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Updates





Reemployment Assistance Modernization 2022

Reemployment Assistance Modernization June 2022

Feb 16, 2023
  • The Cloud Migration project includes transitioning the System from operating on hardware stored on-premise to a cloud-based environment to ensure all aspects of the System are available to users during periods of high demand for continuous claims processing, including both web-based and call center services.
    • The Department is migrating various components of the System into a cloud-hosted environment, including files, databases, applications, and environment infrastructure. The updates shown below are as of this reporting period:
      • File migration: Completed in May 2022
      • Database migration: Completed in May 2022
      • Application migration: Migration activities are ongoing. All but one applications have been migrated; the final application will be addressed upon receiving feedback and guidance from the Internal Revenue Service, which is anticipated to be provided in July 2022.
      • Environment Infrastructure migration:
        • Test environment: Complete in May 2022
        • Pre-production environment: In progress and anticipated to be complete in July 2022.
        • Production environment: Not started
      • The Reemployment Assistance Contact Center solution was successfully deployed into a cloud-hosted environment this reporting period, which ensures callers can access the Contact Center at all times.
      • A contract amendment for enhancing the Contact Center’s Interactive Voice Response technology, including migrating it to a cloud-hosted environment, is in progress and is anticipated to be executed in the next reporting period to ensure claimants can access important information about their claim status at all times.
      • The Department upgraded its FileNet application from version 5.2 to version 5.5.7. The FileNet application is used by the Department to manage workflows in the System that ensure files that are provided by claimants, employers, and Third-Party Administrators are merged with the correct claim. Testing of this application is ongoing.
      • The Department is continuing its compliance review of a draft proposed contract amendment for the Digital Appeals Recording Solution (DARS), which includes the requirement to migrate the technology from an on-premise hosted environment to a cloud-hosted environment. DARS enables the Department to record appeals hearings, which provides due process to employers, third-party administrators, and claimants who have filed an appeal on a Reemployment Assistance claim.
    • The Cloud Application Performance Management project includes utilizing a software tool that provides visibility into key System performance indicators, such as numbers of concurrent users, for System monitoring. The tool also allows the Department to set defined thresholds for performance and receive notification if remedial actions are needed to maintain System performance and prevent System downtime.
      • This project is currently forecast to start in July 2022. In preparation, a project kick-off meeting was scheduled for early July 2022.
    • The SDLC DevOps project includes improving documentation for the System, including application design documentation, artifacts, and dataflow diagrams. This helps establish a process that sets a standard for maintaining System documentation and planning the deployment of System enhancements that align and prioritize Reemployment Assistance program requirements with the System’s functionality.
      • The Department secured a DevOps Engineer position, which will be onboarded in July 2022. This resource will ensure the DevOps environment is configured correctly to support future System enhancement activities and to make any necessary adjustments, if needed.
      • The Department continues to work with the ServiceNow vendor to identify requirements and integrate this software with the new DevOps environment. ServiceNow will serve as a repository for System requirements. Integration of these software tools will sync the System’s testing environment and cross-reference requirements with test results. It will also develop an audit trail that can be used to reference changes made to the System over time. The Department anticipates the development work to support this integration will be complete in August 2022.
    • The .NET and ORM Upgrade project is designed to ensure the Department’s .NET framework and Object Relational Mapping (ORM) software receive security fixes, updates, and technical support that align with industry standards. The .NET framework is a platform that is used to create and run software applications. ORM software promotes more efficient System development by translating low-level coding across tables that store data.
      • The Reemployment Claims and Benefits Information System application’s .NET framework was upgraded and fully deployed in this reporting period.
      • The Reemployment Claims and Benefits Information System application’s ORM software is being updated from version 3.5 to version 5.8. In this reporting period, the execution testing plan for upgrading the LLBLGEN layer, which connects the database and the System, was revised to ensure continuity of System operations, given the magnitude of the upgrade. The upgrade includes 66 applications, and development and testing is ongoing. The Department is evaluating its testing and deployment approach to ensure the System’s framework will support data transactions. Full deployment of all applications is forecasted to be complete in October 2022.
    • The Rules Engine project includes utilizing a software tool that serves as a separate infrastructure environment for managing and executing business rules that govern how Reemployment Assistance claims are processed. Business rules that are currently operating within the System will be moved to the rules engine. By using a rules engine to manage and operate business rules, specifically those rules that are updated periodically to accommodate changes in state or federal law, the Department gains staff efficiency and helps support System performance. A rules engine is more user-friendly and doesn’t require System code changes, which means information technology staff can be repurposed for larger, more complex System enhancements and business rule changes can be deployed faster. Additionally, because the rules engine operates in a separate infrastructure environment, it allows for increased System performance.
      • This reporting period, the Department completed its effort to develop requirements for this project. In the next reporting period, the Department and its System and Software Integration vendor will begin developing a scope of work for a business rules engine, including services required by a prospective vendor to ensure interoperability.
      • The Department has determined a specific list of approximately 2, 500 rules that will be migrated to and deployed in the business rules engine during the Modernization Program timeline. Additional rules will be migrated and deployed in the business rules engine through continuous modernization efforts.
    • The SOA and API Layer project will help promote a more efficient System by creating a layer between various components of the System that serves as the messenger for all data exchanges. This layer helps prevent a downturn in System performance by offloading demand on the System.
      • This reporting period, the Department completed its effort to develop requirements for this project. The Department is actively working to finalize the project scope by determining which APIs will be migrated to and deployed in an integration platform. In the next reporting period, the Department and its System and Software Integration vendor will finalize the project scope and begin developing a scope of work for an integration platform, including services required by a prospective vendor to ensure interoperability.
    • The Reemployment Assistance Help Center project created a front-end website that serves as a one-stop shop for System users to get answers to frequently asked questions, view information about their claim, submit inquiries to the Department for assistance, and submit information to the Department that facilitate claims processing.
      • This project was completed in December 2021. The Reemployment Assistance Help Center will undergo additional enhancements through continuous modernization efforts to improve internal workflows that ensure users’ claims are processed timely. 
    • The Strategic Planning Office project equips the Department with standards, governance, and project management services for the Reemployment Assistance Modernization Program, and oversees the Program’s scope, schedule, and budget to promote accountability and alignment with Department priorities.
      • The Strategic Planning Office (SPO) continues to provide overall Program and project management support.
      • The SPO continues to work with project managers to adopt ServiceNow to manage project budgets and monthly spending. Project managers are now utilizing ServiceNow to enter actual and anticipated project expenditures.
    • The Independent Verification and Validation project includes leveraging an independent third-party consultant to provide objective and proactive risk identification and assessment to the Department. Observations and risks identified by the consultant are used by the Department to implement the Reemployment Assistance Modernization Program and any necessary mitigating strategies.
      • IV&V continues to attend various Department meetings to support Program and project oversight.
    • The System and Software Integration project includes leveraging the expertise of a third-party services provider with experience in strategic planning, System design, System development, and System integration for large multi-component system modernization efforts to ensure the Department’s various modernization projects work as intended to deliver an enhanced user experience.
      • The System and Software Integration vendor continues to work with Department staff and the Business Process Optimization vendor to develop technical requirements that support the Reemployment Assistance program’s needs and that will be used to develop procurements for future software procurements.
      • The System and Software Integration vendor developed software recommendation options for two projects this reporting period that will be considered by the Department as procurement documents are drafted.
      • The System and Software Integration vendor began working with Project Managers and Department staff to initiate developing scopes of work for various future procurements and will be refined as needed, as additional business requirements for the modernized System are finalized.
    • The Business Process Optimization project focuses on identifying, cataloging, and reengineering business processes and requirements that are necessary to improve the user experience. These reengineered processes and requirements will support a more efficient claims process for both internal and external System users.
      • The Department began working on the “All Other” module and prioritized three programs for business process optimization, including Appeals, Central Intake, and the Short-Term Compensation program.
      • The Department continues to hold bi-weekly workshops to support the development of business and technical requirements that will be used to procure for various software tools. Workshops focused on gathering requirements for how the current System operates is complete for the Employers and Third-Party Administrators module. Workshops focused on gathering requirements for how the modernized System will operate have started for both the Employers and Third-Party Administrators module and Initial Claims module.
      • The Department received and is reviewing the report containing requirements for how the modernized System will operate for the Continued Claims modules. The Department also received and is reviewing the report containing requirements for how the current System operates for the Employers and Third-Party Administrators module.
      • The Department hosted a roundtable discussion with several large employers and third-party administrators who utilize the current System to better understand their current user experience and identify opportunities for improvement.
    • The Incremental CX/UX Mobile Responsive Software Transformation project includes optimizing the existing System and developing a user-friendly front-end for Reemployment Assistance claimants that is also mobile-friendly. The transformation will occur incrementally to ensure all System users benefit from System optimization, with a focus on enhancing the claimant experience first.
      • Core Claims and Claim Status
        •  This module is forecast to start in August 2022; however, the Department continues working with its SSI and BPO vendors to finalize the modernized System’s technical requirements and future state business requirements, respectively, to support future procurement activities.
      • Continued Claims
        • This module is forecast to start in September 2022; however, the Department continues working with its SSI and BPO vendors to finalize the modernized System’s technical requirements and future state business requirements, respectively, to support future procurement activities.
      • Employers and Third-Party Administrators
        • This module is forecast to start in October 2022; however, the Department continues working with its SSI and BPO vendors to finalize the modernized System’s technical requirements and future state business requirements, respectively, to support future procurement activities.
      • Initial Claims
        • This module is forecast to start in October 2022; however, the Department continues working with its SSI and BPO vendors to finalize the modernized System’s technical requirements and future state business requirements, respectively, to support future procurement activities.
      • The Data Warehouse project established a separate infrastructure environment for storing and reporting Reemployment Assistance data. The data warehouse enhances System performance by conducting reporting activities in a separate infrastructure environment.
        • This project was completed in January 2022.
      • The Reporting project includes migrating all System reports from the System to the Data Warehouse and developing and validating all federally mandated Reemployment Assistance reports. The data warehouse provides the Department with standardized data and reduces the need for staff intervention for future reporting activities.
        • 33 reports have been developed and validated and are being submitted directly to the U.S. Department of Labor from the Data Warehouse. The remaining six reports are currently being validated.
        • In the previous reporting period, the project scope was expanded to include 15 data populations that will be moved from the System database into the Data Warehouse to ensure they match data that is used for federal reporting. Three populations were moved into the Data Warehouse and developed this reporting period, two are in progress, and 10 are remaining for development.
        • The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) provided guidance to all states regarding the recovery for certain Reemployment Assistance overpayments and the Department initiated System enhancements to implement this guidance. To ensure the Department is submitting accurate data to USDOL, the Department will perform additional development work and testing on three reports and will test two other reports to determine if additional development work is needed.
      • The Archival and Purge project establishes a process for archiving and purging appropriate Reemployment Assistance data. These activities will reduce the Department’s data storage costs and greatly impact the efficiency and stability of the System, because it will purge any data that is no longer required to be maintained by the Department and allow for the secure storage in a separate environment of any data that the Department must maintain for a period of time.
        • In this reporting period, the Department finalized a project charter to outline the project’s objectives and defined the project’s scope.
        • A project kick-off meeting was scheduled for early July 2022.
      • The Master Data Management and Interoperability project focuses on creating a data catalog and data dictionary for the Department. These efforts promote data standardization and data sharing among information technology systems that exchange information with the Reemployment Assistance program.
        • This reporting period, the Department finalized project requirements and drafted the project schedule.
      • The Security Architecture Review project includes assessing the proposed modernized System to strengthen System security, reduce risk for all System users, and to define and implement enhanced security practices that meet or exceed modern security standards.
        • The Department initiated work on a security controls and skills assessment deliverable that serves as the foundation for the Security Architecture Review project. Due to the volume of security controls and the number of internal System users, the time originally allocated for this deliverable was deemed insufficient to complete this deliverable. A contract amendment to adjust the deliverable due dates is anticipated in early July. Though the project timeline will be extended to accommodate this change, the overall project schedule will not be impacted.
      • The Identity and Access Management project includes updating all Departmental identity management and access control policies and implementing enhanced front-end security measures to authenticate System users. These efforts ensure the individuals who have access to the System are provided the appropriate amount of access for their need.
        • Requirements for this project have been finalized and were used to conduct a market analysis for an identity and access management product. The results of the analysis will be evaluated and used to shape a procurement for this project in the next reporting period.
      • The Security Architecture Audit project includes a technical audit that will be provided by an independent third-party to review and test all technical aspects of the System for improved System security.
        • No change from the previous reporting period. This project is forecast to start in January 2023.


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