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Session Title: Informing Government Policy Through Evaluation

Panel Session 759 to be held in Calvert Ballroom Salon E on Saturday, November 10, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Sponsored by the Government Evaluation TIG

Chair(s):

Teserach payday loan  Ketema payday loan ,  United States Department of Labor,  ketema-teserach@dol.gov

Abstract: In response to the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) and the Performance Assessment Rating Tool (PART), Federal agencies are now mandated to use rigorous types of independent evaluations to demonstrate the efficiency/effectiveness of their programs. Accordingly, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), within the US Department of Labor, contracted with Westat, a private research firm, to conduct an independent evaluation of selected ODEP demonstration programs designed to identify successful models for serving people with disabilities. The evaluation is determining the extent to which ODEP's demonstration programs contribute to the workforce development system by examining systems change and employment and educational outcomes of participants. One program - Customized Employment (CE) -- will be the focus of our panel presenters. We will describe ODEP's mission, programs, and need for evaluation; the evaluation design, methodology, and key findings for Customized Employment; and some lessons learned on the usefulness of evaluation for government agencies.

Evaluation of Research Demonstration Programs: Customized Employment Richard payday loan  Horne payday loan ,  United States Department of Labor,  horne-richard@dol.gov The Office of Disability Employment Policy was created by the Federal Government to address the low employment rate of people with disabilities. The Office provides national leadership on employment policy to the Department of Labor and other Federal agencies and policy direction for serving those with disabilities. As part of its mission, ODEP awards grants and cooperative agreements to implement research demonstration programs. ODEP demonstration programs consist of a variety of initiatives targeted at both adults and youth with disabilities. Customized employment is an-innovative evidence-based strategy that benefits both the employer and the job seeker in recruitment, hiring and retention. Richard Horne, the senior Federal official has oversight responsibility for the evaluation of ODEP demonstration programs. His presentation will provide background information on the mission of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and research programs, with special emphasis on Customized Employment and the purposes of the evaluation.

Measuring Changes to the Workforce Development System: A Qualitative Approach Martha payday loan  Palan payday loan ,  Westat,  marthapalan@westat.com As part of the ODEP independent evaluation, Westat addressed the following questions: (1) Did the ODEP customized employment demonstration programs have an impact on local workforce development systems? (2) To what extent were customized employment approaches effective in building the capacity of the workforce development system; (3) to what extent were customized employment approaches integrated into the workforce development system complement of services? and (4) To what extent did customized employment approaches facilitate positive employment outcomes? Westat's evaluation design and methodology incorporated both qualitative and quantitative approaches to answer these questions. Martha Palan, Research Analyst at Westat, has major responsibility for the qualitative aspects of this evaluation (e.g., design of interview guides, conduct and description of site visits findings). She will describe the methods used to answer the first three questions. She will also describe some of the key findings based on qualitative data and the strengths and weaknesses of the qualitative approach.

Measuring Employment Outcomes: A Qualitative Approach Lynn payday loan  Elinson payday loan ,  Westat,  lynnelinson@westat.com William payday loan  Frey payday loan ,  Westat,  williamfrey@westat.com In addition to systems change as a key outcome variable of interest, ODEP also was interested in focusing on the extent to which customized employment approaches facilitate positive employment outcomes (e.g., employment in a competitive job, salary above the minimum wage, 6- and 12-month job retention). Consequently, Westat designed and conducted the Outcomes Analysis Project as part of the ODEP independent evaluation. Consisting of the collection of three rounds of data on sampled program participants, Westat assembled a large database that is able to answer a variety of evaluation questions. Lynn Elinson, the project director of the ODEP independent evaluation, will describe the Outcomes Analysis Project, paying particular attention to methodology; key quantitative findings; methods for reducing program staff burden; the strengths and weaknesses of the database; and ways in which Westat has been able to combine both qualitative and quantitative data into meaningful conclusions and recommendations to ODEP.

Lessons Learned Richard payday loan  Horne payday loan ,  United States Department of Labor,  horne-richard@dol.gov The current evaluation being conducted by Westat, ODEP's independent contractor, continues to provide ODEP with a wealth of information. This information is critical in determining the effectiveness and impact of ODEP demonstration programs and documenting effective strategies for achieving systems change. ODEP uses the conclusions and recommendations to inform future policy and employment practice initiatives on a regular basis. Dr. Richard Horne, head of ODEP's research and evaluation unit, will describe what ODEP has learned from the evaluation thus far, identifying the key findings and their implication for policy. Dr. Horne will also describe how ODEP uses evaluation results to identify government program outcomes for the PART assessment and offers some 'do's' and 'don'ts' with such efforts. Lessons learned will also be shared for those government agencies considering building independent evaluations as part of their programs. References: Bond, G.R. (2004). Supported employment: Evidence for an evidence-based practice. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 22(4), 345-359. National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD/A) (2004). Fact Sheet. Washington, DC: Office of Disability Employment Policy.