ESPL15-94_Attach.pdf

ETA Advisory File Text

FINAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE REVITALIZATION WORK PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Executive Summary iii Introduction v Background 1 The Evolution of the ES Revitalization Initiative 2 The Development of the ES Revitalization Work Plan 5 Implementation Guidelines 7 The Detailed ES Revitalization Work Plan 8 Appendix ES Revitalization Work Group Participants 21 -iii- Employment Service Revitalization Work Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Dramatic changes in the development of America s workforce are needed if we are to compete in a global economy. Adults who have held jobs for many years now are experiencing career and job transitions. Those looking for first jobs new jobs and better jobs are facing stiffer competition than their predecessors because the world of work that they once knew can no longer accommodate them. Changing economic circumstances have made local labor markets much more significant and demanding. To meet these challenges the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration USDOL ETA is shifting from thinking only in terms of a program-specific focus and actions that prevailed in the past to a system of actions which focus on creating a comprehensive employment and training system. ETA has therefore been developing and implementing several strategies to accomplish this goal. One of these strategies is the revitalization of the Employment Service ES . A work group of representatives from SESAs organized labor ICESA IAPES and USDOL ETA national and regional offices was formed to devise and develop short-term and long-term strategies to increase ES value to its customers. This work group prepared a Long-Term Vision Statement which outlines ES mission and goals as the Nation s leader in providing services to its customers and serving as a universal gateway to workforce development resources by professional empowered staff. Within this context it developed a short-term revitalization work plan that focuses on quality continuous improvements in services to ES customers. The short-term plan includes a variety of choices for States on a number of action items of high visibility high impact and low cost which are tailored to fit State local needs and can be implemented immediately. The following are some of the more salient recommendations made by the work group to encourage revitalization D DD D Establish an ES National Customer Service Recognition Program for ES employees local offices SESA programs etc. D DD D Conduct a nation-wide training and skill development needs analysis for front-line staff. -iv- D DD D Establish a National Training Academy and Learning Lab for local office managers . D DD D Establish a model Resource Center in each local office focussed on job seeker research self-help employer research etc.. D DD D Establish a clearinghouse for the dissemination of current ES developments best practices etc. D DD D Sponsor and fund additional national Workforce Development Forums. D DD D Develop prototype designs of ES local offices for use by SESAs when constructing new offices using local cost estimates for implementing each feature. D DD D Initiate in all SESAs system-wide customer satisfaction surveys with delegated analysis and follow-up. D DD D All SESAs should adopt a Bill of Rights for job seekers employers and employees. D DD D USDOL should identify an effective job matching system model. D DD D SESAs should establish closer rapport with their JSECs and embark on a job order solicitation campaign. D DD D SESAs should implement an active public relations and marketing strategy to publicize ES services to its customers. D DD D SESAs should promote collaboration and partnerships at all levels to promote a knowledge of ES mission and functions. D DD D SESAs and their unions should enter into genuine labor management collaborative relationships to plan and implement change and to develop high performance workplaces which should result in increased customer satisfaction improved employee morale and an improved image of ES. D DD D Establish Federal-State and local office manager exchange programs. -v- Introduction It is important for the reader to understand how the work group arrived at the Employment Service Revitalization Work Plan and the context in which it was prepared. The work group s approach in the revitalization process was based on the concept that before a short-term work plan could be presented it was necessary to develop a long-term vision statement of the Employment Service s ES mission and goals which would define its role in the 21st century. Its development has its roots in the dramatic changes in the world economy today which are placing very different demands on Americans--those who want first jobs those who have lost their jobs and those who want better jobs. To meet the needs confronting America s workforce ES will have to change some of what it does and the way it does it because the economic environment in which it operates has changed. The following therefore is an analysis and evaluation of ES role and its contribution in the present and future economy as a major player in the development of America s workforce D The ES provides universal access to its services--its services are available to all jobseekers and employers. D The ES UI LMI organizations in SESAs disseminate informa-tion on operations of the labor market. At its highest level of aggregation this information describes the condition of the nation s labor markets and at its most detailed this information connects individual jobseekers with specific job vacancies. ES is a key user of local labor force data in providing services to its customers-- employers and jobseekers--in each of the following tiers Tier 1 Self-Help Resource Center Room LMI UI Automated self-help to the extent possible on labor market information for those who are either job ready or may need minimal assistance. Employers are involved in this Tier by providing job listings for job-ready customers as well as accessing labor market information regarding their business planning. Tier 2 Basic Intervention Customer Driven Basic assessment services are required for those most in need such as referral to jobs training etc. Both Tiers would provide job search assistance. -vi Tier 3 Intensive Services For those workers jobseekers that ES may be able to provide services or could refer to other workforce development programs. ES serves a central role in providing and or coordinating all workforce development resources Assessment Profiling Counseling coaching Referral to jobs Referral to training the kinds of training offered would be tied to demand occupations which have been identified through labor market information and data Referral to appropriate social service agencies Referral to educational institutions e.g. community colleges Employers choose jobseekers workers from any tier. SESAs decide on a State-by-State basis the principle customers who fall into Tier 3 Employers Youth Dislocated workers laid-off workers Already employed people Marginally attached The work group concluded from the foregoing that a reaffirmation and reinforcement of ES commitment and ability to meet the workforce development challenges should be contained in a Long- Term Vision Statement. This statement is crucial in the development of the revitalization work plan and is essential if it is to be implemented by the SESAs to ensure the more general success of an effective workforce delivery system of the future. ES success is based on the satisfaction of the needs of its external customers both employers and jobseekers as well as the needs of its internal customers the employees who make the system work. Taking these first steps of revitalization together represents a shared commitment to the realization of a sixty-one year old partnership and is directed toward the achievement of a new vision statement for the ES. This commitment is expressed in the following Vision Statement The ES is the Nation s recognized leader in providing efficient labor exchange services and a universal gateway to workforce development resources by professional empowered employees. -1 Background The world of work has changed and the way America develops its workforce must conform to this new reality if we are to compete in a global economy. This change is exemplified in the dramatic increase over the years in the number of adults who are experiencing career and job transitions. Many factors have contributed to this situation global competition increased use of technology economic ups and downs reductions in the military and defense industries and the transition from a manufacturing to an information and services economy. Newspaper headlines and magazine articles report layoffs plant closings displaced production workers vanishing middle management jobs and increased numbers of displaced adult employees. Individuals are faced with finding new jobs improving job seeking skills upgrading skills and education and creating new career paths. Business labor education and local State and Federal governments agree that new and better ways are needed to prepare the American workforce to meet the challenge of labor markets of the future. What is needed is an innovative service delivery system which provides individuals with information on available job openings career planning training etc. in effect giving individuals the opportunity to take effective control of their job lives. It would also provide employers with qualified workers to compete in a global economy. Those who provide these services would need to acquire new skills update old ones and develop expertise to perform effectively in a rapidly changing environment. -2 The Evolution of the ES Revitalization Initiative There is general consensus that a bold agenda for change is necessary to meet these challenges. As part of this agenda the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration USDOL ETA has decided to move from thinking in terms of a program-specific focus and actions that have dominated the past toward thinking in terms of a system of actions which focus on creating a comprehensive system for employment and training. To accomplish this goal USDOL ETA has embarked on the following simultaneous strategies D DD D A reengineering of the Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance Act to be more responsive to dislocated workers those who are unlikely to return to their previous industries or jobs are eligible for reemployment assistance and those who have been impacted by import competition may be eligible for training and other benefits under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. D DD D A Job Training Partnership Act JTPA Dialogue among ETA s customers operators and participants program administrators leaders of community-based organizations and representatives from human services agencies to arrive at a broad consensus about what works within the current employment and training system and what can be done to strengthen and improve programs for economically disadvantaged adults and youth. D DD D The revitalization of the Employment Service ES to strengthen the capacity of the ES and its front-line local office staff to deliver high quality services and information to all customers. Since the majority of ES Unemployment Insurance UI local offices in the country today co-locate their ES UI staff a revitalized ES is critical to the creation of an effective reemployment system. -3 Within these strategies ETA has already taken some steps toward building a coordinated and integrated employment and training system by developing and implementing the following new initiatives Capacity Building - An integrated long range approach which addresses the common needs of managers professionals and front-line staff involved with JTPA Job Service Dislocated Worker Program and other related programs to deliver high quality services to its customers by improving their job skills knowledge and expertise. Included in this effort is the establishment of a clearinghouse which will provide information on the full range of workforce programs policies and best practices enabling the employment and training community to keep current on the latest developments in techniques and strategies. One-Stop-Career Center - An approach which provides easy access to information and a comprehensive array of employment and training services available under one roof tailored to the needs of job seekers and employers in their community. America s Labor Market Information System ALMIS -An expanded and improved nationwide system of State and local labor market information designed to make access more user-friendly to better serve all LMI customers. School-to-Work - A partnership formed by the Departments of Education and Labor to establish a national framework within which all States can create statewide School-to-Work Opportunities systems for youth to acquire knowledge skills abilities and LMI to facilitate the transition from school-to- work or further education or training. Skills Standards - The development and use of a national system of voluntary skill standards and certification that strengthen the connection between the skills needed in the work place and those imparted through education and training. -4 Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services -An initiative whereby UI beneficiaries are profiled to identify those most likely to become long-term unemployed and exhaust their UI benefits for referral to reemployment services offered by ES JTPA or other service delivery in coordination with UI. This system which is predicated on early identification of dislocated workers will get services to them in a more timely manner. This results in shortened spells of unemployment and an expedited return to productive stable employment. Apprenticeship - An approach to encourage and promote the establishment of apprenticeship programs and provide technical assistance to program sponsors employers employer associations and management and labor groups. It combines structured on-the-job training with classroom or theoretical instruction. The strategy to revitalize ES is based upon the conviction that a fundamental change of ES is critical so that job seekers have access to the resources they need to successfully obtain first jobs new jobs and better jobs while employers have qualified workers to give them a competitive edge in a global economy. Job seekers and employers should be offered the choice of services they want and need so that the ES viewed as the best in this business would bring new investors into the system. This ES Revitalization Initiative is designed to strengthen ES as an institution so that it can expand its ability as a deliverer of high quality services to the customer. To accomplish the revitalization of ES ETA established a work group of representatives from the following organizations U.S. Department of Labor national and regional offices Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies ICESA State Employment Security Agencies SESAs International Association of Personnel in Employment Security IAPES American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations AFL-CIO -5 Service Employees International Union SEIU and American Federation of State County Municipal Employees AFSCME . Please see Appendix for a complete list of the participants. The goal of the ES Revitalization Initiative is To devise and implement a short-term and long-term strategy plan for a public customer driven enterprise-the Employment Service-to increase its value to workers in the U. S. job- seekers and employers and to promote an increased sense of job fulfillment among ES employees. The Development of the ES Revitalization Work Plan. Within the context of the Long-Term Vision Statement the work group developed a short-term revitalization work plan to assure that this vision for the future is maintained. It is a plan of continuous improvement in the quality of services provided to job- seeker and to employer customers. Each SESA would be responsible for implementing the work plan activities using existing authorities and employee empowerment. The plan includes a variety of choices on a number of action items of high visibility high impact and low cost which could be implemented immediately. The work group decided to develop the short-term work plan around the following ten Subject Areas 1. Staff Training - Capacity Development 2. Staff Recognition Activities 3. Leadership Activities 4. Best Practices - Models -6 5. Performance Measures - Standards - Feedback 6. Local Office Layout - Facilities 7. Customer Satisfaction and Input 8. Public Relations - Marketing 9. Collaboration and Partnerships 10. Labor Management Collaboration In addition the work group developed the following underlying assumptions that would guide them in the preparation of the plan Activities should have a short-term focus--to be initiated or completed in one year or less. Federal ES dollar resources will increase only slightly in FY 95. The plan would recognize the principles of the Reemployment Act for a new reemployment delivery system with emphasis on one-stop career centers but would not be driven by it. Work plan emphasis should be on high profile high pay off low cost activities. Activities should be outcome driven. The primary audience of the plan is the Employment Security system itself. For revitalization to achieve any measure of success it must provide a service of high value to employers. -7 Implementation Guidelines The following principles will guide the implementation of the work plan It is recognized that there are counterpart activities for renewal and system building currently underway in the employment and training system and therefore revitalization planning should when applicable be done in conjunction with them. It is understood that there are presently many efforts projects and excellent examples of best practices throughout the ES system which can be replicated to facilitate revitalization. Given the wide diversity among States the plan should be viewed more like a menu of choices rather than a one size fits all blueprint. The activities described should be tailored by SESAs to fit State local needs. The plan should be used to stimulate an on-going dialogue between USDOL and SESAs whereby USDOL receives feedback suggestions ideas etc. from SESAs via the Regions on what is needed to improve enhance the revitalization process. The plan should be used by the SESAs to formally determine what their specific needs are and then based on those needs prepare their own plans for implementation at the local office level. This process may assist SESAs in conjunction with customer surveys to determine the effect of improvement in services to their customers. -8 The Detailed ES Revitalization Work Plan. The following provides the reader with a detailed work plan prepared by the work group. Each Subject Area is described according to 1 a statement of need for revitalization 2 the suggested activities to achieve the desired outcome s for revitalization and 3 the organization s responsible for carrying out these activities. Also included is the current reality for each Subject Area as it generally prevails in local ES offices. This current reality prompted the work group to embark on this revitalization initiative. As applicable timelines and necessary resources to accomplish the activities have been included. 1. Staff Training - Capacity Development A well trained front-line staff is the foundation of effective and efficient service delivery to ES customers. The work group concluded from its findings that there is no nationally consistent front-line training strategy for ES staff. Most training is short- term and perfunctory technical training not connected to a long-term staff development plan. States vary in utilization of IAPES professional development program. The work group recommends therefore that each SESA in conjunction with staff and the representative labor organization conduct a thorough training and skill development needs assessment. It further recommends that ICESA work with the Capacity Building Initiative staff to identify one State to take leadership of this effort and create a model which other SESAs could follow. USDOL has allocated 25 000 to provide seed funding for this program to be available in FY 95. The work group recognizes that one of the important needs in the system is much improved customer service and therefore recommends the development of front-line customer service training for all public contact workers. This should be accomplished by identifying examples of state-of-the-art high quality customer service training approaches in the private sector other Federal agencies and State and local governments. To accomplish this the needs assessment should be completed by January 1995 a training design completed by April 1995 and the first sessions of a train the trainer program completed by July 1995. -9 The resource requirements for this program include expenses related to the development of the needs assessment process including surveys focus groups of customers stakeholders and staff and other organized outreach efforts to obtain the broadest consensus possible. In addition the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee s Training Needs of Career Development Facilitators study could be used as a reference tool to identify the skills and training needs of career development facilitators and the self-study guides developed by IAPES could be used as a start in an effort to develop staff. Some SESAs have made extensive use of the guides in their upward mobility programs. Resources may also be available under the Capacity Building Initiative challenge grants for those SESAs who meet the criteria for developing innovative training capabilities and training products e.g. curricula models which would appear to have broad application across the employment and training system. For further information please see Training and Employment Information Notice No 49-93 for specifics. 2. Staff Recognition Activities The recognition of outstanding performance by ES workers local offices and or State programs represents an excellent mechanism for encouraging a more effective customer-focused delivery system. IAPES as well as many States gives awards for performance productivity etc. The work group concluded from its findings that historically USDOL has not had such a customer service recognition program. It has however recently received and accepted an ICESA proposal to establish a national awards program for ES workers local offices and or State programs. As implementation strategies become more clearly defined consideration should also be given to recognizing programs currently existing in many SESAs and IAPES. In view of these current realities the work group recommends that USDOL establish a customer service recognition program with the flexibility to recognize individuals groups programs or States. The design of such a program should build upon the best of the best models in existence in the SESAs and should avoid duplication. Inherent in this recommendation is the need for all SESAs to have a viable suggestion awards program. Further it recommends that specified front-line staff and representative labor organizations as applicable be consistently consulted in the decision-making process by executives and middle management. In support of this activity USDOL should provide technical assistance for the continuation and support of State recognition programs especially for front-line workers and labor organizations should participate in the decision making process. -10 If the cited recognition strategies are implemented improved ES staff morale and productivity should result. Additionally any resulting program savings realized could be reinvested in improved services. As an annual recognition program it is recommended that the USDOL award recognizing ES be presented around Labor Day of each year. Resources necessary will include funds to 1 hire independent judges to select award recipient s and 2 purchase an appropriate award e.g. Secretary s plaque. USDOL has allocated 100 000 for the recognition awards program on an annual basis. 3. Leadership Activities Due to the changing environment in workforce development leadership within the Employment Security system and specifically the Employment Service must develop a variety of ways to share information and successful programs. The work group concluded from its findings that at present there is no established mechanism for States to learn about proven employment and training initiatives in other States or to shadow effective individuals who have introduced innovative approaches to service delivery. Professional training for ES managers is provided but only in some States and most of this training is generic superficial and not specific to ES managers needs. Only some SESAs provide new supervisors with training. Also there is a sense among some SESA staff that leadership management has no vision or commitment to the accomplishment of the ES mission and fails to communicate to front-line staff. The work group recommends the following activities to achieve the desired outcomes for this subject area USDOL ICESA IAPES each and jointly should play key roles in increasing leadership development efforts within the States. In this regard a Federal USDOL - State SESA exchange program is encouraged for mid-level staff wherein groups could experience first-hand the challenges each face in their areas of work. For example USDOL officials could work a week in a local office interviewing job seekers taking UI claims working the reception counters etc. On the other hand State staff could visit USDOL and become familiar with the political constraints and the legislative process which the Federal level must consider in its deliberations. The work group cites the recently initiated USDOL Visitation Program for SESA Administrators to exchange information with top USDOL policy officials as a good example of leadership. -11 A local office manager exchange program between the SESAs should be established. The rationale for this program is two fold 1 to have managers meet with managers to learn about a specific successful initiative or management approach of a local office which can be replicated and 2 to understand the similarities and differences in employment service operations in other States. SESAs should also include the need to recognize an exchange of staff between the central administrative office and the local offices. USES should coordinate with the Capacity Building Initiative staff and others in ETA as applicable who are working on establishing a National Training Academy as part of a comprehensive capacity building approach to assure that SESA local office managers and key staff are included in this training. As part of this academy it is recommended that USES encourage that a Learning Lab be included where state-of-the- art operational techniques and leadership principles could be taught. Further USDOL ICESA IAPES should collaborate in building its framework since each has a vested interest in its overall objectives. As a result of these activities SESAs will be developing their managers and staffs to gain a broader view of the system. In addition a more formalized approach to idea sharing and walking-a-mile in my shoes would enable staffs to view their jobs from another perspective thereby facilitating successful programs and enhancing management techniques especially as they relate to customer services. January 1995 is projected as the start date for the two exchange programs local office manager local office manager and Federal State. A timeline for the National Training Academy is difficult to project until decisions are reached by USDOL ICESA IAPES on how this project should move forward. Resources necessary for the Federal State exchange programs should be borne by the agency of origin expenses for travel and salary and the host should provide the office logistics. USDOL is prepared to allocate 250 000 to assist in the development of a National Training Academy and Learning Lab which is being undertaken by the Capacity Building Initiative staff and other components in ETA as applicable. -12 4. Best Practices - Models Too much useful information and experience is lost in the ES system. The work group concluded from its findings that there is a need to identify and disseminate information about best practices and models to compete effectively. This will help to stop the wasted effort of reinventing the wheel. It will also help to save development costs decrease costs per customer and provide better services to job seekers and employers. Presently an effective and accurate job matching system to determine required skills for a significant number of in-demand occupations is rare in the ES system and therefore the work group recommends that the ALMIS initiative and USES collaborate in this effort and identify one within a year. Toward this end USDOL has allocated 150 000 which may include sponsoring a national conference to identify the most effective and accurate job matching system model. The work group acknowledges that a clearinghouse of best practices in service delivery is necessary. Therefore it recommends that USES work together with the Capacity Building Initiative that is planning to establish a clearinghouse which will identify and serve as a central repository of existing training curricula program models and capacity-building materials. This may be made available to the employment and training system through an electronic bulletin board system such AS ETA NET a Wide Area Network now being piloted in Region IV and California. The clearinghouse will provide information on the full range of workforce programs policies and best practices enabling the employment and training community to keep current on the latest developments in techniques and strategies. USES is prepared to provide resources toward the establishment of this clearinghouse to ensure that best practices which are being developed and implemented by the SESAs are included in it. The Workforce Development Forums held in 1993 identified among other initiatives being developed by SESAs best practices in the Employment Security system and it is recommended that USDOL ICESA IAPES and specified SESAs continue to collaborate in providing opportunities to exchange best practices. This could be accomplished by USDOL sponsoring and funding these forums every two years. The identification and dissemination of information on best practices models will provide more efficiency lower costs and better services. For this effort USDOL will allocate 25 000 to publish a follow-up to the Leaders of Change Compendium - Successful Workforce Development Projects to recognize other best practices in place throughout the SESAs. -13 There is a need to distinguish between the most effective use of the following types of service delivery local office personal services kiosks voice response units electronic bulletin boards personal computers and fiber optics. ICESA SESAs should col-laborate in this endeavor and identify its results in one year. The work group is convinced that an automated ES system is effective and therefore SESAs should assess the status of their current efforts and initiate a plan in one year to automate all routine local office functions that make sense to do so. To enhance customer choice in the delivery of services each SESA should establish within two or more years at least one local office customer do it yourself Resource Center in each State to assist jobseekers and employers in the areas of self assessment LMI job referral etc. This model can be refined and form a prototype for other local offices in the State to emulate eventually. 5. Performance Measures - Standards - Feedback A program of performance evaluation directed to the continuous improvement of service delivery and operated at the local level provides the foundation for evaluating the national performance of the ES. The work group concluded that there are no current Federal ES performance standards. The ES Performance Standards Pilot Project did not identify a national consensus on a specific set of appropriate measures. Thirty-three States use some type of customer satisfaction surveys as part of their effort to evaluate performance. Given the degree of State authority and the diversity of the ES no single set of specific ratios or measures can be imposed on the system. The USDOL should eliminate the barriers and conflicting goals which have stood in the way of performance measures. The USDOL should require each SESA to have a program of performance measurement. Each State should require that the performance measurement program be implemented in the local office and that the measures be used to direct local service improvement plans. Performance measurement should include a recognition that the satisfaction of employer needs provides an important foundation to the delivery of jobseeker services and should assure that measures such as the number or percent of jobs filled and the quality in terms of earnings of the jobs filled are included in local office standards. Specific recommendations to assure that customer satisfaction and input have a central place in performance measurement are provided below. Implementation of this performance improvement plan could result in the following reduced time to fill an employer s job order reduced time to place a job applicant increased earnings -14 increased market share with respect to both jobs and jobseekers increased entered employment per staff year and increased percent of jobs filled. It is important that SESAs develop measures of system performance and avoid the traditional temptation to focus solely on the performance of individual members of the SESA staff. Because the performance of individuals can rarely be accurately evaluated in isolation of the system in which the individual performs employee performance measures rarely lead to system-wide improvement. To the contrary introduction of numerical performance quotas for individual employees often has the unintended effect of stifling innovation and systems improvement. SESAs should take special care to involve front-line employees and representative labor organizations where applicable in the design and implementation of performance measures. USDOL in collaboration with the SESAs will establish requirements for a performance measurement system to be implemented by the SESAs for the purpose of improving local office performance not later than Program Year 1995. USDOL shall provide technical assistance to the States during Program Year 1994 to support the development of such performance improvement systems. USDOL will utilize available national activities funding resources to provide the required technical assistance to the States. 6. Local Office Layout - Facilities Physical features of local offices should enhance customer service and promote productive work environments. The work group has concluded from its findings that this is often not the case in many SESAs. Local office layouts across the nation vary widely. Many local offices are poorly located designed and or equipped to provide quality services to the public. They have a bureaucratic telephone response customers are kept waiting and there are no employer contact points. In view of the current reality in local office layouts the work group recommends that SESAs ensure using local office input that each local office has adequate parking and public transportation accessibility and a pleasing professional safe healthy and ergonomically sound working environment rather than an institutional atmosphere. It should serve as an entry point into an integrated no wrong door system where customers may access information easily and quickly from any office. To achieve this end the following is recommended -15 chairs vs. lines desks vs. counters happy colors modular furniture ergonomic furniture indirect lighting carpeting friendly signs posters art work on walls a child care component a responsive telecommunications system that may include voice response technology and seminar rooms and employer interview rooms. To provide for a smooth quick customer flow with no waiting it is recommended that SESAs which are not pursuing a one-stop approach create a Resource Center in each local office for job seeker research self-help and employer research. It may also include employer profiles training directories resume generating software career exploration software labor market information etc. On the other hand the work group encourages those SESAs that are creating a one-stop system in their local communities to compete for grants for planning developing and implementing. As you know proposals for grants were solicited in the FEDERAL REGISTER Volume 59 No. 135 dated July 15 1994. It is anticipated that future requests for solicitations regarding this initiative will be made pending the availability of funds. It is recommended that SESAs contract for a design survey of a sample of local offices to develop a refined cost estimate for redesigning local office layouts needs for future budget planning purposes. The recommendations described should be implemented within one year. USDOL SESAs should jointly negotiate measures to redesign build local offices and a Resource Center as described. 7. Customer Satisfaction and Input There is a growing recognition that ES has a need to increase customer satisfaction for job seekers employers and ES staff and that customers fully understand what they can expect by way of services from ES. The work group concluded from its findings that SESAs should act as a catalyst to assure that information on the various services ES UI offer flows between the various customers at the local State regional and national levels. Such information could be made available via the use of a wide area electronic network being piloted under the Capacity Building Initiative once it is operational. In the past there have been no consistent uniform customer satisfaction surveys conducted by the SESAs. Currently however USDOL is developing national customer surveys for all customers in the employment and training system. So far they have been -16 developed for Dislocated Workers and Disadvantaged Adults. Depending upon the availability of others and SESAs needs the work group recommends that ICESA SESAs form a work group and request from USDOL expertise to prepare a universal customer satisfaction survey approach which builds upon available information is an ongoing process is more results oriented and makes use of customer satisfaction data available institutes a regular process of using customer satisfaction measures as benchmarks for building a continuous pursuit of quality and uses common denominators across programs and results of surveys for both State and national policy purposes. The SESAs should delegate responsibility to each local office for the assessment of local office customer satisfaction surveys and to propose corrective action or designate staff in the administrative office who are responsible for customer satisfaction surveys to provide assistance to local offices in developing ways to change where necessary. The universal customer satisfaction survey approach should be developed and implemented by the end of FY 95. For this effort USDOL is prepared to allocate resources to assist in the preparation design and implementation of a customer satisfaction survey approach tailored to fit local needs as distinct from the national customer surveys being developed by USDOL. Currently most employers do not list their job openings with ES and many are dissatisfied with referrals and other services job seekers are often disappointed disillusioned with the services they receive. On the other hand ES staff feel they are not empowered to accomplish their jobs. Therefore the work group recommends that SESAs adopt a Bill of Rights or similar document for its staff employers and job seekers which briefly describes what each can expect from ES. This Bill of Rights is within the context of the Long-Term Vision Statement which the work group has prepared. SESAs are encouraged to request that ICESA identify those States which have introduced a Bill of Rights. SESAs should provide funds to develop and implement this Bill of Rights or similar document by July 1 1995. -17 8. Public Relations - Marketing All customers should be aware of the resources available to them in ES to assist them in successfully competing in today s economy. However there has been little awareness on the part of the public regarding the many positive aspects of the ES. This is attributable to a lack of marketing at both the Federal and State levels. The work group concluded from its findings that within this subject area ES should ensure that all Americans are aware of the services it offers. To accomplish this goal the work group recommends that USDOL request that the Employers National Job Service Council ENJSC actively promote State Job Service Employer Committees JSECs to publicize the merits of the ES so that job orders increase in local offices especially in the professional technical and managerial categories. Further it is recommended that SESAs cooperate with JSECs to enhance their roles as a marketing vehicle for local offices and encourage other employer groups to do likewise. Also in a joint effort SESAs ICESA IAPES should build a positive awareness of ES with Congress and the Administration and separately SESAs should engage in legislative awareness with USDOL ICESA IAPES JSECs. These recommendations could be implemented by April 1995 and the resources available through IAPES legislative alert network could be used to assist in their implementation. The work group recommends that USDOL ICESA jointly develop a nation-wide marketing strategy which utilizes the already existing SESAs resources in a more coordinated fashion. It could be modeled and expanded upon the Gateway to Work Conference sponsored by ICESA June 1994 workshop on marketing Creating an Employer Targeting Strategy. The strategy once developed would benefit the SESAs and should include technical assistance workshops preparation of samples on press releases brochures audio-visuals direct mail etc. and how to make the most use of radio and television public service announcements MTV speakers bureau etc. in publicizing advertising ES s services to the public. It should be developed and tailored to fit local needs and implemented by the end of FY 95. USDOL is allocating 25 000 for this effort. In the past on the national level there has been a lack of understanding regarding ES mission and role. Among some SESAs there does not appear to be a coherent and clearly defined role for ES in the overall workforce development strategy most of the public relations - marketing of ES is not good at the State and local levels. A lot of good work is not publicized. There -18 is no marketing currently directed at employers. In an atmosphere of declining resources public relations is usually eliminated or cut first. Further the Ketchum study of 1989 documented the need to do a better job of marketing ES services. At the local level there is a need to ensure that all customers can rely upon the ES to provide them with the services they need on a timely basis and have the opportunity to take full advantage of them. 9. Collaboration and Partnerships There is a growing awareness that to be successful collaboration and partnerships are essential at all levels in the ES system. The work group recommends that SESAs develop activities to increase promote a knowledge dialogue of ES and its mission and functions on an on-going basis among the following current and potential customers - Inter-Departmental Agency Commissions USDOL at all levels - Advisory Commissions State Legislators Labor unions Congress Education - The general public employers community based organizations public interest groups stakeholders etc. The work group concluded from its findings that partnerships are fragmented for various reasons such as a lack of incentives political and turf factions etc. There is increasing competition by other agencies organizations to provide services similar to those provided by ES. To continually encourage collaboration and partnerships the work group recommends that USDOL ICESA SESAs jointly collaborate to identify and publish best practices on this subject area for replication by the SESAs. In this regard USDOL should include examples of collaboration and partnership in its follow-up publication to the Leaders of Change Compendium - Successful Workforce Development Projects. -19 10. Labor Management Collaboration An essential component of an effective revitalization of ES is the active participation of front-line workers in the decision making process. There is a growing recognition of the importance of improved labor management relationships and greater employee involvement in the management of an agency. The nature of relationships varies widely across the States from very cooperative and positive to uncooperative and negative. In some States unions are precluded from participation in strategic decision making employee involvement in decision making is rare. The trend toward reinventing government suggests greater need for worker involvement and cooperation. The work group recommends that where there are established labor management relationships the SESAs and unions representing their employees should enter into genuinely collaborative relationships to develop high performance workplaces. Collaboration should include joint development of agency vision and mission statements and strategic plans which are designed to achieve the agency vision and the implementation of high performance work practices which include worker involvement. In sum unions representing SESA workers should be included in all aspects of decision making with regard to the design and implementation of changes in the ES system including the changes described in this work plan. The training needs assessment identified in Subject Area 1. Staff Training - Capacity Development should include training regarding conflict resolution team building and joint training on labor management relationships. The work group further recommends that in those SESAs where there are established labor management relationships symposia on labor management collaboration should be organized to discuss the importance of labor management partnerships in ES. The work group further recommends that recognition of high performance workplaces where there are high levels of union involvement be included in the awards program identified in Subject Area 2. Staff Recognition Activities. The work group recommends that symposia be scheduled for spring 1995. In order to meet this schedule planning should be completed by January 1995. The awards program should be in place by January 1996. -20 The work group expects that implementation of this subject activity will lead to the development of high performance workplaces which will result in increased customer satisfaction improved employee morale and an improved image of ES. This will decrease costs associated with employee turnover labor management conflict and the resulting costs of arbitration and litigation and will provide a framework for expedited resolution of problems. -21