time and 

expense, and tracks field worker’s 

performance.

Complete In 

progress

July 2017 July 2018

(4-month delay)b

Yes

29. Geospatial Services 

Tool that provides vintage imagery 

service, internal current imagery 

service, public current imagery 

service, and mapping services.

Complete In 

progress

July 2017 July 2018 Yes

30. Service Oriented Architecture 

Enterprise software architecture 

model used for designing and 

implementing communication 

between mutually interacting 

software applications in a serviceoriented architecture.

Complete In 

progress

July 2017 January 2019 

(6-month delay) 

Yes

31. ECaSE Operational Control 

System 

System that manages the data 

collection universe for all 

enumeration operations, maintains 

operational workloads, and 

provides alerts to management.

Complete In 

progress

August 2017 July 2018

(4-month delay)b

Yes

32. National Processing Center 

Printing 

Service that provides printing 

services for low-volume forms and 

merges static form and variable 

data, such as printing a standard 

form with unique addresses.

Complete In 

progress

August 2017 July 2018 Yes

33. ECaSE – Enumeration 

Tool that captures survey 

responses collected by door-todoor enumeration, records contact 

attempts, and collects employee 

availability and time and expenses.

Complete In 

progress

March 2018

(1-month delay)

July 2018

(4-month delay)b

Yes
Appendix I: Status of Development and Testing 

for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018

Page 29 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

System name and description

Status of 

development

Status 

of 

testing 

Expected/ 

actual first 

deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Expected/ actual 

final deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Has at least 

a portion of 

the system’s 

functionality 

been 

deployed?

34. Integrated Computer Assisted 

Data Entry

Tool that captures paper 

responses from questionnaires.

Complete In 

progress

March 2018 

(1-month delay)

July 2018 Yes

35. Census Image Retrieval 

Application 

Application that provides secure 

access to census data and digital 

images of the questionnaires from 

which the data were captured. 

Complete In 

progress

March 2018 

(1-month delay)

January 2019

(11-month delay)b

Yes

36. Centurion 

Tool that provides an external 

interface for the upload of group 

quarters electronic response data.

Complete In 

progress

July 2018

(4-month delay)

n/a No

37. Sampling, Matching, Reviewing, 

and Coding System 

System that is to support quality 

control for field operations.

In progress In 

progress

August 2017 October 2018

(7-month delay)b

Yes

38. Control and Response Data 

System

System that is to provide a sample 

design and universe determination 

for the Decennial Census.

In progress In 

progress

February 2018 January 2019 

(3-month delay)

Yes

39. Census Data Lake

Repository for response data that 

is to provide data access to 

reporting and analytics 

applications.

In progress In 

progress

March 2018 

(1-month delay)

January 2019 Yes

40. Decennial Response Processing 

System 

System that is to perform data 

processing on the raw response 

data and stores the final 

processed response data for longterm storage.

In progress In 

progress

March 2018 

(1-month delay)

January 2019 Yes

41. Production Environment for 

Administrative Records Staging, 

Integration and Storage 

Tool that is to manage 

Administrative Records and 

provides services associated with 

those records.

In progress In 

progress

March 2018 

(1-month delay)

January 2019

(10-month delay)b

Yes
Appendix I: Status of Development and Testing 

for Systems in the 2018 End-to-End Test, as of 

June 2018

Page 30 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

System name and description

Status of 

development

Status 

of 

testing 

Expected/ 

actual first 

deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Expected/ actual 

final deployment 

datea (delay 

since August 

2017)

Has at least 

a portion of 

the system’s 

functionality 

been 

deployed?

42. Fraud Detection System 

System that is to identify 

fraudulent responses either in 

real-time or post data collection.

In progress In 

progress

October 2018

(8-month delay)

n/a No

43. Center for Enterprise 

Dissemination Services and 

Consumer Innovation

Tool that will provide search and 

access to tabulated Census data.

In progress In 

progress

January 2019 n/a No

44. Tabulation 

Tool that is to receive postprocessed response data and 

produces tabulated statistical data.

In progress In 

progress

January 2019 n/a No

Legend:

n/a = not applicable. These systems are only being deployed one time, so the first deployment date also represents the final deployment date.

Source: GAO analysis of Census Bureau data. | GAO-18-655

a

The dates listed for June 2018 or earlier should be considered actual dates.

b

According to officials within the Bureau’s 2020 Census Systems Engineering and Integration office, 

the delay in the final deployment date for this system is due to a change in the timing of the 

operations it is supporting for the 2018 End-to-End Test.
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce

Page 31 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Commerce

Page 32 GAO-18-655 2020 Census
Appendix III: GAO Contacts and Staff 

Acknowledgments

Page 33 GAO-18-655 2020 Census

Nick Marinos at (202) 512-9342 or marinosn@gao.gov

In addition to the contacts named above, the following staff made key 

contributions to this report: David Powner (Director); Jon Ticehurst 

(Assistant Director); Kate Sharkey (Analyst in Charge); Chris Businsky; 

Rebecca Eyler; Torrey Hardee; Thomas Johnson; Hoyt Lacy; Scott Pettis; 

Daniel Spence; Andrea Starosciak; and Umesh Thakkar.

Appendix III: GAO Contacts and Staff 

Acknowledgments

GAO Contacts

Staff 

Acknowledgments

(101101)
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