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The Department of Labor has worked hard to cultivate an "Evaluation Culture," a
term used by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in a recent report.32 For
the Department, this has meant welcoming objective reviews and audits by
the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the GAO. Beyond that, we initiate
self-examination by contracting with professional evaluators, inviting them
to study our programs and assess our effectiveness.
During the course of the past year, the evaluation programs at the Department
of Labor have supported a wide variety of studies, such as:
- Process evaluations: reviewing our operating procedures
and program implementation.
- Outcome evaluations: moving us beyond a focus on
our "outputs" and guiding us further in our commitment toward producing
positive "outcomes."
- Impact evaluations: distinguishing the precise contribution
of our programs from that of other external factors.
- Case studies: analyzing the delicate balance between
the cost of operations and the yield in benefits.
32Program Evaluation: An Evaluation
Culture and Collaborative Partnerships Help Build Agency Capacity, GAO-03-454,
May 2003.
While all of the audits and evaluations described below have their own
unique focus and content, they each share in our common goal of trying
to improve our efforts to develop a global economy for the 21st century.
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Government Information
Security Reform Act (GISRA) Review of Current Population Survey
(CPS), July 2002.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.3A — Improve
information available to decision-makers on labor market conditions,
and price and productivity changes
Findings: There were four findings related to: (1) the
CPS Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP); (2) the CPS System Security
Plan (SSP); (3) security controls of the CPS; and (4) a Bureau-wide Uninterruptible
Power Supply (UPS) system.
Recommendations: (1) Complete,
provide training, and test the CPS Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP);
(2) Complete risk assessment and update the CPS System Security Plan (SSP);
(3) Add "Data Integrity
and Validation" section to the CPS SSP; (4) Test and evaluate the
security controls of the CPS; and (5) Procure new building-wide Uninterruptible
Power Supply (UPS) system.
Actions Taken: BLS responded to the final report from
the OIG on November 21, 2003. Each of the five recommendations is completed,
except for Number 1. Number 1 includes COOP testing, which is a longer-term
commitment.
Additional Information: A copy of the final evaluation
may be obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Management
Systems, Room 4080, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20212,
or by calling 202-691-7628.
2. Employee Benefits Security Administration: Audit
of EBSA Participant and Compliance Assistance Program (#09-04-001-12-121),
March 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.2B — Enhance
pension and health benefit security
Findings: The Office of Inspector General conducted
an audit of the Employee Benefits Security Administration's Participant
and Compliance Assistance program. The objective was to determine if EBSA's
program: (1) provided information and assistance timely and accurately;
and (2) whether the reported performance data, including benefit recoveries,
was accurately reported for FY 2002. The OIG findings and recommendations
are summarized as follows: (1) EBSA provided information and assistance
timely and accurately; and (2) reported performance data was reasonably
accurate.
Recommendations: None.
Actions Taken: None.
Additional Information: http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/2004/09-04-001-12-121.pdf
3. Employee Benefits Security Administration: EBSA
Needs Additional Authority to Improve Quality of Employee Benefit Plan
Audits (#09-04-005-12-12), September 2004
Performance Goal Affected: 2.2B — Enhance pension and
health benefit security.
Findings: The OIG reviewed the process used by EBSA
to identify and correct substandard audits of employee benefit plans.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) requires employee
benefit plans to be audited annually. The audit requirement is intended
to help protect the interests of benefit plan participants and beneficiaries.
The OIG found that although EBSA has made efforts to correct substandard
audits, including rejecting annual report findings and referring auditors
to oversight and or licensing organizations for possible investigation
and disciplinary action, the process for identifying and correcting substandard
audits has not been effective. For example, some referred audits had not
been brought up to ERISA requirements. Moreover, OIG's review found that
EBSA does not have the authority to take direct action against auditors
who perform substandard audits on employee benefit plans.
Recommendations: Among the OIG's recommendations were
that EBSA propose changes to ERISA to grant EBSA greater enforcement authority
over such matter as registration, suspension, debarment, and civil penalties
against employee benefit plan auditors. The IG also recommended that EBSA
improve the accuracy of its case tracking system and develop targeting
methods to identify substandard audits based on common attributes of plans
with substandard audits.
Actions Taken: EBSA responded the OIG report, generally
agreeing with its recommendations, identifying planned steps to address
the recommendations, and citing ongoing efforts to improve employee benefit
plan audit quality. With respect to its enforcement authority, EBSA responded
that it recognizes deficiencies in the current law and is considering
options for correcting those deficiencies. With regard to identifying
substandard audits, EBSA is adopting an inspection approach, which focuses
on CPA firms performing the most employee benefit plan audits.
Additional Information: http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/
4. Employment Standards Administration: 2003
Financial Audit (#22-04-002-13-001), March 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.2C — Minimize the
human, social and financial impact of work-related injuries for workers
and their families.
Findings: To determine continuing eligibility for some
claimants' compensation, FECA is required to periodically review medical
evidence. An Office of Inspector General audit concluded that the primary
control ensuring that claimants submit medical evidence was not effective.
Because OWCP did not follow its procedures, it could not terminate benefits
if the medical evidence did not support continuing eligibility.
Recommendations: The Chief Financial Officer should
ensure that ESA implements automated procedures to ensure FECA claims
examiners review current medical evidence.
Actions Taken: The long-term solution rests with a new
automated Periodic Entitlement Review application that checks files for
the presence or absence of current medical evidence. In December 2004,
FECA will begin using an automated tracking mechanism that will alert
claims staff when medical evaluations are due. The FECA program believes
that the new system and targeted training will eliminate this finding
from future audits.
Additional Information: http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/
5. Employment Standards Administration: Concerns
Persist with the Integrity of Davis Bacon Prevailing Wage Determinations
(#04-04-003-04-420), March 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.1A — Covered American
workplaces legally, fairly, and safely employ and compensate their workers.
Findings: The Office of Inspector General audited the
process of determining prevailing wage rates under the Davis-Bacon Act
and found the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) had not sufficiently resolved
past OIG and GAO concerns and recommendations. The OIG identified three
issues that continue to affect the validity and usefulness of Davis-Bacon
surveys: (1) errors in submitted wage data; (2) a methodology that may
allow bias; and (3) time gaps between surveys and the resulting publication
of the results.
Recommendations: OIG concluded that the current wage
determination process should be replaced with a statistically valid methodology,
and encouraged ESA to promote changes that would allow reliable and objective
sources of data, such as those offered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), to be used in prevailing wage determinations.
Actions Taken: WHD has contacted BLS about the possibility
of using its data as a basis for Davis-Bacon prevailing wage determinations.
Additional Information: http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/2004/04-04-003-04-420.pdf
6. Employment and Training Administration: New Hire
Detection is a Better Method for Establishing UI Overpayments (#05-04-002-03-315),
September 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.2A — Make timely
and accurate benefit payments to unemployed workers, facilitate the reemployment
of Unemployment Insurance claimants, and set up Unemployment tax accounts
promptly for new employers.
Findings: The UI program, a Federal-state partnership,
is the DOL's largest income maintenance program. While the framework of
the program is determined by Federal law, benefits for individuals are
dependent on state law and administered by State Workforce Agencies. The
UI system could attain significant savings by detecting overpayments through
cross-matching UI claims against state and national new hire data. This
would detect UI claimants who have returned to work but are still collecting
UI benefits. Using new hire data to identify overpayments is more effective
than the more common method of matching UI claims against employers' quarterly
wage records because employers must report new hires within twenty days,
whereas wage records are not available for months. The new hire method
results in earlier detection of overpayments, reduces overpayment dollars,
and increases the chance of overpayment recovery. In 2003, the OIG made
recommendations for reducing overpayments by expanding states' use of
new hire data. The full implementation of these recommendations, in OIG's
opinion, would save the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) an estimated $428
million annually. In response, DOL implemented a pilot program in 6 states
and improved its quality control program. DOL's Employment and Training
Administration (ETA) also drafted policy changes and is collecting data
for the pilot program. The pilot cost-benefit study results are due in
January 2006. DOL will then need to make sure that lessons learned from
the pilot are implemented. Despite the benefits of new
hire detection, a recent OIG audit found 12 states had not used their
own state new hire data to reduce overpayments.
Recommendations: OIG recommended that ETA 1) continue
to provide technical assistance and resources to the state UI programs
that are currently not using new hire detection in order to initiate and/or
complete plans for implementation as soon as possible; 2) work with Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to communicate to Congress the need
for amending the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation
Act of 1996 (PRWORA), or introducing new legislation, to require employers
to report a new hire's first day of earnings and provide a clear, consistent,
nationwide definition for this date; 3) encourage state UI programs to
access the National Directory of New Hire (NDNH) and coordinate efforts
with DHHS and the state UI programs to accomplish this; 4) work with DHHS,
the lead department, to encourage state agencies compiling the State Directory
of New Hires (SDNH) to expand monitoring and outreach programs that will
improve employer compliance and seek enforcement through penalties for
employers who repeatedly fail to report new hires; and 5) assist the state
UI programs in analyzing resources to determine the best detection methods,
how to best allocate resources, and frequency of New Hire cross-matches.
Actions Taken: DOL was very pleased with the enactment
of P.L. 108-295, which is based on draft legislation proposed DOL, and
which gives state UI agencies access to the National Directory of New
Hires. This will enhance states' ability to detect unreported work violations
by UI claimants working in other states or for certain multi-state employers
who may be all new hires to only one state. ETA is working with the Department
of Health and Human Services on implementation details and will encourage
states to use the directory when it becomes accessible. ETA continues
to promote activities to prevent and detect overpayments. In FY 2004,
$2.3 million in funds is being made available to states that submitted
acceptable proposals to implement or enhance benefit payment control activities
such as computer cross-matches to detect overpayments. An example of these
activities would include the use of the states' Directories of New Hires
as well as an electronic data exchange between state UI agencies and the
Social Security Administration.
Additional Information: http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/
7. OSHA's Future System Development Efforts Require
Greater Use of Best Practices (#23-04-009-10-001), September 2004
Performance Goal(s) affected: 3.1C — Reduce occupational
fatalities. 3.1D — Reduce occupational injuries and illnesses.
Findings: Based on observations made in FY 2002 and
2003, OIG identified three Project Management weaknesses in OSHA's IMIS
Redesign project: (1) project management didn't cover the entire period;
(2) lack of steady and assured funding increased project risk; (3) agency's
Project Manager lacked system development knowledge/experience.
Recommendations: OIG made four recommendations: (1)
Develop an SDLC (System Development Life Cycle) approach incorporating
best practices to minimize risk in future system development; (2) Correct
project management weaknesses identified in the report; (3) Ensure that
every major system development effort is led by a senior program expert
with experience and knowledge of the agency's mission, functions, and
operations; and, (4) Obtain periodic status reports and information from
the Project Manager.
Actions Taken: The agency accepted all of the OIG recommendations.
The agency had previously suspended further work on the IMIS Redesign
and had contracted for an independent assessment of its IMIS Redesign
activities. OSHA is awaiting the contractor's final report. Receipt of
that evaluation will assist the agency in determining how best to proceed
in complying with the OIG recommendations.
Additional Information: http://www.oig.dol.gov
8. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration
and Management: Departmentwide Reportable Conditions
Resulting from OIG's Audit of General, Application, and Security Controls
for Selected DOL IT systems that Support the Financial Statements (# 23-04-001-07-001),
March 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: IT2 — Continuously
improve the performance of the Department's Cyber Security Program in
accordance with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).
Findings: 1) The Department lacks strong
logical security controls (LSC) to secure the Department's data and information.
DOL has not developed and performed comprehensive tests of all continuity
of operations/disaster recovery plans for critical systems and processes.
Recommendations: Recommend the Department continue to
improve its security architecture and technical security standards, administrative
and end-user guidelines and procedures, enforcement and monitoring processes,
disaster recovery planning, and process for resolving known IT vulnerabilities
and weaknesses.
Actions Taken: To correct the Logical
Security Control (LSC) deficiencies, the Office of the Chief Information
Officer (OCIO) has performed a complete review of Departmental operations
manuals and proposed revisions to the documents; developed the DOL Technical
Standards Manual (TSM) to provide hardening system standards and integrate
actions for security configuration management; and revised the Computer
Security Handbook. The Disaster Recovery/Contingency Planning Working
Group has completed the following actions: (1) collected information from
all DOL agencies related to the agencies processing priorities; (2) collected
information from all DOL agencies related to the agencies' primary and
backup data center status; (3) integrated collected information into the
Department's consolidation efforts; and (4) further developed a bridging
document that links Agency Contingency planning efforts to the DOL COOP,
where applicable. This information helps clarify the role the Departmental
Communications Network (DCN) will play in the failure and recovery process.
OCIO has also developed a comprehensive test plan for the Emergency Management
Center (EM-Net) and ECN/DCN networks to provide backup Internet and DOL
agency connectivity; continued work to provide redundant agency inter-connectivity
through a set of alternative DCN network interconnections; continued testing
of core functions such as Active Directory, Common E-Mail and Internet
connectivity; arranged for implementation of Backup Active Directory servers;
prepared for Backup Common E-Mail services; and completed testing of the
backup Internet connectivity. The OCIO Security team continues to monitor
the agencies' implementation of their Plan of Action & Milestones;
in response to a memo from the CIO to Agency Heads requesting that they
resolve outstanding OIG recommendations by August, Agencies met with
OIG and performed the necessary mitigation activities. As a result, the
majority of the outstanding OIG recommendations have been closed and OIG
is considering removing this recommendation from its reportable conditions.
Additional Information: http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/
9. Employment and Training Administration: States
and Local Areas Have Developed Strategies to Assess Performance, but
Labor Could Do More to Help (GAO-04-657), June 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.1A — Increase the
employment, retention, and earnings of individuals register ed under the
Workforce Investment Act Adult program. 1.1F — Increase the employment,
retention, and earnings replacement of individuals registered under the
WIA dislocated worker program.
Findings: The study found that Workforce Investment
Act (WIA) performance data: (1) provides a national picture of workforce
outcomes, but these data offer little information about current performance
(because of time lags in Unemployment Insurance wage data from about 1 ½ years
to 2 ½ years); and (2) represents a small portion of job seekers
who received WIA services because of restrictions in the law and policies
of Labor. The study also noted that states and local areas try to fill
data gaps by using other locally defined indicators such as additional
job-seeker measures, employer measures, and program partnership measures,
but states and local areas would like more help from Labor in disseminating
best practices on interim performance measures.
Recommendations: GAO recommends that Labor: (1) continue
to allow supplemental data for reporting outcomes; (2) assist states in
sharing best practices on interim indicators; (3) develop a systematic
method to account for different populations and economic conditions when
negotiating performance levels; and (4) expedite steps to implement an
impact evaluation of WIA services. Lastly, Congress may also consider
requiring that all WIA participants be tracked for reporting purposes.
Actions Taken: (1) DOL published guidance
on the Common Measures for employment, retention and earnings in Training
and Employment Guidance Letter 15-03. These measures require the use of
Unemployment Insurance wage records for reporting on WIA performance outcomes,
and continue to allow states to use supplemental wage data to assess program
outcomes. Further guidance is being provided for using supplemental wage
data, and states will be allowed to use and report supplemental wage data
where appropriate. (2) For sharing best practices to states and local
areas, ETA has created a system-based Web site where successful practices
in this and other program areas can be posted by program operators. ETA
Performance Enhancement Project is developing an on-line tutorial on WIA
performance measures to assist states and local areas for improving performance
outcomes. (3) ETA currently has a project with the State of Michigan to
develop an adjustment model to account for economic conditions and different
populations. Michigan has the lead in partnering with other states in
the design and development of an adjustment model. (4) ETA plans to conduct
an impact evaluation of the reauthorized WIA programs when the changes
Additional Information: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04657.pdf
10. Employment and Training Administration: Labor
Actions Can Help States Improve Quality of Performance Outcome Data
and Delivery of Youth Services (GAO-04-308), February 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.2A — Increase entrance
and retention of youth registered under the WIA youth program in education
or employment.
Findings: The study found that local areas primarily
used the WIA program for dropout prevention and other efforts to improve
academic achievement for in-school youth. Local areas emphasized learning-related
summer employment for in-school youth. Local areas reported that serving
out-of-school youth is difficult, expensive, and less effective, but when
services are provided, they tend to focus on occupational skills training
and supportive services. Despite DOL's guidance, areas face implementation
challenges in identifying and retaining out-of-school youth, providing
youth with mentoring and follow-up services, and using interim measures
for on-going program assessment. Access to DOL's promising practice website
and to technical assistance has been difficult for some local areas.
Recommendations: GAO
is recommending that the Departments of Labor and Education coordinate
efforts to clarify how schools can work with workforce officials to help
connect school dropouts to local WIA youth programs. GAO is also
recommending that the Department of Labor provide states and local areas
with technical assistance necessary to address the aforementioned ongoing
implementation challenges and establish standard monitoring procedures
to improve the quality of data reported by states.
Actions Taken: DOL is setting up an interagency group
with the Department of Education and will issue guidance on connecting
dropouts to WIA youth programs. DOL will also issue guidance on a number
of ongoing implementation challenges including serving out-of-school youth,
providing mentoring services, providing follow-up services, and using
interim measures to track program performance. The data validation initiative
will ensure improvements in the quality of data reported by states.
Additional Information: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04308.pdf
11. Employment and Training Administration: Trade
Adjustment Assistance: Reforms Have Accelerated Training
Enrollment, but Implementation Challenges Remain; GAO-04-1012, September
2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.1G - Increase the employment,
retention, and earnings replacement of workers dislocated in important
part because of trade and who receive trade adjustment assistance benefits.
Findings: The GAO report notes that at this early stage
of implementation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Reform Act
of 2002, several changes appear to be helping trade-affected workers.
Overall, the study found that most workers are enrolling for service more
quickly than in prior years because of a new 40-day time limit for DOL
to process petitions which reduced the processing time from 107 days in
2002 to 38 days in 2003, and because of requirements for workers to register
more quickly after the TAA certification or layoff event. One concern
expressed in the GAO report was that this may not leave enough time to
assess a worker's needs, particularly during a large layoff. Implementation
of the Health Coverage Tax Credit has increased the workload in some areas.
Demand for TAA training increased substantially in FY 2002, prior to implementation
of the reforms, and States have struggled to meet the higher demand with
available TAA training funds, even though TAA training funds available
nationally doubled between FY 2002 and 2003. Most States have responded
by using other federal employment and training resources. The study notes
that information on TAA program results has been limited, but DOL is making
improvements using wage records to track TAA outcomes and through a five
year evaluation study initiated in FY 2003.
Recommendations: The study recommends that DOL monitor implementation
of TAA for unintended consequences and propose legislative changes, if appropriate.
In particular, DOL should track: (1) the ability of workers to meet the new
training enrollment deadline and of states and local areas to provide appropriate
assessments to impacted workers within deadlines; and (2) whether the eligibility
criteria for the new wage insurance program are resulting in denial of services
to some older workers who could benefit from the program.
Actions Taken: ETA shares GAO's concerns related to the
possible negative impact on some workers of the retraining enrollment deadline
and the new wage insurance provision having to do with "less than easily
transferable skills" which may be resulting in denial of services to some
workers who might benefit from them. ETA's Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance
intends to work closely with states in upcoming months, when more experience
with these issues is available, to better assess the possible need for legislative
remedies. In addition, inclusion of the GAO concerns for further examination
in the recently initiated TAA evaluation study will be explored.
Additional Information: A copy of this report may be found at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d041012.pdf
12. Mine Safety and Health Administration: MSHA
Devotes Substantial Effort to Ensuring the Safety and Health of Coal
Miners, but Its Programs Could Be Strengthened, GAO-03-945, October
2003
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 3.1A — Reduce the
mine industry fatal injury and all-injury incidence rates. 3.1B — Reduce
the percentage of respirable coal dust samples and silica dust samples
in mines exceeding applicable standards; and reduce noise exposures above
the citation level in all mines.
Findings: To help ensure the safety and health of underground
coal miners, MSHA staff review and approve mine plans, conduct inspections,
and investigate serious accidents. In these three areas, GAO found that
MSHA has extensive procedures and qualified staff. However, GAO found
that MSHA can improve oversight, guidance, and human capital planning
efforts.
Recommendations: (1) Monitor the timeliness of ventilation
and roof control plan review to ensure that all inspections are completed
by the district offices. (2) Monitor follow-up actions taken by district
offices to ensure that mine operators are correcting hazards on a timely
basis. (3) Update and consolidate guidance provided to district offices
on plan approval and inspections to eliminate inconsistencies and outdated
instructions, and clarify guidance on coordinating technical inspections
with regular quarterly inspections. (4) Develop a plan for addressing
anticipated shortages of qualified inspectors. (5) Amend the guidance
provided to independent contractors engaged in high-hazard activities
requiring them to report information on the number of hours worked at
specific mines so that MSHA can use this information to compute the injury
and fatality rates used to measure the effectiveness of its enforcement
efforts. (6) Revise systems used to collect information on accidents and
investigations to provide better data on accidents and better link injuries,
accidents, and investigations.
Actions Taken: MSHA has: (1) improved headquarters monitoring
of timely ventilation and roof control plan approvals; (2) improved headquarters
monitoring of timely operator abatements; (3) updated and consolidated
plan approval and inspection guidance, and procedures; (4) developed human
capital strategies to address future inspector shortages; (5) initiated
an independent contractor study of factors influencing contractor employment
and potential methods to obtain contractor injury and employment data
by individual mine; and (6) incorporated the existing Accident Investigation
(AI) database into the MSHA Data Warehouse, allowing better linkage between
accidents and investigations, and will develop additional information
technology solutions to incorporate Part 50 data, including information
currently residing in the AI database, into MSHA's new Standardized Information
System (FY 2005 and 2006).
Additional Information: Copies of the report can be
obtained at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03945.pdf
13. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: OSHA's
Voluntary Compliance Strategies Show Promising Results, but Should be
Evaluated before They are Expanded, GAO-04-378, March 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 3.1C — Reduce occupational
fatalities. 3.1D — Reduce occupational injuries and illnesses.
Findings: OSHA's voluntary compliance programs appear
to have yielded many positive outcomes, but OSHA does not yet have adequate
data to assess their individual and relative effectiveness.
Recommendations: GAO recommended that OSHA: (1) identify
cost-effective methods of assessing the effectiveness of OSHA's voluntary
compliance programs; and (2) develop a strategic framework that articulates
the priorities and resource allocations for the agency's voluntary compliance
programs before further expanding the use of these strategies.
Actions Taken: At OSHA's request, DOL has funded an
evaluation of the effectiveness of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs
(VPP) in reducing injuries and illnesses from the inception of the employers'
decision to participate in the VPP through to acceptance into the VPP.
As part of this effort, the contractor conducting the evaluation is planning
to develop a model to estimate VPP participants' changes in injury and
rates over time that could be used for other OSHA voluntary compliance
programs.
Additional Information: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04378.pdf
14. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: OSHA's
Complaint Response Policies: OSHA Credits Its Complaint System with
Conserving Agency Resources, but the System Still Warrants Improvement,
GAO-04-658, June 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 3.1C — Reduce
occupational fatalities. 3.1D — Reduce occupational injuries
and illnesses.
Findings: The GAO stated that the extent
of OSHA's area office supervisors' involvement in the decision-making
process regarding which worker safety and health complaints would result
in inspections and which would not varied across area offices. (OSHA's
complaint policy sets forth certain responsibilities for area office supervisors
in deciding which complaints should be investigated by inspection and
which should be investigated by other means.) Although OSHA requires annual
audits to identify the extent to which its area offices are correctly
employing the OSHA complaint policies, some regions were not conducting
these audits.
Recommendations: OSHA should ensure that area offices
comply with complaint practices established by the agency and take additional
actions to improve the quality of complaint information.
Actions Taken: OSHA is taking action to ensure compliance
with its complaint policies.
Additional Information: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04658.pdf
15. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: OSHA's
Oversight of Its Civil Penalty Determination and Violation Abatement
Processes Has Limitations, GAO-04-920, August 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 3.1C — Reduce occupational
fatalities. 3.1D — Reduce occupational injuries and illnesses.
Findings: GAO found that OSHA's oversight for ensuring
that penalties are correctly determined and violations are properly abated
had limitations. While the national office received copies of the regions'
annual audits, it did not review or use them to monitor the extent to
which penalties were calculated correctly and violations were properly
abated. Even if OSHA had used the results of annual audits for oversight
purposes, the information the audits provided was not always complete.
In four of five regional offices that GAO reviewed, audits were not completed
in accordance with OSHA procedures during fiscal years 2002 and 2003.
Recommendations: OSHA should ensure that regions complete
audits in accordance with its required audit procedures and monitor audit
results to oversee civil penalty determination and violation abatement processes.
In addition, GAO recommended that the Secretary of Labor direct the Assistant
Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health to evaluate the feasibility
of using statistical modeling to help OSHA determine if penalties are being
assessed correctly and identify if unanticipated factors are influencing
penalty amounts.
Action Taken: OSHA is taking action to
ensure compliance with its civil penalty determination and violation abatement
processes.
Additional Information: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04920.pdf
16. Employee Benefits Security Administration: Assessing
the Effectiveness of Methodologies Used to Evaluate EBSA's Enforcement
Program – Case
Opening and Results Analysis and Baseline Compliance Studies, March 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.2B — Enhance Pension
and Health Benefit Security
Conducted by: Mathematica Policy Research (MPR)
Findings: Compliance Baselines: (1) Compliance baselines
are useful for allocating EBSA investigative resources but do not, by themselves,
measure program impact; (2) Measuring baseline compliance would require an
unreasonable diversion of investigative resources away from plans in which
there is evidence of a violation, thus diminishing agency performance; (3)
Estimating EBSA program impacts requires an experimental design because they
cannot be measured by a baseline compliance audit alone; and (4) Neither a
true experimental design nor the most reliable quasi-experimental design is
feasible and the least reliable experimental design while feasible, would be
expensive. When comparing National Project pension investigation cases: (1)
Most effective at closing cases with results if the source of investigation
is a participant complaint; (2) Most efficient cases are those that are regional
office initiated; (3) When measured by highest average monetary result per
investigation, those cases referred by state and local government are the most
successful; (4) When measured by number of participants, EBSA was most effective
and efficient with plans less than 100 participants but generated the highest
average monetary result in cases with more than 2,500 participants. When comparing
National Project health investigation cases: (1) Most effective and efficient
at closing cases with results if the source of investigation is a national
office referral; (2) When measured by highest monetary result per investigation,
those cases referred by state and local government are again the most successful;
(3) When measured by number of participants, EBSA is most effective with plans
fewer less than 10,000 participants but generated the highest average monetary
result in cases with more than 50,000 participants.
Recommendations: (1) Ensure that the Enforcement Management
System (EMS) contains highly accurate data by executing edit checks and error
detection reports at least annually; (2) Modify EMS fields so that they more
accurately reflect plan data stored in the EDS; (3) Continue to use outcome
measures like those contained in the FY 2003-2008 Strategic Plan; (4) consider
computer modeling to address investigative balancing and coverage objectives
to include cost effectiveness of various strategies.
Actions Taken: (1) EBSA has incorporated the suggested edit
checks into EMS. The newest EMS version should be operational during the first
quarter of FY 2005. (2) EBSA is reviewing the changes suggested to better reflect
EDS data in EMS. (3) EBSA will evaluate the concept of computer modeling to
address investigative balancing and coverage objectives.
Additional Information: A copy of the complete report can
be obtained from the Employee Benefits Security Administration, 200 Constitution
Avenue, N.W., Room N-5702 Washington, D.C., 20210.
17. Employee Benefits Security Administration: EBSA
Customer Service Program, March 2004,
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.2B — Enhance Pension
and Health Benefit Security
Conducted by: The Gallup Organization
Findings: The Gallup Organization conducted a comprehensive
program evaluation comprising five distinct activities within the Office of
Participant Assistance. The evaluation included a quantitative evaluation of
the participant assistance program involving both a mystery shopping technique
and customer satisfaction surveys of the participants served as well as selected
program publications, the outreach program, and the EBSA website. Study findings
and recommendations include: Participant Assistance Customer Satisfaction Surveys
and Mystery Shopper: (1) EBSA met its customer satisfaction goal and received
strong ratings overall but there was variance amongst offices and amongst staff.
(2) Those offices and individuals scoring the highest were more likely to "delve
into the customer's question in more detail", provide the "right level of detail" in
their answers, and provide "as complete an answer as possible." Higher scores
were also correlated to obtaining benefit recoveries. (3) EBSA needs to improve
its score on being easy to find and reach. Publications Surveys: (1) Survey
response rates were extremely low suggesting that other forms of evaluation
are warranted. (2) Pension and Health Coverage for Dislocated Workers was
viewed favorably by workers. (3) Health Benefits Under COBRA was
viewed favorably but some readers suggested more detailed content, and (4) Savings
Fitness was viewed favorably but some suggested that more graphics and
illustrations would have been helpful. Outreach Surveys: (1)
Attendees and sponsors of outreach seminars rate presenters favorably. (2)
EBSA received its highest score for presenters being knowledgeable and well
informed. (3) EBSA received its lowest scores for information being clear and
easy to understand. Website Surveys: (1) A wide variety of
users access the web site and for a variety of reasons. (2) Users spend a substantial
amount of time and many are repeat visitors. (3) A majority of users give the
web-site positive ratings. (4) The website has strengths (e.g. clear, concise,
useful, and trustworthy) but also some weaknesses (e.g. search engine, layout,
easy to find information).
Recommendations: Participant Assistance Customer Satisfaction
Surveys and Mystery Shopping: (1) use qualitative evaluation results in conjunction
with customer satisfaction results to direct next steps; (2) share individual
results with advisors and managers to aid training and customer service improvement;
(3) share best practices of top BAs and offices for meeting service attributes
described above; (4) examine existing telephone systems and improve routing
of calls, if necessary; (5) examine ways to make EBSA and its services easier
to find and contact; and (6) examine the fit of advisers for the customer service
role. Gallup also noted that EBSA's GPRA goal (75% of customers rating services
a four or five on a five point scale) is too ambitious for the type of service
that EBSA provides and recommended that a goal of reaching 67% over the next
four years was more appropriate. Publications: (1) consider a qualitative
evaluation instead of a survey; and (2) consider adding more details and graphics
to the publications Health Benefits under Cobra and Savings Fitness.
Outreach: (1) re-examine program content and format; and (2) continue to evaluate
the presenters participating in the session. Website: (1) redesign layout;
(2) improve links on Department of Labor's main site; and (3) improve the search
engine.
Actions Taken: Participant Assistance Program: The Gallup
Organization conducted training on the results of both participant assistance
evaluations for each of the 11 offices that carry out this mission. Benefit
Advisors in each office worked together to devise a plan for improving their
office's scores. These plans are being implemented and will be reviewed throughout
the fiscal year in conjunction with the new office-by-office satisfaction ratings
to be developed by Gallup at the end of each quarter. The Department has accepted
Gallup's recommendation to revise the GPRA goal from 75% to 67%. Publications:
Suggestions will be taken into consideration when revising the publications.
Outreach: EBSA will continue to evaluate this service and relate updated findings
to the presenters and offices conducting outreach. Web site: EBSA has shared
Web site survey results with the Department's Web site coordinator for his
consideration regarding issues EBSA cannot resolve, including the search engine
and the Web site's overall layout.
Additional Information: A copy of the complete report can
be obtained from the Employee Benefits Security Administration, 200 Constitution
Avenue, N.W., Room N-5702 Washington, D.C., 20210.
18. Employment Standards Administration: Federal
Employees Compensation Act (FECA) Program Effectiveness Study, March 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.2C — Minimize the
human, social and financial impact of work-related injuries for workers
and their families.
Conducted by: ICF Consulting
Findings: The study, a broad review of program's effectiveness,
focused on disability case management and wage-loss benefit payments. It included
a statistical review of performance data, opinion surveys of FECA program staff
and stakeholders, and review of promising practices in other governmental and
private workers' compensation systems. ICF's assessment of FECA was generally
positive, as indicated by the finding that "…OWCP is currently employing practices
that are consistent with those found in well administered, modern workers'
compensation systems."
Recommendations: ICF recommended that: (1) OWCP reformulate
staffing allocations and examine caseload levels in light of the heavy per
examiner workload compared to other compensation programs; (2) increase collaboration
among its district offices; (3) develop more in-depth data analysis capability;
and (4) conduct regular and rigorous training for Federal employing agencies
and work with those agencies to strengthen their disability management and
injured worker reemployment programs.
Actions Taken: OWCP is currently reviewing these recommendations
for adaptation to the FECA program. This review includes consideration of several
industry disability and return-to-work practices and better informing Federal
agencies of their own injured employees' FECA status as well as FECA's most
current tracking and review methods.
Additional Information: http://www.dol.gov/esa/owcp_org.htm
19. Employment Standards Administration: Evaluation
of Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Westat Final Report, December
2003.
Performance Goal Affected: 3.2A — Federal contractors
achieve equal opportunity workplaces.
Conducted by: Westat
Findings: The Westat research findings suggest that OFCCP's
effect on the employment growth of non-favored groups is primarily through
the review process, and not through the threat of review among all contractors.
Because reviewed establishments were more likely to be discriminators (OFCCP
targeted establishments based on expectations for finding discrimination),
the results suggest that the OFCCP review process was highly effective.
Recommendations: Of the 11 report recommendations, the most
substantive was that OFCCP should use a model to predict discrimination among
reviewed contractors and estimate predicted rates of discrimination for contractor
establishments to rank them for the review process based on their predicted
rate of discrimination. In addition, Westat advised OFCCP to consider: (1)
defining labor markets by taking into consideration the most commonly used
industry and occupation hiring practices; (2) improving the process of targeting
contractors for review by tracking the history of establishments' utilization
of non-favored groups and findings of compliance reviews; (3) how the review
process can be incorporated into the model to estimate the probability of discrimination
because it is the review process that determines discrimination; (4) further
research on the effect of equal employment opportunity and OFCCP review on
changes in employment shares of non-favored groups; and (5) other measures
to determine the effect of equal employment opportunity and OFCCP review.
Actions Taken: OFCCP has incorporated methodologies Westat
recommended into its Federal contractor selection system to improve targeting
of Federal contractors for compliance evaluations. OFCCP plans to undertake
research to: (1) improve the review targeting system by using newly available
Census data in its data collection and audit procedures; and (2) design a set
of metrics to best measure OFCCP performance in future years.
Additional Information: Copies of the report may be obtained
by contacting the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, (202) 693-0101.
20. Employment and Training Administration: Creating
Partnerships for Workforce Investment: How Services Are Provided Under WIA,
September, 2003.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.1A — Increase the employment,
retention, and earnings of individuals register ed under the WIA Adult program.
1.1F — Increase the employment, retention, and earnings replacement of
individuals registered under the WIA dislocated worker program.
Conducted by: Berkeley Policy Research Inc.
Findings: The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 was
the first major overhaul of the nation's workforce development system in more
than 15 years. Among other things, the legislation expanded opportunity for
public and private entities to deliver employment and training services through
the public workforce investment system. This study explores local workforce
investment system variation and how local boards use non-profit, for-profit,
educational, and governmental agencies to deliver WIA services. Study findings
are based on case studies of sixteen local boards across eight states conducted
between December 2001 and September 2002.
Recommendations: None
Actions Taken: None
Additional Information: http://www.doleta.gov/reports/searcheta/occ/
21. Employment and Training Administration: The
Workforce Investment Act in Eight States: State Case Studies from a Field
Network Evaluation: Volumes 1-2, February 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.1A — Increase the employment,
retention, and earnings of individuals register ed under the Workforce Investment
Act Adult program. 1.1F — Increase the employment, retention, and earnings
replacement of individuals registered under the WIA dislocated worker program.
Conducted by: Rockefeller Institute of Government
Findings: This two-volume set of state case studies is the
result of eighteen months of work by the project's researchers to understand
how states and localities interpreted and operationalized the provisions of
the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. The project took a close look at
the orientation, governance, structure, and services of the workforce investment
systems in eight states, and two local areas in each state, to provide information
for the reauthorization of WIA. Field researchers in each state conducted a
series of interviews with members of state and local boards and their staff,
state and local elected officials and their staff, state agency officials responsible
for workforce development and welfare programs, service providers, advocates,
and other interested parties. Researchers also studied sample One-Stop Career
Centers in each state. The case studies for Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, and
Oregon are included in the first volume. The case studies for the states of
Florida, Indiana, Texas and Utah are included in the second volume.
Recommendations: None
Actions Taken: None
Additional Information: http://www.doleta.gov/reports/searcheta/occ/
22. Employment and Training Administration: Internet
Initial Claims Evaluation, October 2003
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 2.2A — Make timely and
accurate benefit payments to unemployed workers.
Conducted by: HeiTech Services, Inc. and Mathematica Policy
Research, Inc.
Findings: Over the past five years, 33 State Workforce Agencies
have implemented systems which allow unemployed workers to file their initial
unemployment insurance claim over the internet. In addition to providing unemployed
workers with extended hours of access, these systems have reduced administrative
costs and provided a more convenient service method for unemployed workers to
file an unemployment insurance initial claim. Policymakers chose to evaluate
state Internet UI claim filing systems, with a focus on service delivery, security,
fraud and abuse controls, and cost effectiveness. The report concludes that
Internet-filed claims are convenient for users, low-cost to states, and have
no apparent adverse impacts on timeliness or accuracy.
Recommendations: Although the report made no formal recommendations,
it gives an excellent overview of Internet claims filing, and supports ETA's
decision to promote states' use of the Internet for UI administration. The
report does caution, however, that states need to be vigilant to protect against
fraudulent exploitation and system security compromises.
Actions Taken: ETA continues to support development of Internet-based
operations. It funded claims-taking systems through implementation grants to
42 states. It is currently funding state systems to enable employers to register
and submit tax and wage reports through the Internet.
Additional Information: http://www.doleta.gov/reports/searcheta/occ/
23.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Evaluation
of OSHA's Impact on Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in Manufacturing Using
Establishment-Specific Targeting of Interventions, July 2004.
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 3.1D — Reduce occupational
injuries and illnesses.
Conducted by: Eastern Research Group (ERG)
Findings: The impact of High Hazard Notification/Cooperative
Compliance Program letters to employers without any subsequent OSHA inspections
on the number of Lost Workday Injury and Illness (LWDII) cases over three years
was estimated to be a 4.8-5.1 percent reduction. (This estimated reduction
in the number of LWDII cases over three years would also reflect the positive
effects of employers' safety and health initiatives in response to the greater
likelihood of an OSHA inspection, including seeking OSHA-funded on-site consultation
services.) When the letters were followed by Site Specific Targeting or Interim
Targeting Program inspections, the reduction was between 12.0 and 13.8 percent.
The analysis controlled for industry-wide declines in injury and illness rates,
so that these reductions were in addition to the declines in injury and illness
rates in manufacturing. Comparison to previous studies of OSHA's previous industry-level
targeting shows that establishment-specific targeting is more effective.
Recommendations: ERG recommended that OSHA continue and refine
its site-specific targeting system. Further research that OSHA could conduct
to meet this goal would include determining: (1) which interventions (such
as High Hazard Notification Letters, inspections, and onsite consultation visits)
are most effective at reducing injuries and illnesses at establishments with
given sets of characteristics; and (2) whether multiple interventions in combination
with High Hazard Notification Letters have a cumulative positive effect. ERG
also suggested that related analyses could be conducted to find out whether
there is an optimal combination of types and numbers of interventions to maximize
reduction in injuries and illnesses. This refinement might allow OSHA to estimate
injury and illness reductions due to specific combinations of strategically
timed OSHA interventions and would help improve the cost-effectiveness of its
use of resources.
Actions Taken: OSHA is continuing its site-specific targeting
system and is looking into the possibility of obtaining funding to find out
whether there is an optimal combination of interventions to maximize reduction
in injuries and illnesses.
Additional Information: Call (202) 693-2165 for a copy
24. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Lookback
Evaluation of OSHA's Standard for Presence Sensing Device Initiation (PSDI)
of Mechanical Power Presses, May 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 3.1D — Reduce occupational
injuries and illnesses.
Conducted by: ICF
Findings: The technology for PSDI systems has not changed
since the PSDI standard was adopted in 1988, but the technology for controlling
mechanical power presses has changed considerably since OSHA promulgated that
standard. A number of operating modes that are not addressed in OSHA's standard
for mechanical power presses are now used, such as computer-controlled press
operation. The PSDI Standard has never been implemented and so it has been
ineffective and has not produced the benefits sought by OSHA, namely, allowing
industry to use a system that would increase productivity and improve safety
for employees.
Recommendations: If the benefits OSHA sought in the PSDI
standard are to be gained (i.e., improved worker safety and employer productivity),
the standard needs to be changed.
Actions Taken: OSHA has decided to update its Mechanical
Power Presses Standard to the most current version of the industry consensus
standard or something similar.
Additional Information: The complete report can be found
on the Federal Register website at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-12761.pdf
25. Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Assessment
of Unemployed Veterans' Needs for the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment
and Training Service, December 2003
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.1E — Increase
the employment and retention rate of veteran job seekers registering for public
labor exchange services.
Conducted by: Battelle Memorial Institute — Centers for Public
Health Research and Evaluation
Findings: This study collected data from a set of seven participating
States on individual veteran registrants, including demographic characteristics,
services provided, and subsequent earnings experiences. The primary analyses
examined the extent to which different sets of services resulted in different
earnings experiences for different subgroup of veterans. The overall findings
are: (1) Strong evidence was obtained indicating that "the overwhelming
majority" of unemployed veterans register with the Public Labor Exchange.
(2) About nine-tenths of the registered veterans receive at least one service,
while about two-thirds receive two or more services. (3) The relatively high
rate of unemployment recorded for young veterans is very similar to the pattern
observed for other new entrants to the civilian labor force, such as recent
high school graduates. (4) The average quarterly earnings of veteran registrants
during the year following registration are lower than their average earnings
during the quarter prior to registration, which is typical for workers who
experience a spell of unemployment. (5) Traditional labor exchange services,
such as job search and referral, are associated with relatively positive subsequent
earnings for veterans who are: (a) young (under 25); and (b) recently separated.
(6) Case management is associated with relatively positive subsequent earnings
for veterans who are: (a) older (over 44); and (b) recently separated. (7)
For those registered veterans who are not recently separated, who are 25-44,
who are typical UI (as opposed to UCX) claimants, there is no consistent association
between any service or combination of services received and subsequent earnings.
Recommendations: Recommendations
focused on two areas, with specific suggestions within each area: (1) Restructuring
of service delivery philosophy: Public Labor Exchange services were found to
typically involve brief interventions with job seekers who frequently return
for services. To counteract that tendency, it was suggested that VETS consider
a more holistic, as opposed to episodic, approach to service delivery. Such
an approach might include provision of greater support following entry to employment
to reduce the recurrence of unemployment. (2) Introduction of new services
and linkages: Case Management might be more successful if linkages with other
service providers were strengthened in an "integration of services" approach.
Actions Taken: VETS is planning to use data compiled by this
study as a basis for developing preliminary baseline estimates of Earnings
Gain, in anticipation of the application of that performance measure under
the Common Measures. In addition, VETS is considering convening a work group
to undertake a policy development initiative in light of the recommendations
from this study.
Additional Information: To obtain copies of this report,
contact the Veterans' Employment and Training Service at 200 Constitution Ave.
NW, Room S-1325, Washington, DC 20210 or call (202) 693-4749.
26. Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Measuring
Strategies to Achieve Performance Goals, February 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.1E — Increase
the employment and retention rate of veteran job seekers registering for public
labor exchange services.
Conducted by: The Bradson Corporation
Findings: With the advent of UI wage record based reporting,
VETS is seeking performance measures that are linked to employment outcomes,
but can be measured in something closer to real time. VETS needs reliable leading
indicators that are clearly linked to performance and that can be used as a
management tool to improve the return on the VETS budget in any given budget
execution year. A proven management framework, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC)
has been developed for this reason. BSC for public sector organizations generally
includes four perspectives: (1) Customer Perspective; (2) Financial Perspective;
(3) Internal Business Process Perspective; and (4) Organizational Capacity/Employee
Perspective.
Recommendations: Study recommendations are based on the four
perspectives identified above. (1) Customer Perspective: One proxy for EER
that can be measured at the state level in something close to real time, based
on BLS data is the Veterans' Relative Unemployment Rate, which is the ratio
of the unemployment rate for veterans to the unemployment rate for non-veterans.
State Directories of New Hires also are a potential source of leading indicators
of EER. Some states already use this resource as a leading indicator, but additional
exploration will be required before VETS can implement an indicator based on
New Hire Reporting. (2) Financial Perspective: Until Efficiency
Measures can be fully implemented, it is recommended that the VETS BSC include
a measure of planned versus actual costs for DVOPs and LVERs. (3) Internal
Business Process Perspective: The internal process perspective measures activities,
efforts and workflow for those processes that are key to the organization's
strategy. For the VETS BSC, the key categories identified are: (a) Defining
the Input Stream; (b) Providing Services; (c) Providing Outreach; and (d) Implementing
Priority of Service. (4) Organizational Capacity/Employee Perspective: The
organizational capacity perspective addresses whether an organization has the
right resources to implement its strategy. In the case of VETS, the key resources
to be measured here are the DVOPs and LVERs. Four indicators are proposed that
address capacity and occupancy for DVOP and LVER staff: (a) DVOP slots filled;
(b) DVOP slots vacant; (c) LVER slots filled; and (d) LVER slots vacant.
Actions Taken: VETS
is consulting with BLS regarding the Veterans' Relative Unemployment Rate measure
because the use of this measure requires application of data with statistical
error that is very high for small States. VETS seeks to determine the "cut
point" in
terms of State population, above which use of the measure would be appropriate.
Additional Information: To obtain copies of this report,
contact the Veterans' Employment and Training Service at 200 Constitution Ave.
NW, Room S-1325, Washington, DC 20210 or call (202) 693-4749.
27. Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Strategies
for Implementing Priority of Service to Veterans in Department of Labor Programs,
September 2004
Performance Goal(s) Affected: 1.1E — Increase
the employment and retention rate of veteran job seekers registering for public
labor exchange services.
Conducted by: The Urban Institute
Findings: A range of program strategies are used to provide
priority of service to veterans, as well as strategies used in serving non-veteran
populations. Two categories of program strategies were identified: (1) Procedural
Strategies: Workforce development offices currently use several strategies
to serve veterans within their regular office operations. Five types of procedural
strategies were identified: (a) outreach activities; (b) intake and registration
procedures; (c) client flow adaptations; (d) role of DVOPs and LVERs; and (e)
integration and collaboration with other programs. (2) Electronic web-based
and other self-service strategies: Given the increased reliance on the Internet
in recent years, there has been an explosion in web-based, self-service strategies
in the publicly-funded workforce development system. These strategies fit within
two categories: informational strategies and job-matching strategies. Four
prototypical web-based models were identified for informational strategies.
For job-matching strategies, the study found that many state job-matching websites
provide veterans with the option of self-identifying, which allows for various
priority options within the job-matching system.
Recommendations: The Jobs for Veterans Act gives
states and localities latitude in implementing priority of service for veterans.
There are three approaches that program administrators may consider: (1) Establish
service goal priorities; performance measurement and goal-setting can help
to clarify the intent of priority of service and serve as a motivating force
for all program staff. (2) Consider local office procedural modifications that
can be tailored to local operations to improve priority of service to veterans.
(3) Improve self-service resources and electronic strategies. For example,
state workforce development websites can be redesigned to improve access and
information for veterans, using the following criteria: (a) visibility of information;
(b) types of information; (c) active as well as passive features; and (d) evaluation
component.
Actions Taken: Since the public labor exchange has historically
observed priority of service, the impact of the new priority of service provision
falls primarily upon other workforce development programs funded by ETA. In
response to the new requirement, ETA has issued overall guidance and the individual
ETA programs have developed guidance specific to their missions. General information
about the overall ETA guidance and the related
program-specific guidance can be accessed at: www.doleta.gov/programs/VETs/
Additional Information: To obtain copies of this report,
contact the Veterans' Employment and Training Service at 200 Constitution Ave.
NW, Room S-1325, Washington, DC 20210 or call (202) 693-4749.
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