DIRECTIVE	:	UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 38-91
TO	:	ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
FROM	:	DONALD J. KULICK Administrator for Regional Management
SUBJECT	:	Unemployment Insurance Program Improvement Training Workshops

1. Purpose. 

   1. To announce a series of three workshops for State employment security agency (SESA) personnel to be conducted in the fall by the Special Technical Assistance Project of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

   2. To provide information on the schedule and locations of these workshops, and procedures to facilitate SESA staff registrations.

2. References. UIPL 33-89 and UIPL 7-91.

3. Background. In late September 1990 the Department of Labor awarded an 18-month grant to the Pennsylvania SESA, to provide technical assistance (TA) to other SESAs regarding the design and implementation of unemployment insurance (UI) program improvement (PI) studies. This special TA project will continue through March 1992. Such studies can support ongoing efforts of State UI Directors in using UI program data to identify ways to improve UI benefit operations.

   The grant project will offer TA to the SESAs in two primary ways: (a) through the development of a technical assistance guide (TAG) for SESA staff use in planning ??? studies and (b) by conducting training workshops for ??? staff on research study design and implementation.

4. Workshop Information. 

   1. Objectives. The workshops are designed to provide hands-on training in study design and methodology to SESA staff responsible for conducting PI studies for SESA management. Participants will learn how to use the TAG in planning studies and in preparing study proposals for Regional and National Office approval.

   2. Workshop Leadership and Format. Grantee staff in conjunction with subcontracted independent research specialists, Paul Burgess, Ph. D. and Robert St. Louis, Ph. D. of Arizona State University, will conduct the workshops. Instructional presentations by the contractors will be alternated with small group work sessions throughout the three-day workshop.

      Participant groups (4 to 6 persons) will work together in a series of step-by-step study planning sessions. Each group will have the goal of developing a model PI study proposal.

      The draft TAG will be used as a "textbook" during each workshop. A copy will be sent to registered participants prior to their coming to the workshop. Topics to be covered in the workshops are listed in the attachment.

   3. SESA Participation: Who Should Attend? It is recommended that the SESAs send two representatives to these workshops. One representative should be a UI program specialist who can serve the UI Director in gauging what problems or UI processes are appropriate for study. Another should be a UIQC technician or program analyst who is likely to have major responsibility for planning and conducting such studies for the Director.

   4. Workshop Schedule and Locations. Workshops are now scheduled in eastern, central, and western locations as indicated below. Each is scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Participants are asked to plan their arrival and departure to ensure three full days of training. Dates and sites are:

   Workshop #1	Sept. 16-20	Phoenix (Tempe), AZ
   Workshop #2	Oct. 21-25	Clearwater, FL
   Workshop #3	Nov. 18-22	Denver, CO

5. Workshop Registration and Hotel Arrangements. 

   1. Workshop Registration. It is requested that participants register with the grantee after receipt of this directive. Each workshop will accommodate 20 participants. For this reason, registrations will be on a "first come, first served" basis. Persons from the same SESA are encouraged to attend the same workshop, if feasible. Registrations can be made by telephone, or by FAX.

      Grantee	Robert Dougherty and Steve Hinnenkamp,
      Contacts:	QC Special Technical Assistance Project, Room 501, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Harrisburg, PA.
      Registration:	717 - 783-6378.
      FAX tel. no.:	717 - 787-8040.

      Closing registration dates for the respective workshops are:

      Workshop #1 (Phoenix)	September 2, 1991
      Workshop #2 (Clearwater)	September 21, 1991
      Workshop #3 (Denver)	November 5, 1991

      Persons who register should provide this information: name, work address, work telephone number, and job title. They should also indicate their choice of workshops. (The grantee requests first and second choices.)

      In addition, registrants are requested to inform their respective Regional Offices of their registrations.

   2. Registration Fee.  A registration fee of $12.00 per person is requested. Fees will be collected on the first day (A.M.) of the workshop. Receipts will be offered.

   3. Costs.  SESAs are responsible for all costs involved in attending the workshops.

   4. Hotel Information.  Workshop registrants should make their own hotel reservations. Essential information follows for each workshop site:

   Workshop #1:	September 16-20	Phoenix (Tempe), Arizona
   	Hotel:	Sheraton Mission Palms, 60 E. Fifth St., Tempe, AZ 85281 (1-800-325-3535)
   	Room rate:	$45.00day plus 9.05% tax.
   	Reservations cut-off date:	September 2
   	Airporthotel transportation:	Call from airport for van pick-up using hotel courtesy telephone, or use commercial shuttle van service available for approximately $10.00 per person.
   Workshop #2:	October 21-25	- Clearwater, Florida
   	Hotel:	Holiday Inn Surfside, 400 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, FL (3463 (1-800-753-3954)
   	Room rate:	$54.00day plus 10% tax.
   	Reservations cut-off date:	September 21
   	Airporthotel transportation:	Limousine service is available from Tampa International Airport (approx. $10.00).
   Workshop #3:	November 18-22	- Denver, CO
   	Hotel:	Warwick Denver, 1776 Grant St., Denver, CO 80203 (1-800-525-2888)
   	Room rate:	$59.00 plus 11.9% tax.
   	Reservations cut-off date:	November 5
   	Airporthotel transportation:	Hotel van available; call from airport hotel courtesy telephone, or use commercial shuttle service available for approximately $10.00 per person.

6. Action Requested. All SESA Administrators are encouraged to:

   1. provide a copy of this UIPL to appropriate UI managers and staff;

   2. arrange, if feasible, for appropriate UI staff to participate in one of the training workshops.

7. Inquiries. Direct inquiries to the appropriate Regional Office.

8. Attachment. Proposed Workshop Topics.

    

    

    

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   Attachment

    

   
   

   PROPOSED WORKSHOP TOPICS

   Unemployment Insurance program improvement studies are carried out to generate new data and findings that may shed light upon various operational problems or issues related to benefit payments. Below is a list of several broad topics that will be covered during the training workshops. These topics parallel closely the organizational and content of the technical assistance guide (TAG) that will be used in the workshops.

   1. General information and guidelines regarding UI program improvement studies.

   2. Problem identification in the UI environment.

   3. Establishing study goals and objectives.

   4. Establishing and maintaining organizationmanagement support.

   5. Alternative study approaches (designs).

   6. Selection of the study approach (methodology).

   7. Study preparationdesign and proposal writing.

   8. Data collection and recording.

   9. Analysis of study data and presentation of findings.

   10. Recommended actions.