SECTION D: Program Plans and Operations

BACKGROUND | POLICY | REFERENCES | INQUIRIES

Background

One of the statewide workforce investment activities the state is required to fund is providing technical assistance to local areas that do not meet local performance measures. The regulations state that technical assistance may include the development of a performance improvement plan, a modified local plan, or other actions designed to assist the local area in improving performance. This policy describes the approach to providing technical assistance to local areas.

The State must provide technical assistance for those local areas that do not meet their performance targets. Technical assistance can be provided in a number of ways through the use of 10% Statewide activity monies or through ongoing state and Regional staff and related resources.

The maximum amount of technical assistance funds per local area will be established annually. The maximum limit is established so as to not significantly "reward" an area for poor performance and envisions allowing for the enhancement of acceptable performance.

Policy

A portion of the 10% Statewide activity funds is set aside to provide technical assistance to local areas that do not meet local performance measures.

Not meeting local performance measures is defined as an area’s annual actual adjusted performance falling below 80% of the target, for any one of the Adult, Dislocated Workers, Youth, or Customer Satisfaction federal or state performance measures in a program year. At the state level, failure to reach the 80% of target for any one measure disqualifies the state from receiving any federal incentive award.

The technical assistance funds will be distributed based on the number of measures that fall below 80% of the established target. The amount of available funds will be divided by the total number of low-performance measures (below 80%) to determine an average amount per measure. The amount of funds available to a local area.

The performance used in calculating the distribution of technical assistance funds to a local area will be based on all measures included in the WIA Annual Report for the previous Program Year. The WIA Annual Report includes performance for each of the 17 federal measures and also 12 state measures.

Undistributed technical assistance funds may be targeted to: 1) improving program performance applicable to all WDAs; 2) locally identified requests for assistance; or 3) allocating the funds equally among the WDAs.

The State will notify each WDC of their annual performance results (published in the State’s Annual Performance Report to Department of Labor). To apply for technical assistance funds, the WDC must submit a written "Request for Technical Assistance Funds" form/letter to the State Office, Attention: Planning Manager.

The form must include, at a minimum, the following: identification of each performance measure(s) below 80% of target to be addressed; explanation of the cause of low performance; how funds will be used to improve performance of the failed measure(s), including outcomes, and the amount of funds requested.

Technical assistance funds may also be made available to support local program performance improvement activities at large, as cited in CFR 29 665.210, subject to availability of funds.

REFERENCES:
29 CFR 666.420 (a), 29 CRF Part 665.200 (e),29 CFR Part 665.210 (b)

DIRECT INQUIRIES TO:
Phil Degon
Employment Security Department
Employment and Training Division, WIA Title I-B
P.O. Box 9046, MS 6000
Olympia, WA 98507-9046
E-Mail: pdegon@esd.wa.gov
Telephone: (360) 438-4630 
Fax: (360) 438-3174