Modernizing technology to keep up with elevated unemployment rates

Deltek Analyst Aila Altman reports.

North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development – collectively the Southeast Consortium, or the Southeast Consortium for Unemployment Insurance Integration (SCUBI) – are collaborating to modernize legacy unemployment insurance (UI) systems. Tennessee is spearheading the effort on behalf of SCUBI with the recent release of a request for information (RFI) for UI modernization development and support planning information. In an effort to save money, time and other resources, the consortium hopes the solution chosen by Tennessee can be successfully duplicated with minor adjustments in the other states.

This modernization effort was initiated in September 2009 when the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded funding to the SCUBI states for producing and administering a study to determine the feasibility of designing, developing, and implementing a core UI benefit system that could operate in all four states. The product of this feasibility study was the creation of requirements to be contained in a future UI benefit system request for proposals (RFP).

According to information presented at the recent Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) Conference in Austin, Texas, states are struggling to unearth funding for UI system modernization given the lack of federal assistance. Despite this, federal stimulus programs direct states to update legacy systems.

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