Strategic and Performance Plan

Mission

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides national leadership on disability employment policy by developing and influencing the use of evidence-based disability employment policies and practices, building collaborative partnerships, and delivering authoritative and credible data on employment of people with disabilities.

Vision

A world in which people with disabilities have unlimited employment opportunities.

Section 1 - Introduction

Americans with disabilities are active and contributing members of our society and they must have the opportunity to develop the skills they need to compete and obtain jobs in the 21st century workforce. By reducing physical barriers and false perceptions, our country meets our commitment to millions of Americans with disabilities, and benefits from their talents, creativity, and hard work.

-President George W. Bush
October 2004

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides national leadership on disability employment policy. (For a description of the organization, including an organizational chart, please see Appendix A.) ODEP was established to bring a permanent focus within the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and across the Federal government to address the barriers to employment facing individuals with disabilities and ensure coordination among DOL and other Federal agencies on matters related to or affecting the employment of people with disabilities. ODEP also supports the achievement of the employment-related goals of President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative.

ODEP develops and influences the implementation of evidence-based disability employment policy and practice to increase capacity of service delivery systems, planning and coordination within service delivery systems, and employer access to supports and services. This will lead to increased employment opportunities, and the recruitment, retention, and promotion of people with disabilities.

Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has identified four DOL Strategic Goals:

• A Prepared Workforce;
• A Secure Workforce;
• Quality Workplaces; and
• A Competitive Workforce. ¹

¹ U.S. Department of Labor, Strategic Plan FY 2003-2008, September 2003,

ODEP's mission and vision provide the foundation for establishing far-reaching strategic and performance goals and support achievement of DOL's strategic goals.

ODEP believes the Federal government's response to low employment rates among people with disabilities should be comprehensive and aggressive, and requires the active involvement and cooperation of a number of Federal agencies and private sector organizations, including employers. ODEP's stakeholders include Federal, state, and local government agencies, private and public employers and their employees, educational and training institutions, individuals with disabilities and their families, and the disability community.

Our plan identifies specific performance outcomes to be achieved and the intermediate results used to determine progress. It describes how ODEP will add value to the efforts of service delivery systems, their partners, and employers and meet the ambitious performance outcomes demanded by our stakeholders.

Section 2 - Workers with Disabilities: Ready for Tomorrow's Jobs Today

Announcing the theme for the October 2005 National Disability Employment Awareness Month, "Workers with Disabilities: Ready for Tomorrow's Jobs Today," Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao said, "People with disabilities are a vital part of America's workforce - they are important to our country's future economic success." ODEP's FY 2006-2010 Strategic Plan provides a road map (Appendix) for realizing this vision.

ODEP premises this plan on a conceptual framework (Figure 2-1) through which we work to achieve our core mission. First, we develop and influence the implementation of effective disability employment policies at the national, state, and local levels. Second, we foster implementation and replication of effective policies and practices that assist service delivery systems and employers in increasing employment opportunities and the recruitment, retention, and promotion of people with disabilities. Third, we conduct research that validates effective disability employment strategies and provide technical assistance to service delivery systems and employers.

Figure 2-1. Conceptual Framework

Current Environment

ODEP faces complex issues and challenges as we develop and influence the implementation of employment policy relating to people with disabilities. Millions of workers are needed to fill new jobs each year and replace those who leave their occupations. Employers seek highly skilled workers who have the qualifications and experience required to perform the jobs effectively and who can significantly contribute to the "bottom line." Difficulty finding qualified workers and the possibility of a general shortage are expected to increase with the retirement of the baby-boomer generation. As the population ages, the 55-to-64 age bracket of the labor force is expected to grow the most.

ODEP is challenged to develop disability employment policies and practices that link supply sources with labor market end-users, effectively providing employers with strategies to reach the largely untapped pool of people with disabilities. The employment rate for people with disabilities is - and historically has been - low. Research shows that to improve the hiring climate for people with disabilities, employers need accurate, practical information to dispel preconceptions and concerns about their employment. ODEP faces the challenge of influencing the implementation of policies and practices that enhance market-driven skills development by giving youth and adults with disabilities the skills and competencies needed to obtain jobs and build successful careers in the 21st century workplace.

Although an increasing number of workers will retire during the next two decades, the sheer number of older workers remaining in the workplace means that many employers will be coping with an aging workforce. Many workers intend to work beyond the traditional retirement age and may experience disabling conditions, increasing the pressure on employers to keep workers on the job and to have employees who are temporarily disabled quickly return to work to maintain productivity. This issue challenges ODEP to influence policies and practices that empower employers to rethink their strategies for employee recruitment, development, and transition with the goal of retaining long-term, high-quality, high-contributing employees. Effective strategies include innovative ways to accommodate the needs of the changing workforce and workplace through accessibility, flexibility, and technologies. At the same time, ODEP seeks to influence policies and practices that enhance coordination of the provision of supports needed to keep workers on the job and return them to work quickly following an injury or illness. These include access to healthcare, housing, and reliable transportation.

Finally, small businesses are, and will continue to be, the backbone of the U.S. economy. They employ half of all private-sector employees, and over the last decade have generated 60 - 80% of new jobs annually. Although self-employment is increasingly a viable employment outcome for people with significant disabilities, those who wish to become entrepreneurs confront many barriers. The challenge for ODEP is to develop and influence the implementation of policies and practices that increase not only access to resources (such as capital, training, and information) for potential entrepreneurs with disabilities, but also the nation's small business' recruitment of people with disabilities.

As stated previously, ODEP is charged with advising the Secretary of Labor and assisting DOL and other Federal agencies in the development of policies and practices that increase employment opportunities and recruitment, retention, and promotion of people with disabilities. ODEP develops and influences the implementation of evidence-based policies and practices that can be readily adopted by Federal, state, and local service delivery systems and employers. This strategic plan provides ODEP a road map for prioritizing the formulation of innovative employment policies and practices for dissemination to service delivery systems and partners, which:

• enhance the capacity of service delivery systems to provide appropriate and effective services and supports to youth and adults with disabilities;
• increase planning and coordination within service delivery systems to develop and improve systems, processes, and services;
• improve individualization of services to better assist youth and adults with disabilities in seeking, obtaining, and retaining employment;
• increase employer access to supports and services to meet their employ-ment needs;
• increase the quality of competency-based training for service delivery systems;
• increase the adoption of universal strategies for service provision; and
• develop partnerships with and among critical stakeholders to effectively leverage available resources and facilitate implementation of practices and policies that increase employment opportunities and the recruitment, retention, and promotion of youth and adults with disabilities.

How does ODEP do its work?

Critical Strategies

ODEP employs several critical strategies to develop and influence the implementation of policies and practices. We execute these strategies through a broad range of activities, examples of which are described below.

ODEP develops and collaborates on interagency and intra-agency initiatives, commissions, councils, and work groups:

• Ensuring that returning service members who are newly disabled have access to the targeted supports and services needed to ease their transition from active duty to civilian employment. ODEP serves as co-leader with the DOL's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) of the multi-agency Disabled Returning Service Member Initiative, a collaborative effort that includes the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
• Providing comprehensive information quickly and easily regarding employment, education, housing, transportation, health, and other topics related to disability. As the managing partner of the cross-agency DisabilityInfo.gov website, ODEP provides this information from across the Federal Government. ²
• Reducing chronic homelessness through employment and housing. ODEP, operating under the auspices of the White House's Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), has primary responsibility for administering a research project jointly funded by DOL and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which targets individuals with disabilities who are unemployed and homeless in five major U.S. cities. This innovative project is cosponsored by VETS and DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA).
• Improving the capacity of service delivery systems to better meet the employment-related needs of individuals with psychiatric disabilities. ODEP leads the DOL Mental Health Work Group and represents the Department in the Federal Partners Work Group on Mental Health. The Federal Partners Work Group is led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and includes representatives from the VA, HUD, DoD, and other Federal agencies.
• Assisting employers in meeting the emergency preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities in the workplace. ODEP leads the Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace Subcommittee of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities, established under Executive Order 13347. The Subcommittee focuses on strategies for ensuring that the development, implementation, and maintenance of workplace preparedness plans fully include the unique perspectives and needs of people with disabilities.
• Developing coordinated Federal policies and programs that facilitate entrepreneurship and provide small businesses with the information, resources, and proven practices that encourage increased hiring of people with disabilities. ODEP leads the New Freedom Small Business Initiative Work Group, which includes ETA, VETS, and DOL's Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). This work group is charged with implementation of the DOL-SBA Small Business Strategic Alliance Memorandum.
• Promoting the capacity of youth service delivery systems to assist youth with disabilities to successfully transition to post-secondary education or employment. ODEP leads a Federal interagency work group on youth transition, which includes representatives from the Departments of Education (ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), Justice (DOJ), and Transportation (DOT), and the Social Security Administration (SSA).

² DisabilityInfo.gov is the result of an August 2002 Executive Memorandum, issued by President Bush as part of the New Freedom Initiative, which directed Federal agencies to work together to build a one-stop interagency web portal for people with disabilities and their families, employers, service providers, and community members.

ODEP builds partnerships with Federal, state, and local nongovernmental stakeholders:

• Improving the availability of transportation services to Americans with disabilities, including employment-related transportation. ODEP works with United We Ride, a coalition of the major national transportation provider and advocacy organizations, such as the National Conference of State Legislatures, AARP, American Public Transportation Association, Community Transportation Association of America, National Association of Regional Councils, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.
• Developing and disseminating new policy and practice materials to assist employers in untangling the laws and accessing resources related to the employment of people with disabilities. ODEP works with national human resource, employer, and disability organizations.

ODEP reviews existing and proposed Federal legislation and policy documents:

• Increasing physical and programmatic access for people with disabilities seeking employment-related services from the One-Stop Career Center system and other public and private providers of employment services and supports. ODEP, in collaboration with ETA and DOL's Civil Rights Center (CRC), advises DOL on matters relating to improving physical and programmatic accessibility in the One-Stop Career Center system.
• Ensuring that legislation, regulations, and other policy guidance facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities. ODEP provides input to ETA and other Federal agencies on revisions to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), its associated regulations, and other employment-related legislation, regulations, and policy guidance.

ODEP designs and conducts disability employment research studies and projects:

• Developing a set of valid and reliable questions that, for the first time, accurately measure the employment rate of people with disabilities. ODEP collaborates with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in this effort.
• Identifying effective practices to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. ODEP develops strategies and practices that the workforce, education, mental health, and other relevant service delivery systems can use to improve the school-to-work transition of youth with disabilities and the delivery of customized employment services to the hardest-to-serve populations, including people who are chronically homeless.
• Providing public and private employers with information needed to increase employment of people with disabilities. ODEP provides technical assistance and information about accommodations and effective strategies for recruiting, retaining, and promoting people with disabilities. Greater insight into employer perspectives is also gained through focus groups and listening sessions.

ODEP identifies, highlights, and supports DOL and other Federal policies and initiatives that promote the employment of people with disabilities:

• Improving recruitment of individuals with significant disabilities in the Federal government. ODEP works with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to identify and address hiring issues and opportunities, promote effective hiring and recruitment practices across the Federal government, and expand Federal agencies' utilization of special hiring authorities.
• Increasing utilization of tax incentives and asset development strategies. ODEP works with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other Federal agencies to expand knowledge and understanding of various tax incentives that encourage hiring of people with disabilities and assist individuals in learning financial management skills and building savings and other assets.

ODEP implements education and outreach activities:

• Informing, educating, and persuading the public and ultimately enhancing awareness of recruiting, retaining, and promoting people with disabilities. ODEP promotes the use of effective disability employment policies and practices to a variety of stakeholders, using a broad range of communications tools and resources.
• Publicly recognizing exemplary businesses, organizations, and individuals. ODEP honors businesses, organizations, and individuals that demonstrate exemplary and innovative efforts to further the employment-related goals of the New Freedom Initiative.
• Fostering career development and mentoring. ODEP collaborates with a number of Federal agencies and private organizations to sponsor a career development day, during which students and job seekers with disabilities participate in hands-on career exploration through job shadowing and mentoring in the public and private sectors.
• Providing practical work experience opportunities. ODEP provides real work experience to college students and recent graduates through Federal and public-sector internships.

What is ODEP working to achieve?

Effective national, state, and local disability employment policy
Validated disability employment strategies

Figure 3-1. ODEP's Strategic Goals FY 2006-2010

Section 3 - Strategic Goals

The Secretary of Labor developed four strategic goals for DOL, further delineated by a series of outcome goals, to serve as the basis for the Department's ongoing strategic planning process. ODEP's strategic goals - effective national, state, and local disability employment policy and validated disability employment strategies - support and contribute to the achievement of the departmental goals. ODEP applies all our resources to achievement of these two long-range strategic goals, which will result in increased employment opportunities for Americans with disabilities.

ODEP's strategic goals, highlighted in Figure 3-1, are supported by three service delivery systems outcome goals that guide the development of its activities. These service delivery systems outcome goals include measures to assess ODEP's impact on service delivery systems. ODEP's strategic goals and the supporting systems outcome goals integrate all of ODEP's efforts and support DOL's Strategic Goal One: A Prepared Workforce.

What does ODEP want to accomplish?

Build knowledge and advance disability employment policy that affects and promotes systems change

Figure 4-1. ODEP's Performance Goal FY 2006-2010

Section 4 - Performance Goal

ODEP's performance goal ^* indicates what we want to accomplish-to build knowledge and advance disability employment policy that affects and promotes systems change (Figure 4-1).

How does ODEP know it has performed well?

ODEP uses three performance output measures ^* to determine how well we perform:

• the number of policy-related documents;
• the number of formal agreements; and
• the number of effective practices.

The results of ODEP's performance - policy documents, formal agreements, and effective practices - serve as a foundation for achievement of systems outcome goals, and ultimately, strategic goals.

^* As reported in DOL's Annual Performance and Accountability Reports, under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

Where will ODEP's performance take us?

Accessible employment resources
Coordinated programs, processes, and services
Adoption of effective practices

Figure 5-1. ODEP's Intermediate Outcomes FY 2006-2010

Section 5 - Intermediate Outcome Goals

ODEP's performance will lead to three intermediate outcomes: accessible employment resources; coordinated programs, processes, and services; and adoption of evidence-based practices (Figure 5-1).

How will ODEP know its performance was effective?

ODEP determines whether we have met our intermediate outcome goals using seven intermediate outcome measures:

• the number of effective practices;
• the number of national, state, and local policies that affect systems and services;
• the number of employers accessing employment support and services;
• the percentage of initiatives where participants receive individualized services;
• the percentage of initiatives that develop competency-based training;
• the percentage of initiatives implementing one or more universal strategies; and
• the percentage of initiatives coordinating resources.

How will ODEP's performance affect the systems?

Increased capacity of service delivery systems

Increased planning and coordination within service delivery systems

Increased employer access to supports and services for recruitment, retention, and promotion

Figure 6-1. Systems Outcome Goals FY 2006-2010

Section 6 - Systems Outcome Goals

The ODEP systems outcome goals (Figure 6-1) - increased capacity of service delivery systems; increased planning and coordination within service delivery systems; and increased employer access to supports and services for recruitment, retention, and promotion - define the impact of ODEP's performance on the service delivery systems.

How will ODEP know it had an impact?

ODEP will determine whether we had an impact on service delivery systems by gathering data for the following systems outcome measures:

• the number of people with disabilities served by service delivery systems;
• the number of universal strategies adopted by service delivery systems; and
• the number of employers accessing services to recruit, retain, and promote people with disabilities.

ODEP's challenge is to measure how the disability employment policies and practices we develop influence systems change. Unlike the intermediate outcome goals and measures that we directly control, ODEP relies on agencies and organizations outside of our control to collect the data to measure our impact on the service delivery systems, including workforce development, education, mental health, and transportation.

Coordinated programs, processes, and services are fundamental to positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities and employers. Services exist in separate "silos," requiring the person with a disability or the employer to move from one silo to another to obtain services and information. ODEP seeks to determine whether our efforts have had an impact on diminishing the silo approach as evidenced by the systems' capabilities to effectively provide coordinated programs, processes, and services.

Finally, we are challenged to measure our impact on employers. Research indicates that to improve the employment climate for people with disabilities, employers need more accurate and practical information to dispel preconceptions and concerns about employing people with disabilities. We will measure this impact by determining the number of employers accessing information services to recruit, retain, and promote people with disabilities.

Section 7 - Influencing Factors

Various external factors influence ODEP's performance and desired outcomes:

• Economic conditions. During times of high economic growth, demand for new workers increases and businesses readily look beyond the traditional labor sources to access skilled, qualified candidates. Downturns in the economy mean fewer available jobs and more competition, making the hiring climate tighter for all workers.
• Societal attitudes. Significant barriers to improving the hiring climate of people with disabilities include assumptions, preconceptions, and concerns about people with disabilities in the workplace.
• Scientific and technological advancements. Scientific and technological advances have the capacity to eliminate barriers faced by people with dis-abilities in the workplace and level the playing field. Many past advances in technology were originally designed to assist people with disabilities, yet their usefulness has become universal. At the same time that technological advancements increase access to and opportunities for employment, technology can lead to a reduced need for workers in some areas and increase skill requirements in others.
• Variable funding. Changes in priorities at the Federal, state, and local levels can result in increases in funding for some programs and the services they provide and decreases for others.
• Changing public policies. Shifts in policy priorities at the Federal, state, and local levels affect how resources are allocated in and across programs.
• Coordination and cooperation with other government entities. The ability to reduce duplication of services and create systems change across service delivery systems requires coordination and cooperation among government entities.

Section 8 - Program Evaluation

ODEP's activities serve to identify and validate effective practices that will affect systems change across service delivery systems and their various partners. The activities consist of a variety of initiatives targeting both adults and youth with disabilities. Through these initiatives, ODEP develops, tests, and evaluates methods for building the capacity of service delivery systems to better serve people with disabilities. ODEP conducts an independent evaluation of our activities to gather and validate data and information about systems change that can be used to assist policy development, decisions, and recommendations, and track progress in meeting ODEP's goals under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

These ongoing evaluations are designed to measure progress toward systems change in the following six areas:

• capacity;
• coordination;
• individualization;
• development, adaptation, and evaluation of new practices;
• dissemination of effective practices; and
• sustainability.

ODEP uses the "Open Systems Model" of evaluation to collect information on inputs (resources needed to conduct activities), processes (activities to achieve results), outputs (the "products" or "units" produced by activities, such as policy documents), and outcomes (intended results, such as accessible employment resources or increased capacity of service delivery systems). Figure 8-1 depicts this process.

Figure 8-1. Open Systems Model

Appendix - ODEP Organizational Structure

Office of Disability Employment Policy Organization

ODEP is organized into three offices. The Office of the Assistant Secretary provides the overall leadership and direction for ODEP and the other two offices support the policy, research, and operations functions (Figure A-1). Additional information about ODEP can be obtained at www.dol.gov/odep.

Office of the Assistant Secretary:

• Office of Policy and Research
  • Employer Policy
  • Employment Supports Policy
  • Adult Policy
  • Youth Policy
  • Research and Evaluation
• Office of Operations
  • Program Management
  • Strategic Planning and Budget
  • Education and Outreach

Figure A-1. ODEP Organizational Chart

Office of Policy and Research

The Office of Policy and Research coordinates with DOL and other Federal agencies to elevate policy issues and develop strategies and recommendations to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. It also conducts studies and research to identify issues and trends for consideration in policy development, including statistical data and analysis that ensure the credibility and effectiveness of ODEP's policy recommendations.

EMPLOYER POLICY TEAM

The Employer Policy Team examines the issues facing employers as they seek to hire, accommodate, and advance employees with disabilities. Creating a "window" into the economic, management, and workforce worlds of business and government, the team works to shape disability employment policies that meet the needs of employers and people with disabilities. The team monitors and evaluates Federal and state disability employment laws, develops initiatives that advance the Federal government as a model employer, documents and disseminates effective employer practices, and articulates the unique perspectives of businesses regarding the employment of people with disabilities.

EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS POLICY TEAM

The primary mission of the Employment Supports Policy Team is to assist other Federal agencies and their state and local counterparts in their efforts to be more inclusive of the employment-related needs and capacities of people with disabilities as they provide generic supports, including assistive technology, for all Americans. The team targets systems that are generally outside of the traditional workforce network, including housing (state housing agencies, public housing authorities, and neighborhood network centers), transportation (metropolitan planning organizations, state transportation agencies, and local transportation authorities), mental health (state mental health agencies and community mental health centers), and health care systems (Medicaid agencies and state human service agencies).

ADULT POLICY TEAM

The Adult Policy Team focuses on removing structural, programmatic, and policy barriers in public and private service delivery systems to increase employment opportunities and choice for adults with disabilities. The focus of team activity is the nexus of research, project implementation, and policy analysis to develop policy direction and recommendations. Team efforts require working across multiple Federal agencies, with state and local governments, and with various stakeholders, including public and private employment systems, employers, economic and asset development entities, disability organizations, and people with disabilities.

YOUTH POLICY TEAM

The Youth Policy Team influences and works with workforce development and education systems partners to ensure that youth with disabilities have access to comprehensive transition services needed to prepare them for entering post-secondary education and the workplace. Evidence-based research indicates that school-based preparatory experiences, career and work-based preparatory experiences, connecting activities, youth development and leadership opportunities, and family involvement are key components to the success of young people, including those with disabilities, in the adult world.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION TEAM

The Research and Evaluation Team helps ODEP realize our mission and ensures that decision makers have timely, accurate, useful, and relevant information. The team tracks and analyzes data for project results and accountability reporting by using high quality evidence-based research and rigorous independent evaluations.

Office of Operations

The Office of Operations is responsible for the administrative aspects of the agency, including managing projects that identify, develop, validate, and promote effective practices based on ODEP's policy goals; conducting widespread public awareness campaigns and developing relationships with stakeholders; developing and executing strategic plans and performance budgets; and ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

DIVISION OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The Division of Program Management provides operational support to the policy and research teams by managing projects that identify, develop, validate, and promote effective practices based on ODEP's policy goals. It provides the administrative structure and linkages with DOL's financial management and procurement personnel for ODEP's projects.

DIVISION OF STRATEGIC PLANNING AND BUDGET

The Division of Strategic Planning and Budget supports the infrastructure and overall operations of the agency. It is responsible for human resources management, financial management, strategic planning and performance budgeting, and all administrative operations and systems.

DIVISION OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

The Division of Education and Outreach fosters relationships between ODEP and our stakeholders to educate and persuade service delivery systems and employers, ultimately leading to increased employment opportunities and the recruitment, retention, and promotion of people with disabilities.