Narrative: III. a. 1.

The roles and responsibilities of the Arkansas Workforce Development Board (AWDB) were established under Arkansas Act 907 of 2015 and WIOA Section 101(d). The AWDB has policymaking and oversight responsibilities for the Arkansas Workforce Development system. Additionally, Arkansas Act 907 of 2015 gives the AWDB responsibility for oversight of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

The AWDB operates under a committee structure of four standing committees, which include the Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Program and Performance Evaluation Committee, and TANF Oversight Committee.

The board and committees meet quarterly and may call special meetings as necessary. Each of the statutory roles and responsibilities outlined in WIOA Section 101(d) and A.C.A. §15-4-3706 have been assigned to the committee which best fits the function of the role or task. The chairs of the standing committees report to the full board at each quarterly meeting their activities and progress in accomplishing their goals.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be formed and meet as needed between the quarterly board meetings at the call of the chair of the executive committee or upon the request of seventy-five percent (75%) of the executive committee members.  

The Executive Committee shall have the authority of the Board to act during the interim between Board meetings but shalldefer tothe Board, whenever practical, action on matters of major policy implications. 

Strategic Planning Committee

The Strategic Planning Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to the Board to carry out the following functions:

• The development, implementation, and modification of the state workforce development plan
• The review of statewide policies, of statewide programs, and of recommendations on actions that should be taken by the state to align workforce development programs in the state in a manner that supports a comprehensive and streamlined workforce development system in the state, including the review and provision of comments on the state plan, if any, for programs and activities of one-stop partners that are not core programs;
• The development and continuous improvement of the workforce development system in the state, including:
• The development of strategies to support staff training and awareness across programs supported under the workforce development system;
• The development and review of statewide policies affecting the coordinated provision of services through the state’s one-stop delivery system, including the development of—
• The development of strategies for technological improvements to facilitate access to, and improve the quality of, services and activities provided through the one-stop delivery system, including such improvements to:
• Enhance digital literacy skills;
• Accelerate the acquisition of skills and recognized postsecondary credentials by participants;
• Strengthen the professional development of providers and workforce professionals; and
• Ensure such technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals residing in remote areas;
• The development of allocation formulas for the distribution of funds for employment and training activities for adults, and youth workforce investment activities, to local areas. 

Program and Performance Evaluation Committee 

The Program and Performance Evaluation Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to the Board to carry out the following functions:

• The continuous improvement of the one-stop delivery system in local areas, including providing assistance to local boards, one-stop operators, one-stop partners, and providers with planning and delivering services, including training services and supportive services, to support effective delivery of services to workers, jobseekers, and employers; 
• The development and updating of comprehensive state performance accountability measures, including state adjusted levels of performance, to assess the effectiveness of the core programs in the state;
• The identification and dissemination of information on best practices
• including best practices for:
  • The effective operation of one-stop centers, relating to the use of business outreach, partnerships, and service delivery strategies, including strategies for serving individuals with barriers to employment;
  • The development of effective local boards, which may include information on factors that contribute to enabling local boards to exceed negotiated local levels of performance, sustain fiscal integrity, and achieve other measures of effectiveness; and
  • Effective training programs that respond to real time labor market analysis, that effectively use direct assessment and prior learning assessment to measure an individual’s prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences, and that evaluate such skills, and competencies for adaptability, to support efficient placement into employment or career pathways;
• The objective criteria and procedures for use by local boards in assessing the effectiveness and continuous improvement of one-stop centers;
• The preparation of an annual report;
• The development of the statewide workforce and labor market information system;
• The development of such other policies as may promote statewide objectives for, and enhance the performance of, the workforce development system in the state; and
• The development of strategies for aligning technology and data systems across one-stop partner programs to enhance service delivery and improve efficiencies in reporting on performance accountability measures (including the design and implementation of common intake, data collection, case management information, and performance accountability measurement and reporting processes and the incorporation of local input into such design and implementation, to improve coordination of services across one-stop partner programs).

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Oversight Committee

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Oversight Committee provides oversight of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program and ensures that all program participants are receiving the assistance, information, and the services needed to help these low-income parents prepare for and connect with employment that will lead to a self-sufficient wage.