Training and Employment Notice

TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NOTICE	NO.
	DATE

TO: DOL ETA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS

ALL STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS

ALL STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE AGENCIES

ALL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD (WIB) AGENCIES

ALL STATE WIB EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

ALL LOCALWIB EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

FROM: PORTIA WU

Assistant Secretary

Employment and Training Administration

SUBJECT: Administration of the Survey about the Use of Technical Assistance by the State and Local Workforce Systems

1. Purpose. This notice encourages responses to the Survey about the Use of Technical Assistance by the State and Local Workforce Systems (“Technical Assistance Survey”). Data collected from the Technical Assistance Survey will be used to understand how technical assistance (TA) is provided, if technical assistance is considered effective and how technical assistance can be improved in the future.

2. References.

• Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, as amended (29 United Sates Code 2801, et seq.), Section 172 Evaluations; and

• WIA Final Rule, 20 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 661 and 664, (published at 65 FR 49294, Aug. 11, 2000).

3. Background. Technical assistance needs are frequently addressed through a wide variety of activities including: facilitated peer exchanges, policy guidance and communications, fact sheets, information about promising models or practices, electronic tools, and webinars and virtual events. Furthermore, the program and service-related topics provided through TA may address a wide-ranging number of needs such as grant compliance and program improvement activities and strategies. TA is initiated by a number of different entities or organizations, such as ETA’s regional and national program office staff, American Job Center management, state and local WIB staff, State Workforce Agencies, state or regional workforce associations, training institutes, intergovernmental organizations, contractors and consultants, and other Federal partner agencies. TA needs and activities are identified through input from the same customers, stakeholders and ETA staff. Decisions to fund TA activities are driven by the availability of funds, recently issued policy guidance, new grant initiatives, and ongoing financial and administrative needs.

Public workforce system recipients of TA include: state agencies, LWIBs, American Job Centers, youth service providers, and competitively selected grantees. However, more information is needed about the effectiveness of technical assistance. Therefore, ETA has initiated a study to address the following research questions:

• How is TA provided? ETA wants to learn more about the provision of TA to understand whether it addresses priority needs; and 1) is clear about what can and cannot be accomplished through TA; 2) is performance-based; and 3) is cost-effective in relation to the identified TA need.

• How effective is TA? The provision of TA is intended to improve program performance and, ultimately, increase the effectiveness of services provided to job seekers, incumbent workers, employers, and other customers of the workforce development programs. ETA seeks to understand if TA is considered effective by those who receive it – and why or why not

• How can TA be evaluated? ETA wants feedback about how TA is implemented, how TA can be measured; and if a defined theory of change or logic model for TA can be improved.

4. Benefits of this Study to the Public Workforce System. After collecting all completed questionnaires, the results will be reviewed and analyzed. The results of the survey and additional information gathered will be included in a final report. The final report will highlight the survey results, and will provide options for conducting a rigorous evaluation of ETA’s technical assistance activities in the future. The Department anticipates that the final report will be available by late fall of 2014. At that time, the final report will be posted on the ETA Research Publication Database Web site at: https://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm.

5. Survey Description. The Technical Assistance Survey is approved under the Paperwork Reduction Act (Office of Management and Budget control number 1205-0436). This survey will be accessible electronically to 50 state workforce agency directors, 50 state unemployment insurance agency directors, 100 randomly-selected LWIB-level directors, and 150 current discretionary grant recipients, including but not limited to Workforce Innovation Fund, National Emergency Grants, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Disability Employment Initiative, YouthBuild, Reintegration of Ex-Offender, Senior Employment Community Service, Indian and Native American, and National Farmworker Job Grantees. This survey will be administered through Internet-based platform and the response time is estimated at 15 minutes. Participation in the survey is voluntary.

6. Action Requested. DOL ETA Regional Administrators are asked to notify state and local WIBS, and discretionary grantees about this effort. State WIBS are asked to inform LWIBS and other grantees about the possibility of being selected to participate in the survey.

7. Inquiries. For questions specific to completing the survey, please contact Lisa Lin-Freeman with IMPAQ International at (443) 539-1396 or llfreeman@impaqint.co m. For more information about the Effectiveness of Technical Assistance study, please contact Gloria Salas-Kos in ETA’s Office of Policy Development and Research at 202-693-3596 or salas-kos.gloria@dol.gov.

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20210