Unified state UI quality service plan submission schedule

CLASSIFICATION
 EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                 Unemployment Insurance
             ADVISORY SYSTEM                            CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
        U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                        OUI/DPM
           Washington, D.C. 20210                       DATE
                                                        February 6, 2020

ADVISORY:        UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 9-20

TO:              STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES

FROM:            JOHN PALLASCH /s/
                 Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:         Unemployment Insurance (UI) State Quality Service Plan (SQSP) Submittal
                 Schedule

1. Purpose. To provide advance notice to states on the implementation of the revised
   submittal schedule for states’ submissions of the Biennial SQSP and the Alternate Year
   SQSPs.

2. Action Requested. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) requests State
   Administrators to:

       Make this information available to appropriate staff;
       Prepare the state’s SQSPs in accordance with the planning and reporting instructions
        contained in Employment and Training (ET) Handbook No. 336, 18th Edition,
        Change 4, and in the Additional Planning Guidance for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021
        Unemployment Insurance (UI) State Quality Service Plan (SQSP) (in FY 2020,
        issued as Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) No. 15-19); and
       Submit the FY 2021 SQSP to the appropriate Regional Office (RO) by the deadline
        set by the RO.

3. Summary and Background.

   a. Summary. ETA will use a new submission schedule that will be the same for all
      states. To begin this new cycle, all states will submit the Biennial SQSP in Fiscal
      Year (FY) 2021 and will submit a Biennial SQSP in every other year thereafter.
      Similarly, all states will submit the Alternate Year SQSP in FY 2022 and in every
      other year thereafter.

   b. Background. The Biennial SQSP planning cycle provides a 24-month window for
      states to adequately plan and implement their visions to enhance the UI program, to
      implement corrective actions as needed to improve program performance, and to

 RESCISSIONS                                              EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                     Continuing

       achieve performance excellence. Since funds for UI administrative grants to states are
       appropriated each year, budget worksheets, various assurances, and other items
       necessary for the Federal UI administrative funding process are required to be
       submitted every year with the Biennial and Alternate Year SQSP submittals.

       As set out in UIPL No. 17-14 and prior to FY 2021, states switch between the
       Biennial SQSP and Alternate Year SQSP submissions each year on alternating
       schedules. Each year, half of the states in each region submitted a Biennial SQSP (a
       complete SQSP package), and the other half of the states in each region submitted an
       Alternate Year SQSP.

       The new schedule, announced in this UIPL, changes the time of submittal to require
       all states to submit the same type of plan in the same year. ETA is making this
       change to reduce the regional workload and confusion among states on which plan
       needs to be submitted each year as part of the SQSP process.

       The Biennial SQSP consists of a complete SQSP package that includes a transmittal
       letter; the State Plan Narrative, including Assurances; Corrective Action Plans
       (CAPs); the Integrity Action Plan (IAP); budget worksheets/forms; organizational
       charts; a Signature Page; and other required administrative documents as requested in
       the annual SQSP UIPL.

       The Alternate Year SQSP consists of a transmittal letter; any proposed modifications
       to the State Plan Narrative, including Assurances; CAPs for newly identified
       performance deficiencies; any required modifications to previously existing CAPs;
       appropriate modifications/updates to the IAP; budget worksheets/forms;
       organizational chart (if changed); and a Signature Page.

4. Implementation Schedule. The implementation of the new schedule will begin in FY
   2021. For the FY 2021 SQSP, all states will submit a complete Biennial SQSP. In FY
   2022, all states will submit an Alternate Year SQSP. This submittal schedule will
   continue on a recurring basis for all future SQSP cycles.

                                Implementation Plan(All States)
                                  FY                    SQSP Type
                                 2021                     Biennial
                                 2022                 Alternate Year

   Each year, ETA’s National Office will initiate the SQSP submittal with the annual SQSP
   UIPL. The UIPL will provide guidance on the dates relevant to the SQSP process for the
   approaching FY, summarize Federal Program Emphasis for the year, and identify any
   special planning requirements for the FY. The FY 2021 SQSP UIPL will provide
   additional instructions to implement the new process discussed in this UIPL.

5. OMB Approval. On November 20, 2019, the Office of Management and Budget
   approved the non-substantive change request to the SQSP cycle in accordance with the

                                             2

   Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The OMB approval number is 1205-0132. The
   public reporting burden for this collection of information has not changed.

6. Inquiries. Please direct inquiries to the appropriate ETA Regional Office.

7. References.

      ET Handbook No. 336, Unemployment Insurance (UI) State Quality Service Plan
       (SQSP) Planning and Reporting Guidelines, 18th Edition, Change 4 (March 2019)
       https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/ETAHandbook/ET_Handbook_No.336_18th_
       Edition_Change_4_acc.pdf;

      UIPL No. 15-19, Additional Planning Guidance for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020
       Unemployment Insurance (UI) State Quality Service Plan (SQSP); and

      UIPL No. 17-14, Revised Employment and Training (ET) Handbook No. 336, 18th
       Edition: “Unemployment Insurance (UI) State Quality Service Plan (SQSP)
       Planning and Reporting Guidelines.”

8. Attachments. Not applicable.

                                             3