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AnnualReport2019UI ITSCN A S WA U I I n f o r m a t i o n T e c h n o l o g y S u p p o r t C e n t e rIn Partnership with USDOL

ABOUT UI ITSCINTRODUCTIONMISSIONThe UI ITSC fosters partnershipsto advance modernization ofunemployment insurance andworkforce programs, facilitates theexchange of ideas and practices amongstates, and provides products, servicesand training that help states leveragetechnology to meet evolving needs.VISIONUI ITSC is a trusted partner for theeffective use of information technologyand related technical assistance toadvance UI programs.WHAT WE DOThe Unemployment Insurance Information TechnologySupport Center (UI ITSC) is a unique national collaborationof the National Association of State Workforce Agencies(NASWA), the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) andall state workforce agencies. The UI ITSC promotes thedevelopment of information technology solutions andinformation sharing among state UI agencies. This annualreport highlights the accomplishments of UI ITSC fromOctober 2018 to September 2019.HOW UI ITSC STARTED.In 1994, UI ITSC was founded through agrant from USDOL. Since 2009, NASWAhas operated UI ITSC with funding fromUSDOL through an agreement with theState of Maryland.NEW GOVERNANCEIn 2019, the UI ITSC revised its charter to introduce a twotier governance structure. Under this charter, the UI ITSCSteering Committee (STCO) provides strategic directionand the new Executive Oversight Committee (EOC)provides fiscal and general oversight. In addition, the STCOmembership now includes an additional State WorkforceAgency Administrator position.2018-2019 STCO MembershipState Workforce Administratorsff UI IT MODERNIZATION &TECHNICAL ASSISTANCESupport states in UI BusinessProcess Reengineering and ITmodernization.Brett Flachsbarth, Chairff PRODUCTS & SERVICESCreate and grow online tools andsoftware repository shared by states.Nellie Spangler*ff EDUCATION & TRAININGProvide education and trainingto states related to the UI ITModernization life cycle.Anna HuiKay EricksonORUnemployment Insurance DirectorsDaryle DudzinskiKevin BurtWilliam WaltonCTUTNEVAInformation Technology DirectorsJeff May, Vice-ChairGASue Anne AthensNMGail OverhouseCAU.S. Department of Labor RepresentativesJim GarnerSubri Raman1 UI ITSC Annual Report 2019KSMOUSDOLUSDOL* Served until June 2019.

UI IT MODERNIZATION &TECHNICAL ASSISTANCEThe UI ITSC provides states support by identifying and sharing best practices, coordinating communication andinformation sharing among states, and conducting short quality assessments to ensure that projects are following bestpractices and meeting requirements.ACCOMPLISHMENTSState EngagementPre-Implementation ChecklistUI ITSC assists consortia and single states thatare actively involved in different stages of UI ITModernization. In addition, UI ITSC provides all stateswith ad-hoc or informal advice and consultation onUI IT Modernization.On May 31, 2019, USDOL released an updatedversion of the “UI IT Modernization PreImplementation Checklist” in Training andEmployment Notice (TEN) No. 29-18. This checklistincludes steps to verify data used for labor marketinformation (LMI) Federal reporting functions.Advisory Support ServicesIn 2019, UI ITSC provided support to CA, ND, NH, NY,OH, OK, and TX. These states are currently in theearly stages of their modernization projects.Ongoing Sustainability and SupportUI ITSC is continuously working with several statesand consortia, including but not limited to CT, ID,MD, ME, MO, MS, ND, RI, VT, WV, and WY that havemodernized and continue to collaborate to sustaintheir systems and ongoing operations.Status of State UI IT KSOKNMTXAKINMOPAOHKYWV LETEDIN DEV32Benefits System Only60Tax System Only188Benefits and Tax System16UI SYSTEMPlanningVIIn 2015, USDOL and UI ITSC developed this checklistto assist states in planning for modernizationprojects and preparing to "go-live" or launch a newUI IT System. This checklist incorporates lessonslearned and best practices gathered by UI ITSC andstates’ experiences in implementing UI IT systems.The checklist is found in the “UI Business Process andIT Modernization Guidebook” on UI ITSC’s website.Partnership to Improve UI DataUI ITSC joined a partnership with USDOLEmployment and Training Administration (ETA)and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to improve thequality of UI data provided by states to BLS.BLS receives UI tax and wage data from stateUI systems to support the Quarterly Censusof Employment and Wages (QCEW) report,and UI benefit data to support the Local AreaUnemployment Statistics (LAUS) report.Under this partnership, UI ITSC will work with statesthrough the UI modernization lifecycle to assure thatQCEW and LAUS data extracts meet BLS standards.More information is available on UI ITSC’s website,http://itsc.org/Pages/UI-IT-Mod.aspx, or on theBLS site, rnization/home.htm.UI ITSC Annual Report 2019 2

UI IT MODERNIZATION &TECHNICAL ASSISTANCEPROJECT HIGHLIGHT“Innovate UI”Idaho developed the Interstate Connection Network(ICON) Relay as a microservice in .NET. It will becontainerized and deployed in a Java stack inReEmployUSA.The ReEmployUSA Consortium (MS, ME, RI, and CT),along with Wyoming and Missouri, is working withUI ITSC to conduct a feasibility study and develop amodel for the shared management of maintenanceand operational costs that meet the common needsof the participating states. The study will determineif an investment in technologies will promote furtheralignment and commonality among the three similarsystems (ReEmployUSA, MO, and WY) and allow foradditional cost savings.ICON Relay - As a MicroserviceIdaho, the lead state of the Internet UnemploymentSystem (iUS) Consortium (ID, VT, and ND) is workingwith Mississippi, the lead state of the ReEmployUSAConsortium (MS, ME, RI, and CT) on setting upthe ICON Relay as a microservice between thetwo states. Mississippi will be the second state touse this microservice and will go live in 2019. Oncecompleted, the Relay will be shared with consortiastates and other interested states.This project, known as “Innovate UI,” will focus on thefollowing:The ICON Relay is an ICON capability that sitsbetween the state benefit system and the ICONhub. The Relay cleans and validates data transmittedthrough ICON messages. The Relay identifies errorswithin the messages and automatically fixes commonerrors. Any other errors can be manually fixed in theRelay and corrected messages are sent to ICON.1.Build a comprehensive technical inventoryacross the three systems.2. Establish overarching factors and principles inbuilding a technical roadmap.3. Build roadmap using the factors and principlesas drivers, with the aim of optimizing andreducing operational sustainment costs amongthe collective systems.MODERNIZATION TRENDSCollaborationUI ITSC is working with states that share acommon vendor to establish a forum and processto collaborate on the development of sharedcomponents and cross-state leveraging. Currently,there are six groups of states that share a vendorand are collaborating on best practices and fixes.Microservices & ContainerizationMicroservice architecture promotes the sharingof independent components across systems.Containerization of microservices promotes thesharing of microservice components across differenthosting platforms.3 UI ITSC Annual Report 2019Use of Cloud in UIOn May 13, 2019, the UI ITSC held a call on theuse of the Cloud in UI. Participants from 25 statesattended. Six states (ID, MD, MA, MS, NC, and WY)shared their experiences when implementing theCloud. States covered topics such as acquisition,setting up, migration, security, monitoring andbackup, and costs. Some lessons learned include:Start Early. Make contact with Social SecurityAdministration (SSA) and Internal Revenue Service(IRS). Experiment with the Cloud. Gather resourcesfrom security and network engineering teams.SSA & IRS Data. Most states have SSA and IRSdata handled state-side or use an Infrastructureas a Service (IaaS) co-location approach. USDOL isengaging SSA and IRS to explore a better approach.Cloud Resources and Service Optimization.This is a continuous challenge for the Cloud. Statescontinue to monitor their environments and scalewhen needed to optimize environments and costs.

PRODUCTS & SERVICESThe UI ITSC provides states with products and services that multi-state consortium and individual states can leveragecost-effectively. The UI ITSC develops, distributes, and supports these products such as UI components or modules, modelprojects and prototypes, and other various tools. The UI ITSC’s website www.itsc.org serves as a portal for states to accessproducts and resources.ACCOMPLISHMENTSPROJECT HIGHLIGHTeMRP Launched in OklahomaWorkforce ConnectOn May 6, 2019, the Oklahoma EmploymentSecurity Commission (OESC) became the first stateto successfully implement the Workforce Connect:My Reemployment Plan (eMRP). The eMRP is acomprehensive job search guide developed byUSDOL in 2015, and announced in TEN 2-17. In 2017,USDOL and UI ITSC developed the paper-basedversion into an interactive online tool.Since 2013, UI ITSC has managed the WorkforceConnect software suite of tools. These tools weredeveloped in partnership with USDOL and stateworkforce agencies.The eMRP is a web-based and mobile-friendly toolthat guides the jobseeker through the differentmodules and assists them with useful guides, tipsand activities. As one of the pilot states for the eMRP,OESC worked with UI ITSC to develop requirements,test functionality, and conduct focus groups. OESC’sjobseeker focus groups provided valuable first-handfeedback that was incorporated directly into theeMRP. The eMRP is available in all Oklahoma WorksAmerican Job Centers and on OESC’s website athttps://okjobplan.oesc.ok.gov/.Workforce Connect (WFC) FrameworkThree components: Single Sign-on for jobseekersto create and use one user ID and password for allworkforce programs, a Common Registration acrossprograms, and a Workforce Dashboard displaying alluser information (across the Workforce Innovationand Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners) in one view.The WFC Framework is available for states.My Reemployment Plan (eMRP)The eMRP is a web-based and mobile-friendly toolthat guides the jobseeker through the step-by-stepmodules and assists them with useful guides, tipsand activities. The eMRP is available for states.WIOA Common Case FileA tool for state staff working with WIOA participants.The tool overlays with existing state systems enablingbetter communication and workflow between thedifferent WIOA partners. The case file informationis gathered and curated from existing platformsallowing a 360 view of all services delivered to thestate’s WIOA participants. The Common Case File isin development and available by the end of 2019.Workforce Connect: State StatusWFCFrameworkeMRPCommonCase FilePilot: MS, NY, ORDevelopment: MA, NHImplemented: MT, NJPilot: AR, CT, ID, MT, NHImplemented: OKPilot: AR, CT, ID, MT, NH, OKUI ITSC Annual Report 2019 4