NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Team Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board System Indicators

[30 Pa.B. 4358]

   The Performance Evaluation Sub-committee (Committee) of the Team Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board (Team PA WIB) is proposing the following system indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of Pennsylvania's workforce investment system in serving the needs of its customers. These system-wide indicators are based on the four principles of universality, customer choice, integrated systems and results-based accountability.

   The Committee welcomes public comment regarding these indicators. Please forward comments to David Pistner, Team PA WIB, 901 North Seventh Street, # 103, Harrisburg, PA 17102 or by electronic mail to dpistner@state.pa.us by September 1, 2000. Comments will be aggregated, discussed by the Committee, and incorporated into the system indicators. Revised indicators will be presented to the Team PA WIB at its September 28, 2000 meeting for approval.

Indicators

   Five system indicators recommended by the Committee measure workforce investment from an overall system perspective. These system indicators are in addition to the Federally mandated, program specific performance measures. The indicators are designed to:

   *  Track the number of employers using the Commonwealth's workforce investment system

   *  Track the number of jobseekers being served by the Commonwealth's workforce investment system

   *  Gauge the effectiveness of career development and training services for jobseekers

   *  Illustrate the efficiency in which job orders are filled through the CareerLink System

   *  Monitor the pay level of jobs being posted in the system and/or the wages of individuals being placed via the system

Issues

   Several issues arose during the discussions that led to the development of the system indicators. In general, the issues could be categorized as follows:

A)  Incentives/Sanctions

   There were serious concerns about what role the system indicators would play in distributing any earned incentives or levying sanctions. Majority consensus on the indicators was achieved when discussions regarding incentives and sanctions were eliminated from the Committee's agenda. At a later date, the Committee will consider incentives and/or sanctions. The Committee suggests that data regarding the system be collected and evaluated before a decision is made as to whether or not incentives or sanctions are applied to the indicators.

B)  Manipulating the System

   Throughout the course of discussion, many felt that the indicators may lead some workforce partners to try and manipulate the system to achieve high marks. It was felt that this activity, known as ''creaming,'' would lead to discrimination against various customers and failure to meet the overriding objectives of the WIA. However, the composition of the indicators may help deter this practice, as creaming in one area would lead to poor results in others. In addition, some of the Federally mandated performance measures would be impacted as a result.

C)  Data Collection

   In developing the system indicators, the Committee only considered those indicators that could be calculated from data collected through the CareerLink system or other available data sources. Concerns were raised that not all workforce partners are reporting through the CareerLink system; therefore, some data may not be available. Although the Committee recognized that the CareerLink system is still in its infancy and some partners are not yet connected to it, the Committee felt that system indicators should be designed based on the planned system.

Team Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board
System Indicators

Indicator #1:  Percent of Employers Using WIB Services

Formula:	# of employers active with WIB and WIB related services __________ universe of PA employers covered by unemployment compensation
Definitions:	active--posting jobs, using other CareerLink services, and/or participating in training WIB-related service--any service/program that a WIB can take action on (including but not limited to: evaluation of training programs, employer services through the CareerLink system)

Indicator #2:  Percent of Individuals Using WIB Services

Formula:	# of individuals active with WIB and WIB related services __________ Statewide civilian labor force
Definitions:	individuals--including but not limited to youth (14 +), unemployed, underemployed, older workers active--any CareerLink service including but not limited to: core, intensive, training, vocational rehabilitation, adult basic literacy WIB-related service--any service/program that a WIB can take action on (jobseeker and youth related services through the CareerLink system)

Indicator #3:  Percent of Jobseekers who receive intensive or training services and obtain employment

Formula:

# of job seekers who enter the system and receive services beyond core (job training, literacy, support services such as child care, transportation, medical, and the like) and obtain employment __________ # of individuals active with WIB and WIB related services

Indicator #4:  Median Cycle Time to Fill a Job

Formula:	Clock starts with the posting of a job (part or full-time) by an employer that elected to use the CareerLink pre-screening process (that is, employer is assisted by CareerLink staff in posting a job).
	Clock stops when the employer indicates that the job has been filled by a CareerLink related referral.

   Note:  The Committee recognizes that there is a potential for CareerLink staff to serve individuals with the greatest potential of securing employment at the expense of individuals in need of additional services (that is, ''creaming''). The Committee believes that System Indicator # 3 will serve as a deterrent for this nonproductive behavior.

Indicator #5:  A)  Listing of Jobs, by Range, Greater than the Lowest 10% of Wages Statewide.

or

B) Percent of Individuals that Entered Employment in Jobs with Wages Greater than the Lowest 10% of Wages Statewide.

   Concerns:  Indicators #5 A and #5 B may reward behavior that discourages employers from posting entry-level or part-time jobs or the placement of individuals in these positions.

   Without Indicator #5B, there is minimal engagement of economic development.

   Note:  The Committee has debated the appropriateness of System Indicator # 5 A) {vs.} and #5 B) at length and a resolution has not been reached. The Committee is interested in hearing feedback from the public before making a final recommendation to the Team Pennsylvania WIB.

SAMUEL A. MCCULLOUGH,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 00-1423. Filed for public inspection August 18, 2000, 9:00 a.m.]

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