Evidence-based workforce development programs have the power not only to change the lives of individuals, but also to improve outcomes for an entire community. At a minimum, state and local recruitment agencies and boards may require suppliers to participate in an external assessment in order to obtain WIOA funding. Although funding for this assessment is not immediately available, this requirement sends a signal about the importance of the evidence and prompts the provider to think about what would be required to undergo a rigorous assessment. However, state and local authorities and agencies should go further and use part of their WIOA funds to fund evaluations for core programmes. In fact, Article 116(e) of the WIOA explicitly calls on states and local bodies to «conduct ongoing assessments. promote, establish, implement and use methods for the continuous improvement of core program activities in order to achieve high performance within the staff development system and results at a high level. «In addition, by investing in the government`s longitudinal data systems and enabling data exchange with local labor authorities, states can support cost-effective assessments using administrative data. Workforce development is a cooperative approach aimed at gradually creating a stable and prosperous local economy by improving people`s work-related skills, knowledge and employment opportunities. In general, cooperation is between local governments, businesses, individuals and educational institutions. This is a modern evolution, some say, of earlier approaches to workforce training, which included family learning, mentoring, and in-company job training on the construction site.

Reason: Results-based contracts help government and suppliers focus on what really matters: getting results for the people they serve. In contrast, traditional reimbursement contracts pay the same amount for the services provided, whether they actually help people gain skills, find a job, or earn higher wages. Performance-based contracts help build evidence and continuously improve programs. Providers will have the opportunity to serve subscribers in an adaptable manner that is less hampered by mandatory contractual repayment conditions. Government partners are strengthening themselves in contract management with real-time data while having the peace of mind that they will only make a full payment if priority results are achieved. Reason: Another way to support evidence-based policy is to get evidence of what works. This could be a good first step in small communities that have only a limited program for their residents and want to learn more about the effectiveness of the services they currently offer. Incorporating rigorous evaluation into tenders and contracts can help existing suppliers learn and improve. States can enable local bodies to conclude these innovative agreements by offering to support the development of key elements, such as .B.

a «price list» that indicates the amount to be paid for each outcome and provides access to government administrative data to support the measurement of long-term outcomes. WIOA explicitly allows states to use their share of federal WIOA funds to provide technical support to local boards on PfP contracts, as well as to cover evaluation costs. States can also use non-federal funds to incentivize local councils to implement PPP contracts. Local WDBs also need the support of their state human resources agencies, state personnel agencies, and governor`s offices to adjust kpi to reflect the time and cost needed to achieve better quality results or to focus on populations that were previously underserved. The ability to renegotiate KPIs traditionally occurs every one to two years, so it`s important to start these conversations early in the process. When determining the duration of the contract, human resources managers and agencies should take into account the duration of service delivery, monitoring and evaluation. Providing contracts for longer periods of time will be more viable for providers offering evidence-based models that often achieve their most impressive results over a multi-year horizon. Providers also have time to respond to program performance data and correct course if necessary. Contract renewal that goes beyond the provision of services and payments allows for continuous cooperation over a longer period of time when results data is collected. The federal government manages more than 40 workforce development programs in 14 organizations with annual expenditures of approximately $17 billion.

Only a comprehensive system of services, from cradle to career, will achieve the necessary outcomes for healthy and stable communities, and states should develop and implement combined workforce plans that coordinate their local, state, and federal labor funds, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Employment and Training (SNAP E&T), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE), Global Grant for Social Services, Block Grants for Community Services and Global Grant for Community Development to have the most impact. By realigning funding to reward quality rather than quantity, results-based procurement is also an important tool for improving equity across the workforce development system. .