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4/5/06 Page 1 of 15 Narrative Description of Functional Alignment Plan Cayuga-Cortland LWIA 1. Describe the current level of WIA Title IB and Wagner-Peyser service integration in your One-Stop Centers and local system. Current level of WIA Title IB and Wagner-Peyser Service integration. Both of our One-Stop Career Centers in Cortland and Auburn were designed with functional alignment and Service Integration in mind. Staff is located in each Center by function rather than funding source. All staff wear a Career Center nametag that just has the Center name, logo, and first name of the staff person whether they are from Wagner-Peyser, WIA or another partner agency. This helps to unify the Centers and gives them a single identity in the community. The current level of service integration is as follows: a. Greeter Services WIA staff, Experience Works, Wagner-Peyser, and Title V program participants staff this function, which routinely greets all customers coming in, or calling the Center(s). Functions Greet customer Determines purpose of contact/visit Explore registration status Check OSOS to validate registration status Provide initial orientation to Center services Provides a brief tour of the Center as needed Refers to appropriate service Has swipe card capabilities (to prepare card for a new customer or swipes card for return visits). b. System Customer Flow See the Central-Mohawk Valley Regional System Customer Flow Chart below that utilizes WIA, Wagner-Peyser, and staff from all on site partner agencies. Our LWIA worked with a facilitator (Mary Ann Lawrence from Center for Workforce Learning) on 2/28/06 and 3/1/06 to develop a system customer flow for our area. A Regional Wagner-Peyser staff representative participated in one of the days of training and recommended to the Wagner- Peyser Regional Administrator that we may want to pursue a regional approach to System Customer Flow. Subsequent meetings were held with the ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 2 of 15 facilitator and the five workforce areas comprising the region. Using the Cayuga-Cortland model together with the Common Measures TEGL we achieved a regional System Customer Flow that was reflective of the work we were doing in our Centers and one that was in compliance with the TEGL. On April 10, 2006 the flowchart and guiding principles were rolled out to the ES Managers, One-Stop Managers, E&T Directors, and other key regional staff at a meeting in Utica hosted by Kelli Owens the Regional Administrator for the Central-Mohawk Valley Region and facilitated by Mary Ann Lawrence of the Center for Workforce Learning. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 3 of 15 ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 4 of 15 c. Business Services The LWIA put together fully integrated Business Services Teams in October of 2004. However, Wagner-Peyser staff turnover and reductions in WIA and Wagner-Peyser funding resulted in a loss of focus and priority for the teams. To re-focus the teams we recently utilized State Technical Assistance funds to bring in a consultant to re-engineer the teams and to help them develop a renewed sense of importance and purpose. On February 28, 2006 and March 1, 2006 the teams in Cayuga-Cortland met with a consultant and created a new business plan which is now being implemented in our two-county area as follows: Formation of a Local Business Services Advisory Team comprised of stakeholders with rotational leadership quarterly. - Leaders will be selected among team members. - Leaders will call meetings, develop agenda, and chair meetings. - In charge of reporting stats. - Invite economic development and education to participate. Form a Local Business Services Partnership Forum comprised of any partner that wants to participate and chaired by the Advisory Team Leader. - Hold discussion forums quarterly. - Be as inclusive as possible and focus agenda on specific issues of interest community wide. Local Business Services Advisory Team shall: - Identify reporting areas including market penetration and loyal customer rates. - Establish ground rules for the team. - Find out what partner agencies need to regard to tracking and outcomes. - Gather data on market penetration and loyal customer rates. - Recommend draft changes to Workforce Board Resolution on the formation and roles/responsibilities of the Local Business Services Advisory Team. - Identify industries/businesses to target as a priority in the community. Make sure you have existing customers as well as new customers. - Conduct customer surveys interviews, focus groups to get feedback on what business needs and expects. - Identify team members who will make contact with targeted businesses. - Establish a framework for creating a business Profile for each contact. - Add standard information to comment section in OSOS that will provide more consistent and more effective screening information. - Request OSOS be updated to include more fields to establish a comprehensive business profile record. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 5 of 15 - Create a Speakers Bureau for marketing. - Have a consistent brochure/brand for marketing. Cortland Core Team: - Inaugural Team Leader: Robin - Core: Local Business Services Team (one from each entity): Wagner-Peyser WIA BOCES VESID TC-3 Employment Connection HS - Personnel Services Economic Development Auburn Core Team: - Inaugural Team Leader: Ann - Core: Local Business Services Team (one from each entity): Wagner-Peyser WIA BOCES VESID Economic Development Seneca-Cayuga ARC General Business Services Team Flow Business will enter the system in a variety of ways including recruitment and self-initiated methods and techniques. The Business Services Team will establish an integrated approach to marketing and recruitment. Joint reporting will allow for shared results. Business Profiles will provide an opportunity for more successful screenings/referrals/placements, which should result in greater job seeker performance results. d. Resume Preparation For both of our Career, Centers, assistance with resume preparation begins in the Resource room. In one Center partner agency staff including WIA, Wagner-Peyser, etc…either sign up for a shift or rotate turns based on who is available to assist customers with preparing a successful resume on the computer. Customers who still experience difficulty are offered attendance at a free workshop on "Resume Preparation" and those who still exhibit problems following the workshop are scheduled for a more personal one-on- ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 6 of 15 one appointment with a client representative from WIA, Wagner-Peyser, or other partner agencies e.g. Experience Works, J.M. Murray Center, Unity House, etc. In addition to helping individuals complete a successful resume, this integrated service also functions to help monitor the activities of the Resource Room ensuring the activities customers are engaged in are appropriate job seeking/keeping activities. e. Match and Refer Activities In general, WIA, Wagner-Peyser or other partner agency staff who have OSOS access take a job order, input the data into OSOS and complete the activity by matching customers who would be appropriate for the job. Next they send letters to qualified candidates to notify them of the job opening(s) and to provide them with information regarding how to apply. f. Core Services Core Services have always been fully integrated in our Centers particularly among WIA, Wagner-Peyser, Experience Works, and the DPN's, Unity House (Auburn), and the Employment Connection (Cortland). New customers to the Centers are seen on a rotating basis by staff of the above agencies who provide all of the core services as needed including: Intake; Orientation to One-Stop Services WIA Title I eligibility determination Initial assessment of skills levels, aptitudes, and abilities Job search and placement assistance Career counseling Provision of local and regional labor market and performance information and Job vacancy listing. g. Reemployment Services Orientation (RSO) Wagner-Peyser staff at both Cayuga Works Career Center and Cortland Works Career Center use an automated weekly download of new Unemployment Insurance (UI), customers, and conduct Reemployment Services Orientation. All UI customers are informed of and encouraged to utilize all services offered in the Career Centers. These services include job search and placement assistance, job matching, workshops, Labor Market Information, resume preparation/critiquing, and staff assistance in the use of the Resource Room information/tools. All UI customers are registered in the One-Stop Operating System so that services and referrals may be tracked. Referrals to other One-Stop System partners are also made. WIA staff or other partner agency staff such as the DPN's, Youth Specialists, etc…also attend a portion of the session on a rotating basis to talk about the Center and to reinforce the benefits to be gained by utilizing available services. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 7 of 15 h. OSOS (Computerized Participant Tracking System) All Center staff are trained on OSOS. As new partners move to the Centers, OSOS training is arranged. The system is used to maintain customer (Job Seeker and Business) data and as a means of communicating services provided to the customer that can be seen and added to by all the agencies working with the customer (e.g. WIA, Wagner-Peyser, Experience Works, DPN's, Unity House, Employment Connection, etc…). These efforts save staff time as they can quickly ascertain the customer's current status, add activities or complete activities as appropriate without duplicating efforts. i. Rapid Response WIA/Wagner-Peyser and partner agency staff share responsibility for Rapid Response activities for the purpose of cooperatively developing a reemployment services strategy on behalf of the affected workers. A team approach is used and emphasis is placed on early intervention. Activities include: The Director of the Dislocated Worker Assistance Center (located in Utica) makes the initial contact with the affected employer's Human Resources Representative for the purpose of conducting reemployment services fact gathering and preliminary planning session to identify needed services. Outcomes of the session are shared immediately with WIB Director, ES Manager, and One-Stop Manager. A Reemployment services strategy is cooperatively developed by WIA/Wagner-Peyser staff. A team of early intervention community partner agencies is formed to begin response. Sessions scheduled. Packet of handouts jointly prepared for affected workers by WIA/Wagner- Peyser and other partner agencies as appropriate. Reemployment sessions conducted. WIA/Wagner-Peyser and partner agency staff begin providing services. WIA/Wagner-Peyser staff count affected workers as participants in programs and follow them through to conclusion or exit. j. Trade Act Trade Act services have been one of our programs with the longest longevity of being full integrated with WIA and Wagner-Peyser. All Trade Act participants are dual participants in both Trade Act and the WIA Dislocated Worker Program. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 8 of 15 As you can see from the above a high level of coordination and integration already exists with our Wagner-Peyser, WIA, and partner agency staff in both of our One-Stop Career Centers. The Center Management staff, Consortium, and WIB continue to look for ways to increase efficiencies and work toward full integration of all the resources available to the system. We have recently worked with a consultant to explore further integration possibilities. The result of this effort was the Central-Mohawk Valley Regional System Flow Chart which has given us an action plan to further integrate processes and find better ways of working together. The end result of these activities will be increased efficiencies; increases in the number of customers served by the system; and better customer service and program results. 2. What goals does the local area seek to achieve through this functional alignment plan? The Central/Mohawk Valley Regional WIA/ES goals include: A common customer flow for all customers guided by the Common Measures TEGL. See attached Central-Mohawk Valley Regional Customer Flow Chart. The One-Stop and therefore all staff assigned to work there will adopt the quality standards as outlined by NYSDOL in "Evaluation Tool for Standards Related to One Stop Facilities and Use of Space" issued in January 2006 (Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management). Customers will receive prompt, uniform, high quality service. Customers will receive an individual assessment (to include: Job Zone, Workkeys, etc. but not limited to TABE) and must include a "next step" plan. Identified customers will receive career advisement. All staff in the One-Stop will be organized by functional service delivery that puts customer needs first. All business services will be organized and delivered based on targeted industry clusters and identified HR challenges. All services will result in a shared outcomes. All staff will be skilled and credentialed. a. How will the local system move beyond co-location of staff at One- Stop Centers to achieve even greater functional alignment of WIA Title IB and Wagner-Peyser program services? Functional alignment plans must include areas such as: Shared customer pool as defined in the Common measures TEGL See attached Central-Mohawk Valley Regional System customer flow chart. Shared Customer pool is in place and occurs at data entry for both the Self-Directed Track and Staff Assisted Track. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 9 of 15 Single customer flow as guided by the Common Measures TEGL See attached Central-Mohawk Valley Regional System Customer Flow Chart. Capacity building of staff Our LWIA takes every advantage for staff training from budgeting for staff training, taking advantage of the Technical Assistance grants, and national facilitators available at the State level, to writing capacity building into grants and conducting on site inter-agency training. Identification of the functional service units necessary for an effective local employment and training One-Stop Center. Functional service units went into being from the moment we opened our Centers. Functional Service Units include: Greeter/Front Door; Resource Room/Resource Library, Computer Lab; Business Services and client reps (counseling) team. New units may be identified as we move forward with functional alignment. Functional leadership and Supervision. Functional leadership and Supervision was just accomplished in March of 2006 when the ES Regional Administrator announced integrated service delivery and functional alignment to the DOL and WIA staff of the Cortland Center. The announcement outlined how the traditional ES workflow would change for that center, indicating DOL staff would now receive instructions and work assignments from the new WIA One-Stop Manager regarding day-to-day duties and functions in the Center. Leave requests would be coordinated between the One- Stop Manager and the ES Manager. Contractually regulated items such as time record approval, performance evaluations, counseling, and disciplinary actions will continue to be performed by DOL. The Auburn Center was already operating pretty effectively in these areas. Joint business service strategies Already in place, but being refined and rejuvenated with the help of a facilitator under the Statewide Technical Assistance Grant. In addition, the Region is exploring a more regional approach to Business Services. Technology to streamline services ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 10 of 15 Our area has designed a new interactive web site, which provides a wide variety of information for Center users as well as those accessing or using the system from their home or place of business. The area is also looking into spider software for job listings. We are also working on the development of an on-line database of company contacts, including hiring needs, training needs of area businesses. This database will be developed by the Business Services Team and will be available to all partner agencies. Data management (One-Stop Operating System) Fully operational between WIA/Wagner-Peyser. Select other partners also have the functional ability to use OSOS. Performance management (common measures) The area and region are actively working to effectively implement Common Measures. Our region is fully represented on the statewide Common Measures workgroup. In addition, performance measurement and the Common Measures TEGL have been an ongoing topic of discussion, reference, and use in our WIB Director/DOL Regional Administrator meetings. Frontline staff have also been addressing Common Measures at their interagency team meetings. In particular the new System Customer Flow for our region has been guided by the Common Measures TEGL. Increased Service levels Plans to capture more participants in the Centers are being implemented daily. Our LWIA has two staff participating on the Statewide Common Measures Workgroup and front line staff of both Centers are participating on the Regional functional alignment work team which also addresses common measures. Recommendations from those groups are being introduced into daily operations. All Center staff are now keenly aware of the Common Measures TEGL and its broader definition of "participant." Service levels are increasing by capturing more Wagner-Peyser Participants due to better documentation of activities utilized by customers (e.g. Resource Room). Service delivery designed from a customer perspective Our two One-Stop Career Centers and services were designed around customer needs. Outstanding customer service has always been an important benchmark for our LWIA. Each customer when greeted is ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 11 of 15 to be asked, "How can I help you today?" We are striving for Centers where all staff can answer client questions and "Just in time" services can be provided. All staff are reminded to consider how they would like, or expect, to be treated if they were in need of help finding a job, accessing training opportunities, or other services. Similarly we have heard the Business Community requests for one phone number and one contact at the Centers. To meet this request, all business calls are received by the One-Stop Manager in each of our Centers. Our regularly scheduled Consortium meeting addresses Customer (Job Seeker and Businesses) Satisfaction issues with the Centers. It should also be noted our Customer Satisfaction level remains very high at above a 90% level. We believe it remains high partly due to our willingness to consider and address the comments we receive. b. How will the planned WIA Title IB and Wagner-Peyser service integration help to increase the number of customers that can be served and improve the quality of services provided in your local system? Service integration has already helped to increase the number of customers served by having staff meet and consider the contents of the Common Measure TEGL and make corresponding changes in how we define a participant, and when we count them toward participation and exit them. When our two Centers were designed we planned for integrated staff and services. What we are really doing now is fine-tuning how we work with all of our partner agencies. One thing of value in service integration is considering what services each agency does best to maximize the benefit to our customers and avoid duplication of effort. This results in better referrals, more satisfied customers and it also means that staff do not have to become proficient in providing every possible service. We need to get better about knowing our partner agencies case loads, performance measures, and the services they provide. As we work to understand more about what all of our partners actually do with their caseloads we can make better referrals throughout the Centers and keep customers active and working their plan through to the desired goal of entered employment. WIA/ES have been cross trained for a number of years now in our Centers providing such services as workshops, business services, resume assistance, match & refer services and utilizing OSOS to track program participation. What we need to do now is to be more inclusive of the services and referrals of our partner agencies to make sure those clients and services are properly documented and reported. This will keep clients active within the system and make our Centers truly functionally aligned. This will result in a WIN-WIN situation for customers and funding sources alike. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 12 of 15 c. In analyzing the resources available to operate the local One-Stop Centers after July 1, 2006, and the cost to maintain the current operations of the local One-Stop Centers, is there a gap? If there is a gap, how will your planned functional alignment of WIA Title IB and Wagner-Peyser resources and services help to close this gap? Staff are still analyzing the resources; however, with an average loss of 25.8 percent of our WIA funding and projected corresponding loss of Wagner-Peyser funds we do anticipate a gap. A number of options are being considered to mitigate the losses including: WIA/ES staff reductions and staff changes; asking the counties to provide some WIB and E&T staff and overhead costs in-kind for this year, and reducing all non-essential expenses to the lowest level possible. Functional alignment is helping by having the Counties, the WIB and the Centers review the mandates, systems and staffing to identify areas of duplication and making decisions as to how to make appropriate reductions to close the gap. 3. What new unified policies and procedures and/or changes to existing policies and procedures need to be put in place by the Local Board and Chief Local Elected official(s) to support the local/regional functional alignment plans and goals? The Board needs to prepare a new One-Stop Operator Agreement between the WIB and One-Stop Operator Consortium to officially designate the new One-Stop Manager for our Cortland Center. We also need to prepare a One-Stop Manager job description to outline the roles and responsibilities of this important position in our system. Existing policies and procedures will be reviewed by the WIB Planning and Operations Committee to see if other changes are warranted in light of our reduced funding i.e. ITA Policy, participant support policies, etc… 4. How will the Local Board strengthen the authority and accountability of its One-Stop Operator(s) to help achieve WIA Title IB and Wagner-Peyser resource and service integration? What revisions will need to be made to the One-Stop Operator Agreement(s) and system level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)? See above for planned changes to the One-Stop Operator Agreement. At the present time we are anticipating the changes to the Memorandum of Understanding Cost Allocation subpart to make it more reflective of the actual workload and responsibilities of these functions. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 13 of 15 5. What changes will occur based on the implementation of the new Common Measures to support greater resource and service integration? Beginning July 1, 2006, Wagner-Peyser and WIA will be operating from the same Common Measure definitions for performance accountability for their programs, which will break down the barriers to integration that have previously resulted from each program operating from different definitions. We have developed a single uniform System Customer Flowchart to accommodate customers entering the system. The flowchart clearly identifies when customers become participants and enter the customer pool for both programs (WIA and Wagner-Peyser) and when they count towards performance or enter the performance pools for each program. Standardizing this process will result in increased participation in both programs. It will also serve to organize staff and facilities to streamline customer service delivery and capitalize on the of both, WIA and Wagner-Peyser staff. Requirements for Eligibility and Data Element Validation have been revised and streamlined to allow for the use of State management information systems to capture appropriate source documentation (electronically). This will minimize the burden on the staff of both programs to obtain and maintain paper source documentation. It will also make the data validation for both programs the same. In the past WIA staff have been over burdened by having to collect and retain copies of original source documents when Wagner-Peyser staff were allowed to use customer self attestation as their primary source of validation. This inconsistent practice resulted in lower participation in the WIA program. Greater efficiency. Increased participation in programs. Better program outcomes. More satisfied customers. 6. If the local area is exploring a regional strategy beyond the boundaries of the current LWIA to align the provision of services with other adjoining local areas or units of government, provide an update on any discussions held and next steps being planned. If the LWIB, in concert with the Chief Elected Official(s), seeks to merge with another workforce area or unit of government, refer to Attachments F and G for information on the process and form for requesting re-designation. The area will continue to explore regional strategies where it makes sense to partner with other adjoining areas or units of government, particularly in areas of economic development or staff development initiatives. For example the Central- Mohawk Valley Region WIB Directors and ES Regional Administrator have been meeting on a number of topics related to functional alignment and service integration and they have been very productive meetings. The region intends to continue to meet around these issues to achieve full implementation of functional ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 14 of 15 alignment by the July 1, 2006 deadline. The LWIA is not seeking to merge with another workforce area at this time. Timetable For Planned Action Cayuga-Cortland LWIA Expected Completion Actions 4/06 - Locate the new customer flowchart in common areas of the One-Stop Career Centers for staff to begin using and discussing. 5/06 - Complete the four remaining customer flowcharts assigned to our area (Fax ---PAGE BREAK--- 4/5/06 Page 15 of 15 Access, Counseling, Training, and RSO Orientation. - Implement the New Business Services Plan in the LWIA. - Identify available assessment tools for use beyond the TABE. 6/06 - Identify the specific staff doing the work in each of the boxes on the flowcharts and identify the accepted standards for the completion of the action steps. - Select and procure new assessment tools. - Prepare and engage frontline staff by arranging cross training in the following areas: Customer Flow Common Measures WIA Title I Eligibility Reemployment Services Orientation Proper use of Assessment Tools OSOS Modifications ISS Preparation - Revise Consortium Agreement. - Develop a One-Stop Manager functional job description. 7/06 - Develop a general PowerPoint orientation of our Centers and Services - Develop a Common Business Profile. - Begin Development of PY'06 MOU/CAP. 8/06 - Research 501 C-3 options. - Review Cortland Lease Agreement, which is scheduled to end 8/07. 9/06 - Develop new marketing and promotional materials for the Business Service Teams that delivers a common message about the system.