DIRECTIVE	:	UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 47-99
TO	:	ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
FROM	:	GRACE A. KILBANE Director Unemployment Insurance Service
SUBJECT	:	Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS) Risk Analysis Users Guide, A Step-By Step Approach

1. Purpose. To provide State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) a guide for using RiskWatch software to conduct a UI Risk Analysis.

2. References. ET Handbook 376 (Guidelines For Internal Security in UI Operations), Document F - Risk Analysis Technical Assistance (TA) Guide Vulnerabilities and Safeguards, August 1987.

3. Background. Regional reviews indicated that many SESAs were not conducting a risk analysis because old technology and manual risk analysis tools were time consuming and difficult to use. To address ongoing internal security and control concerns, the Department of Labor (DOL) entered into a cooperative agreement with the State of California's Economic Development Department to conduct a risk analysis project, beginning October 1, 1994.

   Under the cooperative agreement, California purchased RiskWatch and provided it to the SESAs who did not already have a copy. During 1997 and 1998, six UI risk analysis training classes (basic, intermediate and advanced) were conducted for SESA and Federal staff.

   SESA participants were informed it would be beneficial to begin their risk analysis as soon as possible. Many participants found that after training they were not given the opportunity to conduct a risk analysis due to other agency priorities. When some SESAs did start to conduct their risk analysis, they found the use of RiskWatch difficult because the software and handbook were not UI specific. In addition, with the long delay between training and the implementation of a risk analysis, some of the SESA staff had difficulty running the program.

   To address these problems and other issues, the National Office established a workgroup of experienced UI SESA staff who were also experienced RiskWatch users. Each SESA workgroup member had conducted 1-3 risk analyses using the RiskWatch software. The workgroup wrote a UI specific Step-By-Step Users Guide on conducting a risk analysis using RiskWatch. The User Guide assumes that the analyst is using RiskWatch version 7.1 Basic. It also assumes that the analyst is familiar with Windows 3.xxx or above.

4. Action Required. SESA Administrators are requested to make sure the Internal Security/Risk Analysis (IS/RA) supervisors have a copy of the new, August 1999, Unemployment Insurance Service Risk Analysis User's Guide, Step-By-Step Approach.

5. Inquiries. Direct inquiries to the appropriate RegionalOffice.

6. Separate Cover. "Unemployment Insurance Service Risk Analysis User's Guide, Step-By-Step Approach" will be sent to all SESA IS/RA Supervisors under separate cover.