Located in:
- III. Operational Planning Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in section II Strategic Elements. This includes—
- 6. Program Data
- A. Data Alignment and Integration
Describe the plans of the lead State agencies with responsibility for the administration of the core programs, along with the State Board, to align and integrate available workforce and education data systems for the core programs, unemployment insurance programs, and education through postsecondary education, and to the extent possible, the Combined State Plan partner programs included in this plan. The description of the State’s plan for integrating data systems should include the State’s goals for achieving integration and any progress to date.
- A. Data Alignment and Integration
- 6. Program Data
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 6. A. iii. Explain how the State board will assist the governor in aligning technology and data systems across required one-stop partner programs (including design and implementation of common intake, data collection, etc.) and how such alignment will improve service delivery to individuals, including unemployed individuals
Current Narrative:
Participant Record Information System (PRIS)
The Department of Economic Development and the Department of Labor and Human Resources of Puerto Rico, Title I-B programs, grantees of UI, Wagner - Peyser Employment Services (ES), were allocated a grant of RSI-DWGs fund to integrate our Title I-B, UI, Wagner - Peyser Employment Services (ES) to the workforce information technology (IT) systems. The Puerto Rico database system is the Participant Record Information System (PRIS) and entered on function on March 9, 2020. The technology solutions include a common registration and case management across Title I-B and Title III programs. The software solution for WIOA workflows, is in compliance with the Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL).
In compliance with the Section 116(d)(1) of WIOA and related federal guidelines, the system consist in a multiuser web based software based on the Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL, ETA-9172), including the validation rules established by DOLETA and the reports related with the PIRL database. Its main function is to comply with the three sets of validation rules (duplicate rules, valid values rules and logical rules) reflected in the generation of a 100% error free, comma delimited text files (csv files) based on the PIRL schemas for all the programs.
The software was developed according with the PIRL Schemas CSV files and will be used by the sixteen programs included in PIRL. In the initial phase of the PRIS system, Title I-B programs and W-P fully integrated. In the next two months, the Workforce Development Program will be initiating the final stages of development to streamline the application process for individuals who seek employment services and integrate or interface the participant management systems of WIOA Titles I, II, III, and IV and other required partners.
To comply with this phase DEDC have to establish data share agreements with each partner willing to be integrated in the system, either by sharing the data, or by achieving an interface to share customer engagement information. This will improve both client services and reporting with respect to data analysis and client activity. The intent of this process is to gather comprehensive and consistent information so that appropriate workforce development services will be provided.
Referrals will be made to services that are deemed appropriate and each provider will be responsible for following up with those referrals in order to provide services. This process will help coordinate and align services that are provided through the workforce development system and will ensure those needing services through the workforce system are receiving appropriate services.
State Wage Interchange System (SWIS)
Puerto Rico signed the SWIS Agreement with DOLETA, which incorporates all six WIOA core programs to exchange interstate quarterly wage records. Since January 1, 2020, all Queries for Wage Data for all applicable programs are processed through the SWIS Clearinghouse. The SWIS Agreement replaces the Wage Record Interchange System (WRIS and WRIS2) Data Sharing Agreements previously executed by most States. States signing the Agreement will be able to exchange interstate quarterly wage records with any other State signing the Agreement to satisfy performance reporting requirements in section 116 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The PR Department of Labor & Human Resource is the SUIA agency. “SUIA” is the state agency that holds wage data, whether such agency also administers the state’s unemployment insurance program. On the other hand, PACIA” is the Performance Accountability and Customer Information Agency designated by the governor to be responsible for coordinating the state’s program for assessing state and local program performance and evaluating training provider performance. The PACIA are PR Department of Economic Development & Commerce – Access PACIA; PR Department of Education – Access PACIA; PR Department of the Family – Access PACIA; and the PR Vocational Rehabilitation Administration – Access.
- The narrative did not describe now the State board is assisting the governor with aligning technology and data across the one-stop partner programs. Puerto Rico must further describe what the State Board is doing in this section of the narrative. (Compliance)
The process of technology transfer between the previous information system and the new PRIS system has taken a little longer than expected. However, the WDP and the State Board have dedicated all their efforts and resources to ensure that the system is operational in the shortest possible time. It is a matter of priority for the DEDC to provide the Governor of Puerto Rico with the indicators of program performance under WIOA. The Governor is very aware of these results, and for this same urgency, the State Board ordered an Action Plan to culminate the process of implementing PRIS. The action plan states that reporting on the implementation of the AJCs will begin in June.