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WISPR Issue Briefs

Issue Briefs are documents used by the WISPR Development Team to track and resolve issues. Issues may involve policy, data capture, data retention or coding procedures. They contain background information, affects upon stakeholders, next steps, and recommended solutions.
Issue Brief 1:
Self-Service - How Should it be Captured?		 DOL expects States to record self-service dates and use Self-Services in the definitions of episodes used for WIA/WISPR Reporting. This Brief describes options for identifying Self-Services for use in reporting and the probable impact of using Self-Services to assist with setting common measure exit dates.
Issue Brief 2:
Credential/Certificate		 Attainment of Credentials and Certificates as entered into SKIES is confusing to staff because: 1) certificates and credentials may be entered via several different screens; and 2) it is unclear as to whether they qualify for Federal Performance Measures or State Measures. Potential exists for inaccurate reporting. (This Issue Brief relates to Issue Brief 22.)
Issue Brief 3:
Unduplicating wages?

Wage data comes from three different sources, and when merged, may have duplicates.  The three sources are State UI wages which are from the state, FEDES wages which are federal jobs and WRIS wages, which are out of state UI wages.  Duplicate wages occur when one job is being reported on more than one of these files.

Issue Brief 4:
How will local services be reported & captured to get State credit vs. State services?		 There are two types of “services” in SKIES that WorkSource staff use to record the services they provide to job seekers. Those two types of services are “local” services and “state-approved” services.
  1. “Local” services are those created in SKIES by power users in the WDCs as desired to meet local tracking needs. “Local” services are only available on the Seeker Services screen “List of Values” to the staff of the WDC that created them.
  2. There were 200 “local” services recorded in SKIES as of May 27, 2008. The majority of those services (WDC’s with 20 or more local services) were created by 5 WDCs.

“State-approved” services are those created by SKIES staff and were identified as services that are required to be reported to Department of Labor (DOL) by WIA and Wagner-Peyser. With the exception of “automated” services and two WorkFirst services, the “state-approved” services are available on the Seeker Services screen “List of Values” to all staff.

Currently only “state-approved” qualifying services are included in calculating GMAP and State/Federal performance measures (“local” services are excluded).
Issue Brief 5:
Rapid Response		 In October 2006 US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) released the data Preparation and Reporting Handbook (Attachment C), Workforce Investment Streamlined Performance Reporting (WISPR) system. One of the purposes is to establish a standardized set of data elements, definitions and specifications that can be used to describe the characteristics, activities, and outcomes of job seeker and employer customers served through the One-Stop delivery system.

The WISPR adds Rapid Response (RR) elements to its collection of data elements. Currently part of the Rapid Response data is not available for WISPR to capture.
Issue Brief 6:
WISPR-WISRD Date of Participation		 Current reporting of Wagner-Peyser/VETS, WIA and TAA program data are submitted independent of one another to DOL. Each uses its own determination of date of participation based upon the initial service provided by the program. Under WISPR, the WISRD requires a single date of participation to be reported, based upon the initial service provided by the Workforce system. To transition to this common date of participation, decisions must be made to address:
  • What services qualify to trigger a date of participation and date of exit?
  • How, when and where will participant characteristics be captured?
  • How to handle self-services provided via GO2WorkSource?
  • How does this impact local and State current performance outcomes?
  • Will staff be able to access date of participation and date of exit?
Issue Brief 7:
WISPR-WISRD Date of Exit		 Currently, self-services initiated by an individual at a WorkSource Office or via a remote access location, are not taken into account for determining the date of exit from the workforce system. Self-services, however, are currently used to trigger participation for Wagner-Peyser and WIA program reporting. Applying self-services to trigger participation but not extend the date of exit reflects an inconsistent approach and could potentially be a compliance issue with DOL.
Issue Brief 8:
Pseudo SSN’s and Duplicate Seeker Records 		Seeker SSN’s can come from four different sources and all based upon what is entered by the computer user. The sources include SSN’s entered by the 1) seeker via go2worksource.com, 2) TeleCenter staff via the UI interface, 3) DSHS staff via the ACES interface and 4) WorkSource staff via the SKIES registration screen. WorkSource staff are given the option to use a pseudo SSN upon initial registration.
Issue Brief 9:
Dual Entry of Services		 Out of Scope: When a client initially reports to a One Stop Center, information may be entered into a local management information system (MIS). At a later point in time the same client may have information entered into the state MIS. This results in staff having to enter virtually the same information twice. Is there a way to have the individual MIS’s interface so that staff time is not spent providing duplicate services?
Issue Brief 10:
When should service types (C-I-T-S-F) be used? In supportive services, follow up or reassigned?		 Out of Scope: Although this issue was determined to be out of scope and basically a training issue, the assigning of characteristics to services would be dealt with in Issue Brief 19 – How does WISPR work with Validation software?
Issue Brief 11:
Data Integrity		 US Department of Labor standard is to ensure accuracy, uniformity, and comparability in the reporting of statistical data derived from state and local workforce agency operations through grantee adherence to federal definitions of report items, use of standardized report formats, observance of reporting due dates, and regular validation of reporting items. Checks of data are done for the purpose of quality control. This brief addresses two parts of data integrity.

Part 1: What edits, queries or reports are needed to ensure data integrity when we transfer to the WISPR system?

Part 2: What process is needed to identify, rectify and communicate data integrity issues to the appropriate stakeholders?
Issue Brief 12:
Where’s the paper file?		 Out of Scope: Although this issue was determined to be out of scope, determining the office of record would be dealt with in Issue Brief 19 – How does WISPR work with Validation software? The WIARSD allows for the capture of the last office that provides a staff assisted service whereas the WISPR WISRD only captures the office that provides the first staff assisted service.
Issue Brief 13:
Program Credit		 Three items are addressed in this issue brief:
  1. A customer could receive multiple services throughout a participation period where the services could be affiliated to different offices and even across service delivery areas. The services could be affiliated to a program, or the services could be Wagner Peyser Labor Exchange core services. How do programs receive credit for program outcomes in the WISPR?
  2. There are a couple of ways to attach services to programs. Where in SKIES should services be recorded for the WISPR?
  3. Data Validation Unit staff must verify program documentation for performance. When a job seeker has received services in multiple offices or across service delivery areas, which office would be responsible for retaining the program participant’s paper file? (out-of-scope of WISPR)
Issue Brief 14:
Disability Status and Category of Disability		 Equal opportunity information, including disability, where known, of every applicant, registrant, eligible applicant/registrant, participant, terminee, applicant for employment, and employee is required for the WISPR. The information is to be self-identified and voluntarily provided by the individual. Staff are required to collect information about disability status and category of disability, explaining to the individual that the data will be used to monitor compliance and the enforcement of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination requirements, enforced by the Civil Rights Center. The information will also be used to evaluate and improve efforts to conduct outreach to better serve individuals with disabilities. Personally identifiable information will not be included in the tabulation or transfer of data to DOL.
Issue Brief 15:
What Data elements need to be in WISPR data file? 		The WISPR system data file needs to contain all of the data elements necessary to produce reports and files for deliverables and performance management. This brief identifies potential data elements needed for effective and efficient use of the WISPR database.
Issue Brief 16:
How do we capture data for State Core measures? (cross match WRIS, data from others, etc)		 Out of Scope: Data collected during the WIASRD extraction is used for producing state reports. WISPR was designated to develop the infrastructure for federal reporting purposes. The WISPR Charter, however, contains language that “hooks” would be inserted so that another project could be developed to produce state reports utilizing the WISPR database.
Issue Brief 17:
Post to SKIES the Common Date of Participation and the Common Date of Exit		 All program performance measures, subject to Common Measures are based on Common Participation Date and Common Exit Date. Establishment of these dates is beyond the control of any one program operator. The common date of participation is determined by recording the date on which the individual begins receiving his/her first service funded by the program following a determination of eligibility to participate in the program. Once a participant has not received any services funded by the program or a partner program for 90 consecutive calendar days and has no gap in service, the date of exit is applied retroactively to the last day on which the individual received a service funded by the program or a partner program.

Although this issue brief was clearly out of scope and would not be done within the framework of WISPR, the WISPR database will calculate and store both dates. This information could be used to supply the state MIS.
Issue Brief 18:
WIA Annual Report		 Workforce Investment Act Annual Report (ETA form 9091) general reporting instructions are produced by Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Portions of the WIA Annual Report rely upon data contained in the WIASRD. WISPR WISRD will have different episodes than currently available in the WIASRD and will potentially have a different office of record. The 9091, Annual Report (and Narrative), will continue to be required, as per law, and there are no plans to change any of the data elements. To date Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB) has responsibility for completion and submission of the WIA Annual Report.
Issue Brief 19:
WISPR & Validation		 The Workforce Investment Act Standardized Record Data (WIASRD) is produced by using the date of enrollment as the date of participation. When the date of exit is determined, the Washington state WIASRD captures the economic/labor market area and physical location that provided the last qualifying service as the office of record.

Data Element Validation, an annual activity conducted by Employment Security Department (ESD), is the process of reviewing a selected sample of participant data reported on the most current annual Workforce Investment Act Standardized Record Data (WIASRD) and fiscal year Trade Act Participant Report (TAPR) against source documents for compliance with federal definitions. Source documents are often hard copy records kept at the exiter’s “office of record”. The office of record is the assumed location of the exiters’ hard copy/paper records, the economic/labor market area and physical location of the exiter’s last qualifying service. Physical location means designated One-Stop Career Center, affiliated One-Stop partner site, or other specialized centers and sites designed to address special customer needs. Service providers transfer hard copy records when a participant is changing the physical location where services will be provided.

The state data validation coordinator draws WIA and TAA samples for validation using DOL/ETA Data Validation and Retrieval Software (DRVS). Samples identify selected exiter records with numerous data elements reported for each. The sample identifies “office of record” meaning the location of hard copy/paper files. This enables service providers to pull the hard copy files, which have usually been archived and stored at a location in the local area.
Issue Brief 20:
Capturing the 4 MSFW data elements (124-127) in SKIES.		 In October 2006 US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) released the data Preparation and Reporting Handbook (Attachment C), Workforce Investment Streamlined Performance Reporting (WISPR) system. One of the purposes is to establish a standardized set of data elements, definitions and specifications that can be used to describe the characteristics, activities, and outcomes of job seeker and employer customers served through the One-Stop delivery system.

The WISPR adds Section A.05: Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Characteristics as a new section with the understanding that the following four (4) categories are not currently collected or reported:

#124 Primarily employed in farmwork
#125 Minimal threshold of farmwork performed
#126 Migrant status
#127 Type of qualifying farmwork
Issue Brief 21:
Capturing Self-employment		 Current procedures for identifying self-employment in SKIES relies heavily on free-form, inconsistent narrative entries, resulting in inaccurate data extracts and potentially having an adverse effect on entered employment rate and employment retention rate performance outcomes. Current extract procedures go beyond the written policy in an effort to avoid missing any legitimate records.
Issue Brief 22:
Credential Categories in SKIES		 In August 2007, Washington State established a policy identifying three types of credentials to be counted toward state measures of skill gains in addition to certificates defined by federal rule. State credential rates measure the percentage of participants who receive credentials, whether or not they received training.

These are:
  1. Successful Completion of a Work-Based Training Plan,
  2. Work Readiness Credentials,
  3. Credentials granted by Eligible Training Providers licensed as Private career Schools in Washington (that are not otherwise countable).
Issue Brief 23:
Employment or Further Education		 Employment or Further Education is a State Core Measure for all participants. Neither the current WIASRD nor WISRD contain all the data elements needed to calculate this measure in the proper format.
Issue Brief 24:
Inflation Adjustment Index		 State earnings measures are inflation adjusted while federal measures are not. Making an inflation adjustment index available, would make it possible to calculate earnings measures correctly.
Issue Brief 25:
WIA Program Affiliation 		How are individuals to be identified as receiving WIA-funded staff-assisted services as reported on the Workforce Investment Streamlined Performance Reporting (WISPR) Workforce Investment Standardized Record Data (WISRD)? The WISRD requires each state to identify participants receiving services financially assisted under WIA section 133(b) (2) (A). Participant records marked as “Yes” are included in the WIA performance measures calculations.