Frontline Decision Support System: Design and Implementation

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Frontline Decision Support SystemDesign and
Implementation

• Presented to the
• NGA Policy Forum 2001
• December 6, 2001
• Randall Eberts
• W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

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Outline

• Purpose and goals of FDSS
• Management tools
• Operation of FDSS
• Data requirements
• Prototype demonstration
• Implementation

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Challenges of WIA

• Serve large volume of customers
• Provide broader access to services
• Ask staff to perform more functions
• Identify customer needs
• Integrate services
• Emphasize performance outcomes and program
  accountability
• Limited resources

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Research and Front-line Operations

• Challenges of WIA require new and innovative
  tools to help staff be more effective in the
  identification of needs and delivery of services
• Research offers insights into ways to develop
  tools that can assist front-line staff and
  clients to make more informed decisions
  regarding
• Employment prospects
• Skill requirements
• Appropriate services
• Eligibility for services
• FDSS management tools use existing administrative
  data on a real-time basis

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FDSS

• Frontline Decision Support System is a joint
  effort of the USDOL/ETA, Upjohn Institute, and
  two states
• The purpose is to design, develop, and implement
  on a pilot basis management tools that can help
  staff and customers use existing data to make
  more informed decisions regarding services and
  job prospects

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FDSS Tools

• Tools assist one-stop center staff to
• Quickly assess needs of customers
• Target services to meet customers needs
• Deliver services in an effective and efficient
  manner
• And aid customers to
• Quickly and systematically access labor market
  exchange information and services
• Become better informed about job options
• Find better job matches more quickly
• Identify services that best meet their needs
• Determine eligibility for services

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Data

• Wealth of data already collected by state and
  local agencies and DOL/BLS
• Administrative data can be useful beyond
  preparing reports and tracking outcomes

Can be used to directly help customers
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As a case worker I would spend at least 30
minutes with each client inputting information
that I knew was not going to be used to directly
help my client, but only to fill out
reports Now we have an opportunity to use this
information to do a better job helping clients.
Washington State ESD Staff person
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Goals of FDSS

• Promote speedy return to work
• Help individual workers gain productive
  employment
• Help workforce agencies achieve performance
  targets
• Improve cost effectiveness of services
• Integrate tools within existing service delivery
  systems

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Service Flow of One-Stop Centers
Intake
Core Services

• Assessment interviews
• Resume workshop
• Labor market information
• Job interview referral

Referrals
Training Services
Intensive Services
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One-Stop Center Services
Core

• Assessment interviews
• Resume workshop
• Labor market information
• Job interview referral

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One-Stop Center Services

• Intensive

• Individual and group counseling
• Case management

• Aptitude and skill proficiency testing

• Job finding clubs

• Job search plan
• Career planning

• Job search review
• UI eligibility review

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One-Stop Center Services

• Training
• Adult basic skills education
• On-the-job training
• Work experience
• Occupational skills training
• Youth educational achievement services
• Additional support for youth services
• Citizenship skills for youth

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Tools in FDSS

• Systematic Job Search Module
• Chance of returning to same industry and
  occupation
• Estimate likely reemployment earnings
• Scan job prospects
• Identify related occupations
• Provide targeted information about specific jobs
• Service Referral Module
• Rank most effective services
• Indicate typical use

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FDSS Tools
Intake
Core Services
Systematic Search Module

• Review intake info work history

• Estimate chance of returning
• To industry/occupation

• Earnings history estimate

• Search job orders

• Choose related occupations

Referrals
Service Referral Module
Training Services
Intensive Services
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Program Eligibility

• Provide initial assessment of eligibility for
  programs offered by required partners at One-Stop
  Centers
• Unemployment Insurance
• Employment Service
• Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth Training
• Welfare-to-Work
• Veterans Employment and Training Programs
• Others within and outside of one-stops

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FDSS Tools

• Tools are customized to reflect an individuals
  needs and propensities
• Based on the experience of people who have
  similar characteristics and similar histories of
  program participation and work
• Tools relate outcomes to personal characteristics
  and other factors

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Data Sources

• UI wage records

Employment/earnings history

• Program records
• ES, UI, JTPA/WIA
• WtW

Worker/client characteristics Program
participation Employment history

• Labor Market
• Information

Local unemployment rates Occupation/industry
projections Related/transferable occupations
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Available Data
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Systematic Job Search Module

• Chance of returning to same industry and
  occupation
• Estimate likely employment earnings
• Scan job prospects
• Identify related occupations

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Job Prospects and Earnings

• Relates job outcomes to
• Education
• Dislocated worker status
• Disadvantaged worker status
• Age
• Prior occupation and industry
• Work history
• Military service
• Barriers to employment (eg., transportation, etc)
• Local labor market conditions

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Returning to Same Industry
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Predicted Earnings
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Prototype Demonstration

• Systematic Job Search Module
• Chance of returning to same industry and
  occupation
• Expected job growth in prior occupation
• Estimate likely employment earnings
• Explore What if scenarios
• Scan job prospects
• Identify related occupations and continue search

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The Frontline Decision Support System   The
Frontline Decision Support System (FDSS) is an
internet based system designed to help front line
staff in Georgia Career Centers assist job
seekers in finding jobs and in referring them to
employment services. These administrative tools
take into account current labor market conditions
and the specific attributes of each customer, and
they are based on the experience of customers who
have recently used the Georgia Workforce System.
This page for FDSS is divided into five screens.
Click on the title of any screen to go to that
screen.   Job Seeker Background Information -
This screen displays information relevant to job
search which was provided by the customer when he
or she registered with the employment service
and/or applied for unemployment insurance (UI)
benefits. Collected together this information
provides an indication of a job seekers readiness
for work. This information is used in other
screens on the FDSS page to provide guidance for
job search and choice among services available in
Georgia Career Centers.   Reemployment and
Earnings Estimates - For each customer, this
screen of FDSS provides a customized assessment
of their prospects for returning to work in their
prior industry, likely job growth in their prior
occupation, and an estimate of the earnings they
are likely to receive after reemployment.
  Systematic Job Search This screen of FDSS
can be used to guide the customer through a
systematic job search procedure in which only the
most relevant job vacancies are considered based
on the reemployment and earnings estimates for
that individual.   Service Referral - For each
job seeker, this screen of FDSS provides a
customized list of core and intensive employment
services that have been shown to be most
effective in helping participants with that
persons specific attributes find and retain
jobs.   What if Scenarios - The FDSS permits
reexamination of reemployment and earnings
estimates for alternative job seeker
characteristics. Various what if scenarios may
be produced by changing the values for specific
elements of background information for a job
seeker. Data for the What if Scenarios is
entered on the Reemployment and Earnings
Estimates screen.    
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Job Seeker Background Information
Information on this screen should be checked by
accuracy and completeness. Any fields may be
revised for used during the current FDSS session.
These changes will not be permanently changed in
the master files.
To begin, enter client ID number ________ Age
__________
Veteran _____
Highest level of
schooling _____ Currently in school
_________ Currently employed _____
Currently receiving UI ______ Currently
awaiting job recall ______ Dislocated
Worker _________ Economically disadvantaged
_____ Current TANF assistance ____ Weeks
drawn in previous UI ______ Exhausted prior
year UI _____ Drivers license _____
Shift availability
___________ Desired Hourly wage _______
Information about your most recent
job Occupation ___________________
Industry ___________________ Hourly wage rate
_______________ Months on the job
___________ Earnings History Qtr 1_______ Qtr
2 _______ Qtr 3 ______Qtr 4 _____
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Reemployment and Earnings Estimates
Probability of Returning to work within your
industry Based on the reemployment patterns of
others in your area of ____ with a background
similar to yours, your chance of returning to
work in your prior industry is ____
Expected Job Growth Rate in Your Prior
Occupation Over the next 5 years employment in
your occupation of ____ within your area of ____
is expected to grow by ____ per year.
Likely Reemployment Earnings Individuals with
a background similar to yours, who found
reemployment, had earnings in the following
range The top 75 had earnings above 12.78
per hour The top 50 had earnings above 10.65
per hour The top 25 had earnings above 8.51
per hour
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Systematic Job Search
To search for current job listings in your prior
occupation of ______ in a selected geographic
area of Athens Georgia at or above a wage level
set as 10.65.
CLICK HERE
To list the five occupations most closely related
to your prior occupation of ___
CLICK HERE
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Systematic Job Search
Here is the information about the occupations
most closely related to your prior occupation of
_____ in a selected geographic area of Georgia
_____.
Approx. Starting Hourly Wage
Growth Rate
Job Listings
Related Occupations
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
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Systematic Job Search
JOB SEARCH RESULT Here is the information about
jobs in your prior occupation of ________ in a
selected geographic area of Georgia _____ for
hourly wages above _____.
Approx. Starting Hourly Wage
JOB POSTINGS
To view a list of related occupations
Click Here
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Service/Program Eligibility
This screen indicates the likelihood that you are
eligible for various state and federal programs,
based on information you supplied when
registering with the employment service and/or
applying for UI benefits and based on additional
information asked for on this screen.
You supplied the following the information when
registering for other programs. Please check the
information to see if it is accurate and current.
Age __________
Veteran _____
Highest level of
schooling _____ Currently in school
_________ Currently employed _____
Currently receiving UI ______ Currently
awaiting job recall ______ Dislocated
Worker _________ Economically disadvantaged
_____ Current TANF assistance ____
Please supply the following information Annual
income_______________ Number of dependents
________ Do you own a car _____________
Click Here for programs that you are likely to
be eligible for
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List of Programs that you may be eligible for
For more information and eligibility requirements
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
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Service Referral Algorithm

• Provides a customized list of core and intensive
  employment services that have been shown to be
  most effective in helping participants with
  similar characteristics find and retain jobs
• Based on information about the characteristics
  and outcomes of recent participants in programs

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Service Referral

• Two basic components
• Estimate likelihood of finding a job (needs
  assessment)
• Ranking of services that lead to successful
  outcomes for individuals with specific measurable
  characteristics

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Four Step Process

• An employability score is computed and assigned
  to each participant
• The employability score identifies individuals
  according to their propensity to find a job
• The score is divided into quintiles
• The relative effectiveness of each service
  (relative to job referrals) is computed for
  clients within each quintile and client type
• The top five services with respect to
  effectiveness in assisting the client in finding
  a job are displayed
• For each of the top services, the percentage of
  clients within each quintile is also displayed

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Characteristics by Quintiles
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Top Five Services
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Service Referral
The following is a list of the top five core and
intensive employment services available at a
Georgia Career Center that have been shown to be
most effective for helping clients with your
background. This list is intended to help you
and your counselor determine the most appropriate
services to meet your needs. There is no
guarantee that the services are available or that
they will lead to a job.
Percent Using Service
More Information
Service
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
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Frontline Decision Support SystemDesign and
Implementation

• Randall Eberts
• W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research