WORKFORCE SYSTEMS LETTER NO.: 07-04                             

DATE:                        March 23, 2007

EFFECT:                   ACTION                     INFO                           WITH ATTACHMENT

                                        [X]               [X] UI Directors                                  [X]

SUBJECT:             Region 1 – Unemployment Insurance Benefits Accuracy

                                    Measurement (BAM) Peer Review – June 11-15, 2007

1.        Purpose:  To announce a Region I BAM peer review.  The review will be held Monday, June 11, 2007, through Friday, June 15, 2007, in Boston, Massachusetts.  During this review, BAM Supervisors and/or Denied Claim Accuracy (DCA) staff will be analyzing completed BAM DCA cases using U.S. Department of Labor procedures to ascertain their correctness, as well as discussing findings, individual state BAM procedures, and state laws.  We believe this opportunity will promote a better understanding of different state BAM processes and improve state program improvement efforts.  Attached is a draft agenda.

2.  Background:  Since the inception of the quality control program, the U.S. Department of Labor has sought to bring consistency to the claim audit process through a system of reviews and re-review.  In an effort to continue to improve in this area, the National Office has given regions an option to conduct BAM Peer reviews in cooperation with states.  The Regional Office plans to hold a peer review once each year for all Region I states.

3.  Process:   States participating in the peer review will bring ten sampled cases to the session.  Staff from two other states will review the cases and assess the adequacy of the investigation and accuracy of the coding of case data.  In case of disagreement, a third person, usually the regional monitor, will break the tie.  Results of case findings will be established with state representatives prior to conclusion of the meeting and the regional office will communicate those results to the state administrator within 30 days of the review.  For states participating in the peer review, the regional monitor will conduct an additional review of ten cases during the year.  For states that do not participate, the regional monitor will conduct a review of ten sample cases in each of two non-consecutive quarters.  Please note that the regional monitor will continue to conduct special reviews of any states reporting anomalous data, whether or not they participate in the BAM peer review.  National Office BAM staff will participate in peer reviews to the extent resources permit.

4.  Conference Plans:  The meeting has been scheduled to begin Monday, June 11, 2007, at 1:00 pm and will adjourn promptly at 12:00 pm on Friday, June 15, 2007.  The meeting will take place in the JFK Federal Building, Room #E-275-B, Boston, Massachusetts.  Sample selection will be limited to ten DCA cases and the listing will be provided to unit supervisors no later than May 21, 2007.  Dress is business casual.  During the review, messages can be left for participants by calling 617-788-0158.

Travel costs associated with this project must be covered by individual states.  The   U.S. Department of Labor provided funding for one person to attend a BAM peer review in 2007 through a Notice of Obligation issued late December 2006.

For the convenience of the group, arrangements have been made for a block of rooms at The Bulfinch Hotel, 107 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA 02114.  The hotel telephone number is: 617-624-0202.  The URL for the hotel’s website is: http://www.bulfinchhotel.com.  The hotel is within walking distance of the JFK Federal Building.  Rooms are available for June 11, 12, 13, and 14 at a lodging rate of $169, plus all applicable taxes.  Travelers are responsible for their own reservations and should reference “DOL BAM Peer Review.”  The cut-off date for these rooms is      May 18, 2007.  Parking is available at $25 per day. 

5.  Action Required:  SWA Administrators are requested to please:

a.      Distribute this issuance to appropriate staff;

b.      Support your BAM Supervisor’s or DCA staff’s participation;

c.      Remind your representative to bring complete files for all ten BAM cases sampled by the Regional Office;

d.      Ask your representative to prepare and ship an example case and reference handouts to each of your reviewing states (see attached) by May 21, 2007.  This will allow your peers from the reviewing states to prepare for the review process and more easily locate information within the files and understanding your agency’s system screen printouts.  If your representative needs contact information for your peer review states, please contact Susan Sanders at (617) 788-0107 .

           Please submit comments on the agenda and names of attendees to Ms. Sanders by

      May 14, 2007.

6.  Inquiries:  For further information, please contact Ms. Sanders by telephone at (617) 788-0107.

Grace A. Kilbane

Regional Administrator

Enclosure

Region I BAM Group Peer Review

Boston, MA – June 11-15, 2007

Monday, June 11, 2007  (All session times are estimates)

01:00 – 02:30            Welcome, Logistics, Introductions, Review Process

02:45 – 05:00            Review  [CT – MA – ME – NH - PR]

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

08:00 – 12:00            Review continues

12:00 – 01:00            Lunch (on your own)

01:00 – 02:45            Finalize, discuss cases with state representative

                                    Refer to Regional/National staff for mediation

03:00 – 04:30            Discuss findings of two states

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

08:00  - 10:00            Discuss findings of remaining two states

10:15 – 12:00            Discussions of DCA Issues

12:00 – 01:00            Lunch (on your own)

01:00 – 04:30            Review   [PR – NJ – NY – RI – VT]

Thursday, June 14, 2007

08:00 – 12:00            Review continues

12:00 – 01:00            Lunch (on your own)

01:00 – 02:45            Finalize, discuss cases with state representative

                                    Refer to Regional/National staff for mediation

03:00 – 04:30            Discuss findings of two states

Friday, June 15, 2007

08:00  - 10:00            Discuss findings of remaining two states

10:15 – 12:00            Closing and plans for future reviews