TEN 25-22 (4-17).pdf

ETA Advisory File Text

TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NOTICE NO. 25-22 DATE April 17 2023EM PLOYME NT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON D.C. 20210 TO STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES FROM BRENT PARTON Acting Assistant Secretary SUBJECT New Robotic Process Automation RPA Toolkit available on WorkforceGPS 1. Purpose. To announce the release of a new toolkit published on WorkforceGPS under the Unemployment Insu rance UI Community of Practice COP website at https www.workforcegps.org. This content describes RPA as a promising technology solution. The toolkit provides states with information on how using RPA in state Unemployment Compensation UC program administration can be appropriate and effectively leveraged by states regarding RPA as a promising technology solution. The toolkit provides states with information on how using RPA in state UC program administration can be appropriate and effectively leveraged by SWAs. 2. Action Requested. The U.S. Department of Labor s Department Employment andTraini ng Administration ETA requests that State Workforce Agency SWA Administrators provide information contained in this Training and Employment Notification TEN to all appropriate staff including Information Technology IT personnel and ensure these staff have access to the WorkforceGPS UI COP webpage by creating an account or logging in to view exclusive content. 3. Summary and Background.a.Summa ry The ways work is managed and completed in the UI system has changed significantly in recent years with many states modernizing their IT systems while a significant number of states continuing to maintain legacy systems. Exacerbated by the COVID- 19 pandemic states face ongoing challenges regarding IT staffing and administrative and program operations. Recognizing the challenges and considering states interests in adopting more IT innovation in state UI program administration ETA is introducing resources where states can obtain knowledge and promising practices on RPA. RPA is used broadly in many industries including within government and the public sector. RPA refers to a software solution that makes it easy to build deploy and manage virtual robots also known as bots . These bots mimic staff interactions with existing UI systems and software. Bots can recognize content on a screen perform data entry navigate systems identify and extract data complete non-discretionary tasks and perform a wide range of well-defined actions quickly and accurately. The use of RPA technology may allow staff to focus on other more complex tasks which require 2 reasoning and judgement. ETA has observed promising practices for RPA through UI Tiger Team engagements and is using the UI COP to share these observations . This TEN announces the availability of an RPA Toolkit on WorkforceGPS UI COP. This toolkit provides states with information about the benefits of implementing RPA and provides resources for states interested in starting an RPA program or further developing their existing RPA program. The toolkit includes a white paper information and use cases from states that currently use RPA in the operations of their UC program playbooks change management support RPA plug-and-play tools and an RPA use case demo video from a state UI agency utilizing RPA. ETA invites you to access the RPA toolkit for information on RPA and how it may be used in state UC program administration ways to implement RPA appropriately and effectively in accordance with Department guidance and examples from states that are using RPA in their UC programs. ETA recognizes RPA as one of the priority areas for UI modernization to improve efficiencies on legacy and modernized systems as well as assisting states with achieving timeliness goals. ETA identified the need for readily accessible RPA information and resources through engagements with states that participated in the ARPA-funded Tiger Team initiative. States are encouraged to gain familiarity with RPA and explore the toolkit documents to identify opportunities for RPA implementation that meet their needs. b. Background On March 11 2021 the President signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law Public Law Pub. L. 117-2 . Section 9032 ARPA creates a new Section 2118 of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security CARES Act Pub. L. 116- 136 and provides funding to the Secretary of Labor Secretary to 1 detect and prevent fraud 2 promote equitable access and 3 ensure timely payment of benefits to eligible workers with respect to UC programs. Such funds may be used for federal administrative costs system-wide infrastructure investment and development and to make grants to states or territories administering UC programs for such purposes including the establishment of procedures or the building of infrastructure to verify or validate identity implement federal guidance regarding fraud detection and prevention and accelerate claims processing or process claims backlogs due to the pandemic. States are encouraged to visit the UI Modernization webpage at https www.dol.gov agencies eta ui- modernization for more information. On November 2 2021 the Department issued Unemployment Insurance Program Letter UIPL No. 02 -22 to notify states of the availability of up to 200 million in grant funding to support states with improving UC systems and processes that achieve the three goals of Section 9032 ARPA. States must first engage with the Department to complete a consultative assessment of their UC program. During this assessment the Department leverages a multi-disciplinary team of experts i.e. UI Tiger Teams designed specifically to analyze state UC systems and process challenges. The Tiger Teams work with states to identify areas to enhance their existing efforts towards achieving these three goals and make actionable recommendations for the states to implement using available grant 3 funding. The Department also provides project implementation support if states are interested in using these resources and services . Additional detail on project implementation support is provided in UIPL No. 03 -23. States interested in participating should contact the ir ETA Regional Office by the March 31 2023 deadline provided in UIPL No. 02 -22 Change 2 . A dditional details on UI Tiger Teams and how to participate are provided in UIPL No. 02 -22 and UIPL No. 02 -22 Change 2. Established in 2011 the UI COP provides a means for ETA and states to communicate important information and share promising practices and program improvements. The UI COP is a private community available exclusively to state and federal UI practitioners. TEN No. 18 -11. 4. RPA Resources on WorkforceGPS a. RPA Toolkit The n ew RPA Toolkit is hosted on ETA s knowledge -sharing site WorkforceGPS https www.workforcegps.org . This toolkit provides information on RPA as a technology and is a comprehensive location for information to support states with use of the technology including known states use of the tool promising practices and lessons learned. The RPA Toolkit can be accessed directly at https www.workforcegps.org resources 2023 04 UI Content Public RPA Toolkit Lan ding Page . b. RPA Project Support The Department has consultative services available to answer questions and assist with starting or improving an RPA program. See UIPL No. 03 -23. c. Stay in the Know To automatically receive updates when new information and more promising recommendations are posted ensure staff are registered for UI COP by having them visit the website at https www.workforcegps.org login returnUrl https www.workforcegps .org user mypr ofile my -communities 5. Inquiries . Please direct inquiries to the appropriate ETA Regional Office . 6. References . American Rescue Plan Act Pub L. 117 -2 enacted March 11 2021 Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security CARES Act Pub. L. 116 - 136 including Title II Subtitle A Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act enacted March 2 7 2020 UIPL No. 03-23 Availability of U.S. Department of Labor Department Funded Resources and Services to State American Rescue Plan Act ARPA Grantees issued March 6 2023 https www.dol.gov agen cies eta advisories uipl -03 -23 UIPL No. 02 -22 Grant Opportunity to Support States Following a Consultative Assessment for Fraud Detection and Prevention Promoting Equitable Access and Ensuring the Timely Payment of Benefits including Backlog Reduction for all Unemployment Compensation UC Programs issued November 2 2021 https www.dol.gov agencie s eta advisories unemployment -insurance -program - letter -no -02 -22 4 UIPL No. 02 -22 Change 1 Extension of Time for States to Express Interest in the Grant Opportunity Announced in Unemployment Insurance Program Letter U IPL No. 2 -22 to Support States Following a Consultative Assessment for Fraud Detection and Prevention Promoting Equitable Access and Ensuring the Timely Payment of Benefits including Backlog Reduction for all Unemployment Compensation UC Programs issued February 16 2022 https www.dol.gov agencies eta advisories unemployment -insurance -program - letter -no -02 -22 -change -1 UIPL No. 02 -22 Change 2 Extension of Time for States to Express Interest in the Grant Opportunity Announced in Unemployment Insurance Program Letter UIPL No. 02 -22 to Support States Following a Consultative Assessment for Fraud Detection and Prevention Promoting Equitable Access and Ensuring the Timely Payment of Benefits including Backlog Reduction for all Unemployment Compensation UC Programs issued September 19 2022 https www.dol.gov agencies eta advisories uipl -02 -22 -change -2 TEN No. 18 -11 Unemployment Insurance UI Community of Practice COP issued November 30 2011 https www.dol.gov agencies eta advisories training - and -employment -notice -no -18 -11 and UI Modernization webpage https www.dol.gov agencies eta ui -modernization . 7. Attachment s . Not Applicable.