About the Study
In 2022, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO), in collaboration with the Office for Unemployment Insurance (OUI) in the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), funded independent contractor Abt Associates to conduct the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) Evidence Building Portfolio Project. This portfolio project will provide evaluation technical assistance and conduct evidence-building activities to support and complement states’ evaluations. This project will: (1) provide evaluation technical assistance at different levels of intensity to states to increase evaluation capacity and build evidence generated through RESEA evaluations and from other studies related to RESEA programs; (2) conduct evidence reviews and provide related support for refining RESEA causal evidence ratings as new evidence is developed; (3) provide technical support for annual state plan reviews in collaboration with DOL; (4) conduct an RESEA Selection Models Study to identify potentially promising participant selection approaches and to better understand the implications of various models; (5) conduct a feasibility assessment to identify potential future rigorous evaluation options; and (6) provide dissemination of findings and other results from the project. Additionally, and at DOL’s discretion, this contract includes optional tasks, including for (7) additional analysis of promising approaches, evidence building, and synthesis on effective RESEA interventions; (8) cost analysis; (9) the expansion of the number of states in the learning cohort that receive high intensity evaluation technical assistance; (10) state case study(ies) and additional state-specific analysis; (11) additional dissemination activities and analysis; and (12) expanded general evaluation technical assistance activities.
This Department of Labor-funded study was a result of requirements from section 30206 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115-123 (BBA) and Section 306 of the Social Security Act, which created a permanent authorization for a new tiered-evidence RESEA program. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform employment and training programs and policies and addresses departmental strategic goals and priorities.
- What evaluation technical assistance needs do states have when conducting their own evaluations and evidence-building activities? How does this change over time?
- What types and intensity of evaluation technical assistance, provided by DOL and its independent Contractor, best meet states’ needs?
- Which RESEA program models and/or program components are effective and/or demonstrate promising results for program participants?
- How does the effectiveness of program models, strategies, and program components vary by different characteristics (e.g., race, ethnicity, occupation, industry)?
- What are promising participant selection or profiling strategies to more quickly and/or effectively identify UI claimants who need reemployment services, such as RESEA or other job search assistance?
- What are promising approaches, statistical models, data sources, and variables for participant selection that account for and incorporate changes in the labor market? How does the performance of participant selection models vary across claimant characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, etc?
- How can models be updated or developed to ensure equitable treatment of claimants across characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, etc?
Project Duration: 60 Months
Contract End Date: December 2027
Contractor: Abt Associates in partnership with the American Institutes for Research, the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, the Behavioural Insights Team, and National Association of State Workforce Agencies.
For More Information: ChiefEvaluationOffice@dol.gov
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.