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TAG PLUS "To Sample or Not To Sample -- That Is The Question" To obtain a copy of attachment(s), please contact Deloris Norris of the Office of Regional Management at (202) 219-5585.

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To obtain a copy of attachment(s), please contact Deloris Norris of the Office of Regional Management at (202) 219-5585. Letter from Doug Ross, Assistant Secretary of Labor, inviting participation in the customer service partnership; ETA's proposed approach to customer service entitled,"Partnering for Customer Service"; List of ETA Regional Administrator addresses. ATTACHMENT 1 Dear ETA Partner: The President's Executive Order No. 12862 requires that all Federal agencies publish customer service plans in September, 1994. During the summer, the Vice President's National Performance Review (NPR) staff worked closely with the Department of Labor, and all other Federal agencies, to design the process for developing customer service plans and standards. Customer service plans are strategies for putting the customers' expressed needs and preferences at the center of government operations. The customer service plan also includes published statements of customer service standards -- expectations of service quality and timeliness which customers can expect of us and by which they can measure our performance. NPR staff specified, among other things, that the plans and the customer service standards be in the hands of customers in September. The standards and our approach to the customer service developmental process are published in the attached paper entitled "Partnering for Customer Service". For a very important reason, we have chosen not to unilaterally publish plans for our ultimate customers at this time. As you know, ETA does not have many direct customers. We work through our partners -- State and local governments, non-profit organizations, and many service providers. Since our partners are, admittedly, more knowledgeable of both our customers needs and of the services being provided, we think it is critical that these partners be part of the process to develop and publish plans. In order to meet the spirit of the Executive Order, however, and to show our commitment to the process, we are publishing standards that ETA will meet in being responsive and making prompt grants-related decisions. We will hold ourselves accountable to these standards in improving our responsiveness to you. We expect our standards will change as a result of our consultations with you. However, we will begin to live by these standards in the interim. This paper is our invitation to you to engage in a collaborative process with us for developing plans and standards for customer service for the people who benefit from our various programs. We believe that, in most cases, the best approach is for standards to be developed and published at the State or local level. By using such an approach, it is our intent that local economic factors and other geographical influences be reflected in the decision-making, and the actual deliverers of service be involved in the setting of service standards. Some standards, such as those of courtesy and fair treatment, will always be relevant. Because a significant number of JTPA Title III Pioneer Program sites are already involved in implementing these customer service delivery improvements and measuring customer satisfaction, we will work with many of them to publish plans directed to their ultimate customers, dislocated workers. As part of this effort, a proposed pioneer site pledge card is being developed, a draft of which is attached. While the dislocated worker customer group is but one segment of laid-off worker customers, this pledge card is a good example of the type of customer service standards we hope to develop in concert with you for all of our customer groups. As we consider how to better serve our customers, we are asking you, our partners, to join with us in the government-wide effort to be more responsive to customer needs. We want to hear your reactions to our proposal to jointly set service standards and design and implement plans to improve our partnership. We particularly want to know how you think we might, as a system, focus on the needs of specific customer groups within our currently program oriented delivery system. For example, how would we design youth services or laid-off worker services that take advantage of the possible synergies across program boundaries? So that we can honor our commitments, please give us your feedback by October 21 as noted in the plan. Please be open in your suggestions for operating this partnering effort. Thank you. Doug Ross Employment and Training Administration Partnering for Customer Service The Department of Labor's Goals -- First Jobs, New Jobs, Better Jobs Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich set four goals as his management priorities for the Department of Labor. These goals form the basis of his performance agreement with the President and are directly focused on the economic success of the American worker and the American employer: First Jobs -- Prepare all Americans for good jobs; New Jobs -- Ease the transition of Americans from job to job; Better Jobs -- Create high performance work places; Reinvent the Department of Labor -- to help create first, new and better jobs. Workers and job seekers need information, assistance, and resources whether they are seeking a first job, a new job or a better job. Businesses need people with the skills and ingenuity to master new technologies and respond to a dynamic economy. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is committed to developing a service strategy which focuses on the priority needs and expectations of these customers. We regard our customers as all individuals who need information on or assistance in finding a job, and all employers who need information or assistance in finding qualified workers. This customer focus supports Vice President Gore's recommendations to reinvent government so that it "works better and costs less". ETA has worked with the Vice President's National Performance Review (NPR) in designing elements of this customer service strategy proposal. ETA's Commitment to Customers Our Mission The Employment and Training Administration's mission is to ensure that all Americans have access to the resources they require to successfully manage their job lives, and that U.S. businesses have access to the skilled workers and training resources they need to successfully compete in a global economy. To that end, people should be able to receive quality training and employment services, and have access to good information and useful advice so that they can make sound career and employment decisions. Our Customer Focus Like most federal agencies, ETA's offices are organized around those programs which it has been legislatively authorized to administer. Multiple programs serve and focus on the same customer. Cross-program learning about customer needs and coordinated cross-program action to respond to those needs have not been the norm. If we are to become more adept at understanding our customers' needs and, ultimately, more effective at meeting them, we must, at a minimum, begin to understand how our programmatic activities align and interrelate around specific sets of customers who share a common set of employment and training needs. To more effectively meet these needs, we must move more accountability for fast and creative approaches to solving customer problems to front- line ETA associates. ETA has identified five customer groups which our programs and services target - laid-off workers, youth, marginally attached adult workers, employers and currently employed workers. These customer groups are the initial basis for our establishment of "customer clusters." Working in teams, and with partners and other experts, team members will bring to bear their programmatic or other expertise and perspective to a customer-focussed set of objectives and tasks. The priority customer groups and the nature of the work to be undertaken by the clusters are just beginning to be defined and will benefit from further discussion with our partners. ETA's Commitment to Customer Service ETA's priority goal is to ensure that our customers are provided with the best quality employment and training services available. We seek to accomplish this goal by advocating, supporting and adhering to the following customer service principles; we want to ensure that customers will be: -- provided with timely assistance which minimizes the period of unemployment faced by a job seeker, or the period of diminished productivity faced by an employer needing skilled workers; -- provided with easy access and customer choice in the delivery of a seamless chain of services with high levels of customer satisfaction; -- provided with a full array of services tailored to the needs of the individual workers and job seekers so that they can receive needed assistance to address the employment barriers and skill development needs which they face; -- provided with a full array of services tailored to the needs of employers so that they can receive assistance in finding the skilled workers they seek; -- provided with high quality services that encourage high levels of usage of available assistance; -- benefited by performance measures that are based on the "best-in-business" to ensure that government services are as good as or better than any provided by the private sector. Over time, these principles need to be translated into clear, measurable service expectations that can be understood by each customer and each member of the service delivery chain. ETA's Commitment to a Partnership Approach We believe that our customers can be best served through a collaborative approach between ETA and our partners. We seek to build on the effective partnership relations that already exist and the many on-going customer service activities that have been initiated at the Federal, State and local levels. As partners, we need now to more fully integrate the efforts underway and operate an even more seamless and customer focused system for the delivery of employment and training services. ETA is committed to this partnership approach. Proposal for a Joint Customer Service Strategy ETA proposes that, as partners, we undertake to develop a joint customer service strategy during 1994 and 1995 to increase our ability to provide high quality, responsive services for our customers. Major components of this strategy include: initiating/expanding methods of identifying customer needs, agreeing on a process for developing customer service standards and designing and implementing plans for achieving customer service standards. Identifying Our Customers' Needs To gain a sound understanding of our customers' needs, we need to obtain their assessment of the services we provide and their suggestions for changes or alternatives. Some of the questions to be answered are: What are your needs for services? Which services are most important to you? How well are we responding to your needs? What additional services could we be providing? How satisfied are you with the services you received? Many State and local agencies have separately implemented customer satisfaction surveys and focus group discussions that are providing useful customer service information. We applaud those efforts and urge their continuation on a regular basis to maintain current information on customer expectations and levels of satisfaction. There will be opportunities for combining surveys and other customer feedback mechanisms for greater efficiency and cost effectiveness. Setting and Communicating Customer Service Standards The most effective customer service improvement plans are based upon a clear set of customer service standards that are known and agreed upon by all service delivery partners. The customer service standards which are developed need to be readily understandable to the customer and publicly communicated so that customers will have an objective basis for judging the effectiveness and responsiveness of the assistance they receive. As partners, we need to decide how we develop customer service standards that are benchmarked against the best-in-business; we need to find answers to such questions as: What level of quality services do our customers expect? What standards of performance are the best-in-business organizations achieving? What level of quality service should we aspire to provide as an employment and training system? While ETA has a history of working cooperatively and collaboratively with its State and grantee partners to identify appropriate measures of performance, to date, these measures typically have been legislatively defined as program outcome measures. These measures are valuable and will continue, but they have not, for the most part, been customer oriented. Program standards need to be augmented with a focus on the service expectations of the ultimate customers -- American workers, job seekers and employers. The employment and training system is asking its partners to join in affirming a commitment to establish customer service standards that are relevant and meaningful to customers. Designing and Implementing Customer Service Plans Based on our understanding of the customers' needs and our agreement on the customer service standards to which our customers should hold us accountable, we will be in the best position to develop joint strategies that are effective at increasing the quality and responsiveness of services to each customer group. ETA's efforts to engage our other partners in discussions of the strengths and weaknesses of our current modes of operations, and in identifying improvement strategies will accelerate through 1994 and 1995. The information obtained will be used to inform the system partners at all levels as we develop recommendations for changing operational policies and procedures for more responsive service delivery and quality outcomes for our customer groups. ETA's Commitment to Serving Partners If we are going to work collaboratively to meet the needs of our ultimate customers, ETA recognizes two important responsibilities: 1) that we have an important obligation to treat you, our partners, like customers; and 2) that we have an obligation to support you in serving our ultimate customers. As our partners, you need to know what you can expect from your Federal partner as we work together to build an improved employment and training system for our customers. As part of our partnership-building process, therefore, we envision soliciting what your needs are from us; setting service standards with you and designing and implementing plans to improve our partnership. Our timeframe would be to begin engaging in our partnership building process in October 1994 and having standards completed by April 1995 which will become operational with the beginning of the new Program Year, July 1, 1995. In the interim, we believe it is important that ETA articulate our commitment to serving our partners in two key areas: responsiveness to requests for information and assistance, and grants administration. ETA pledges to our partners that: We will improve the promptness of our response to your requests for information and assistance while maintaining the high quality of those responses. We will make grants-related decisions in compliance with all legislated and regulated timelines 100% of the time. Within 45 days of your funding request, we will notify you of funding decisions for JTPA Title III National Reserve Account grants. Within 30 days of receipt, we will notify you of our decisions on your request for modification of your JTPA Title III National Reserve Account grants. Within 30 days of receipt, we will notify you of decisions on your requests to modify your Indian and Native American, Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker, or Older Worker program grants. We offer these initial standards as evidence of our immediate commitment to respond to your service needs. We are committed to analyzing our own internal processes to insure these standards are met. As we build our partnership together, we expect customer service standards for you, our partners, will increasingly reflect your needs and priorities. Improving Customer Service to Adult Dislocated Workers: An Example As another expression of our commitment to the partnership process to improve customer service, we offer this initial example of partnership collaboration with our State and local partners in the EDWAA "pioneer" customer satisfaction initiative. In 1993, ETA conducted focus groups and surveys of dislocated workers. Overall, the survey results indicated that 57% of the dislocated workers thought that the program services were extremely or very helpful. Also, dislocated workers were much more likely to be satisfied when they received occupational training in addition to job search assistance than when they received job search assistance alone. Based on those findings, in 1994, ETA initiated a collaborative effort with our State and local partners to improve customer satisfaction among dislocated workers. More than 100 agencies have volunteered to become "pioneer" sites. ETA is working with these "pioneer" sites to develop statements of customer service expectations which can be publicly communicated and understood by dislocated workers. A draft "pledge card" is attached. The experience from these sites will be used to further identify the service needs and expectations of this customer group, and effective strategies for meeting these needs and expectations. Summary As the partnership embarks on the development of a customer service strategy, the following summarizes our proposed approach: -- The partnership will put its customers first, measuring its success by the satisfaction of the customer and the value added for that customer. -- Customers should experience a seamless, comprehensive system, not a collection of separate programs or different government offices. -- ETA will improve its responsiveness to its partners' needs to facilitate their meeting the needs of the ultimate customers. -- ETA will work with its partners to define goals and objectives for customer satisfaction, customer service standards, and how to accomplish them. -- Customers will be asked for input regarding their needs, requirements, and satisfaction with services. -- Customer service standards will be our promise to the public, will be published or displayed so customers know what they may expect, and will become part of the system's accountability measures. -- As the partnerships move to design and implement new and revised customer-based performance measures, our primary focus will be on outcomes, but process measures will be retained as needed. Next Steps Following the broad circulation of this proposal to all partners in the system, we will begin to convene meetings with partner representatives to discuss, refine, and amend the proposal and agree on the goals, objectives, and process required to achieve them. Subject to general agreement to pursue this strategic approach, we would propose the following next steps for our partnership: -- Share customer satisfaction results from surveys, focus groups and other evaluation tools; -- Identify best practices to serve as the basis for setting customer service standards; and -- Jointly develop customer service plans which include standards, clear products and time frames. -- Initiate a process for improving our responsiveness to meeting the needs of our partners. Agency Contact In addition to any on going sharing of information between you and ETA offices and clusters, we ask that you provide us with your comments on this proposed customer service plan. If you are a State or local partner, please forward your reactions to this proposal to your ETA Regional Administrator. If you are a national grantee partner or nationally-based interest or advocacy group, please forward your comments to: Pat Carroll Room N5637 200 Constitution Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20210 Telephone: (202) 219-8680 X146 Fax: (202) 219-5455 Please provide any comments or suggestions by October 21, 1994. Thank you. DRAFT Dislocated Worker Pioneer Customer Satisfaction Pledge To Our Customers We Pledge To... 1. Treat you with respect and courtesy 2. Give you the widest possible choice of quality services 3. Get you started on a new career as quickly as possible 4. Be accessible and available to meet your needs 5. Help you find the best job for you Change for Tomorrow ..... (Local pledges here) It is our goal to makes changes to better serve you, our customer, so that you: Examples: 1. Can get service within 24 hours of contacting any office 2. Never have to wait in line . . . . . 3. 4. 5. As Partners All Across the Nation! The job training and placement services we provide come to you as a result of a partnership of the federal, state, and local governments and private industry in your community. We have joined together to become "Pioneers" in making sure that you, our customers, are satisfied beyond your expectations. As Pioneers we have developed a vision of where we want to go, a pledge to our customers, and a commitment among all of the partners. Beginning in July 1994, federal state and local Dislocated Worker Program Pioneers commit their organizations to: 1. Exceed the customer's expectations, the first time and every time; 2. Focus on the customer, deliver quality services, and support innovations that will improve program quality, accessibility, and add value at each step of the process; 3. Become fully informed about the local labor markets to better help both participants and employers; 4. Work together to explore options for developing continuous quality improvement efforts in their service delivery systems; 5. Measure and report the impact of service delivery innovations on customer satisfaction; 6. Measure outcomes of services and be accountable to the customers and community; 7. Share information about, and assist with system wide implementation of, effective customer-focused service delivery improvement strategies and processes; 8. Develop effective partnerships and provide seamless connections with other federal, state and local components of the national reemployment system; 9. Demonstrate a commitment to continuous program improvement in our services; and 10. Use state of the art technology to facilitate quick and easy access to information. Tell Us How We're Doing We are dedicated to continuous improvement of our services. If you have any suggestions about how we can better serve our customers: Call Us Now Locally Response Line (666) 555-1212 National Hotline 1-800-XXX-XXXX (JOB LINE? EDW AA4U?)

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