Shelby Review

State Representative Tom Kuhn, a Republican from Troy and chair of the House General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, has emphasized the need for increased legislative oversight and transparency in state-funded projects. This call comes after CSG Government Solutions presented findings on Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Modernization Project.

CSG has been serving as the state's Independent Verification and Validation vendor for two years, providing monthly assessments of the project. The initiative aims to overhaul Michigan's unemployment claims and employer tax systems.

"This project is vital to ensuring Michigan workers and businesses can rely on a system that functions smoothly and fairly," stated Kuhn. However, he expressed concern over CSG's reports which indicate repeated delays, communication breakdowns, and systemic readiness gaps.

During testimony, CSG outlined ongoing challenges with the project:

- Missed milestones and schedule instability throughout 2024

- Testing stalls or failures to produce reliable results

- Missing or low-quality documentation

- Delayed and misaligned training materials

- Problems with interface testing and data conversion timelines

- Weak coordination between the state and its primary vendor, Deloitte

"These findings underline the need for stronger accountability and project management moving forward," Kuhn noted. He stressed that these issues directly impact Michigan families when their claims are delayed or mishandled. "We can’t afford to let the confusion continue to derail this crucial modernization effort. The goal is to fix what’s broken and deliver the reliable, efficient UI system that Michiganders deserve."