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Reference: 20 CFR Part 656, Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) No. 656 Labor Certifications, and GAL No. 15-95. Background: Over the past 18 months, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has been considering proposals for reengineering the permanent labor certification process in order to increase efficiency in processing, reduce costs, increase protections for U. S. workers, and provide better customer service. To fully achieve all of these reengineering objectives, legislative and/or regulatory changes to the current labor certification process are required. The prospect for legislative changes is speculative, at best, and modification of the regulations could take many months to effectuate. Currently, ETA and SESAs are experiencing increasing workloads and declining staff resources to process labor certification applications. Therefore, to the extent feasible, ETA must institute measures to increase efficiency which are achievable under current regulations in order to reduce large backlogs and make decisions in a timely manner. Action Required: Administrators are requested to: A. Provide the attached policy and procedural guidance to appropriate staff. B. Insure that appropriate staff attend training conducted by the appropriate regional office prior to implementation of these measures. C. Instruct alien labor certification staff to implement the measures for increasing efficiency and follow the procedures in processing permanent labor certification applications. D. Apply these procedures to applications when processing begins on or after the effective date of this GAL. Effective Date: October 1, 1996

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References: TEIN No. 49-93, Capacity Building Strategy Paper, TEIN No. 15-94, Status of Capacity Building Pilot Projects. Background: As part of the capacity building initiatives, grants were awarded to the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training in Region I, and to the State of North Carolina and MDC, Inc., of Chapel Hill, North Carolina in Region IV, to develop and replicate peer-to-peer technical assistance (TA) strategies. MDC developed the "Learning and Teaching Manual" which offers Job Training Partnership Act Administrators and operators a resource for brokering peer-to-peer technical assistance. Subsequent to the development of the MDC product, Region IV staff along with the Region IV peer-to-peer workgroup (consisting of technical assistance team representatives from all Region IV States) developed a peer-to-peer automated system. Recently a training conference was held in Orlando, Florida, focusing on the peer-to-peer TA strategies developed by Regions I and IV. Participants were trained on Region IV's automated peer resource system with hands-on instruction for installing and managing the system and were briefed on State and regional peer capacity building activities. Advance copies of the Region IV peer-to-peer manual were distributed to participants at the conference. Manuals: Region IV's Peer-to-Peer System offers an automated approach for gathering and storing information on peer resources at the State and regional levels. It was designed to provide a process which may be used by other regions/States to develop their own peer-to- peer capacity building systems. Staff from the Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security developed the software for the automated system. The manual pro-vides information on a structure through which States, Service Delivery Areas, and other service providers could obtain information and technical assistance critical to front-line staff. A part of the peer system includes identifying potential peer trainers to deliver TA to workforce development staff. These peer trainers have been identified as resource professionals who can provide subject specific technical assistance, training or other assistance. They are listed in a resource directory along with program and operational models. A sample letter, which was inadvertently omitted from the manual, was designed to inform them that their names had been provided as a potential peer resource. See attached SAMPLE TRANSMITTAL LETTER for more details. In addition to the sample letter, data collection forms, which were also inadvertently omitted from the manual are attached to this TEIN. Data collection is discussed in Part III of the manual under "Approach to State/Regionwide System." The forms are used to survey the employment and training community for resources to become a part of the system. The data collection forms are attached. The "Learning and Teaching Manual" provides (1) materials necessary for undertaking four essential peer-to-peer capacity building activities; (2) step-by-step plans; and (3) a process for initiating those activities on a Statewide or Regionwide basis. While these manuals were developed separately, they can be used as complementary guides in initiating peer-to-peer capacity building activities. Automated Peer System format. The peer-to-peer system is a DOS-based application using Paradox run-time software to provide users with information concerning Regional resources for technical assistance and capacity building. The database contains information on program and system models as well as information on peer trainers. Users can query the database to produce customized reports according to their needs. Currently, the peer-to-peer automated system is being revised to run in a Windows environment. The hardware required to access and implement the peer system are dedicated 386 or 486 computers, a modem and data line. Distribution: Copies of the manuals are being provided under separate cover by MDC, Inc., to State JTPA Liaisons, State Wagner-Peyser Administering Agencies, State Worker Adjustment Liaisons, One-Stop Contacts, Public Interest Groups, and Community-Based Organizations. Members of the Technical Assistance and Training Professional Develop- ment and Training Panel will also receive a copy. Action: Please share manuals with your staff. If manuals are not received, please contact the individuals listed below. Separate cover: "U.S. DOL Region IV Peer-to-Peer System" and "Learning and Teaching: How To Get Started on Building State and Regional Peer-to-Peer Technical Assistance Systems."