Narrative: III. b. 2.

The state operating systems across core partner programs are intended to provide coordinated, comprehensive services and access to resources that will support the implementation of state strategies that:

• Provide workforce solutions to grow and develop an educated and skilled workforce that attract and support a strong and vibrant economy;
• Promote a customer-centered delivery system for businesses/industry, jobseekers and youth that provide access to training and employment opportunities; and
• Produce strong partnerships that support regional economies based on data-driven decisions and focus on continuous improvement and evaluation.

As the state continues its implementation strategies for WIOA, stakeholders will work towards identifying co-location and case management strategies to create efficiencies that will support and help manage a shared client base, avoid duplication of services and leverage resources. The following information describes data management systems currently used by core partners.

Title I

OKJobMatch is an integrated, vendor hosted management information system supporting: labor exchange for employers and job seekers, case management for program requirements, training providers and approved programs, reporting capability for all required federal, system and activity reports, and some interface with Unemployment Insurance.

OKJobMatch’s JobLink is a self-service labor exchange system that provides job matching and workplace information service for employers and job seekers. Job seekers can establish an account to manage their job search activities, register with labor exchange activities, and explore career pathways utilizing the O*NET system to deliver highly relevant and precise job and resume matches.. Employers can establish an account to manage job openings and view job seeker resumes. Staff can create and manage job orders on behalf of employers.

OKJobMatch’s ServiceLink is a client management application that allows case managers to track their caseload and report information required under Labor Exchange, Re-Employment Services, WIOA, TAA (TRA Adjustment Act) and other federal programs. It Provides the ability to manage eligibility, maintain program registration, maintain enrollment records, store required and relevant documentation, and provides staff a standardized process for following participants through the workforce development system network. It fully supports all state and federal program, grant, and reporting requirement. OKJobMatch’s ProviderLink provides the integrated statewide Eligible Training Provider (ETP) list, allowing training providers and providers of youth services to create and manage self-service accounts, allows local area and state review processes of ETP eligibility requests, and provides federal program reporting requirements.

OKJobMatch’s FiscalLink provides an integrated fiscal management system to provide a real-time fiscal system for one-stop case management. Allowing participant and vendor financial management, accruals, payments, and fiscal reports.

OKJobMatch’s ReportLink is a web-based, comprehensive workforce program data management system that allows OOWD the ability to validate data and resolve and identified errors prior to submitting quarterly and annual performance reports to the Department of Labor (DOL).

Oklahoma is implementing a common intake process to better identify the needs of individuals in order to improve access and service to participants. The focus is on coordinating services across partner programs, optimizing the use of resources, and preventing the duplication of services while supporting the Oklahoma Works goal of increasing the skills necessary to obtain employment. Co-enrollment of participants is utilized when the individual will benefit from the services provided from multiple programs. Integrated service delivery was implemented to improve access to quality services through service and program integration, support the linkages between workforce programs and economic development by developing shared goals and emphases, implement the intent of the Governor’s Council and the State Strategic Plan for comprehensive workforce system integration, provide a framework to empower and support the Workforce Development Board’s integration of Wagner-Peyser and WIOA Title I Adult program operations at the local level, and reduce duplication and seek efficiencies in a time of limited resources. Common exit is utilized with the WIOA Title I Adult, Dislocated Workers, Youth, Labor Exchange, and Trade Act programs.

Title II

The CareerTech Information Management System (CTIMS) is a new web-based comprehensive information management system developed to serve Adult Basic Education grant recipients, Carl Perkins recipients, TANF HSE grant recipients, Comprehensive Schools, Technology Centers, and Economic Development Initiatives. The system allows for the electronic submission of grant applications, budget approvals, invoice processing, enrollment input, and CTE instructional program approvals. The system provides access to over 2,600 educational personnel across the state of Oklahoma in order to serve the various CTE initiatives that support students, economic development, and business and industry in Oklahoma.

LACES NexGen (Literacy, Adult, and Community Education System) is an online student data management software designed for providers of Adult Basic Education (ABE), volunteer literacy, and correctional education. With LACES NexGen, we are able to track everyone associated with our ABE/HSE/ESL programs, including students, classes, and staff. It collects all NRS-related data and generates required and optional NRS tables. LACES NexGen also tracks outcome measures such as educational gains, goal achievement, cohort outcomes, demographic information, and attendance hours, so we can monitor how our program is performing over time.

LACES NexGen is NRS and OCTAE compliant, and NRS and OCTAE requirements are built into the software, which includes specific required fields and automatic population of cohorts. The software is updated when the NRS and OCTAE makes changes to the way students are tracked and reported for funding purposes.

Title III

OKJobMatch is an integrated, vendor hosted system supporting labor exchange for employers and job seekers, case management for program requirements, training providers and approved programs, reporting capability for all required federal, system and activity reports, and some interface with Unemployment Insurance. The system consists of components with appropriate features depending on the user.

JobLink is a self-service job matching and workplace information service for employers and job seekers. Job seekers can establish an internet account to manage their job search activities and register with the Employment Service to receive basic and individualized career services. Job seekers can create a robust resume and Unemployment Insurance claimants can register for work. Employers can establish an account to manage job openings and view job seeker resumes and if requested, staff will assist employers with account creation and development of job orders.

ServiceLink is a client management application that allows case managers to track their caseload and report information required under Labor Exchange, Reemployment Services, WIOA, TAA (TRA Adjustment Act) and other federal programs. The application provides a standardized process for following participants through the workforce development system network. It eases the load for case managers by providing a tool that can manage and monitor caseloads, assess employment barriers, establish training and employment plans, search for service providers and WIOA eligible training providers and programs, and track job placements. ServiceLink collects all information required to generate reports for these federal programs.

FiscalLink allows case managers and program administrator the ability to process participant and vendor payments for all WIOA programs including NEG (National Emergency Grants), and TAA activities.

ReportLink is a web-enabled federal reporting data management system providing WIOA, TAA, Labor Exchange and WISPR reports.

Title IV

The AWARE Case Management System is an Electronic Records Managements software used by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, to track services provided to individuals served by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services under the State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation and the Older Blind Independent Living programs.

The AWARE system is an internet-based system that is accessed by a web browser on a secure network. All data elements necessary for Federal and State reporting are captured and it automates all U.S. Department of Education, Office of Rehabilitative Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration mandated reports. In addition, it maintains high accessibility standards (508 compliant) to accommodate staff who are blind (screen readers), low vision (optimized fonts and background displays) or unable to use a computer keyboard or mouse in a normal way (i.e. voice recognition systems).

Alliance Enterprises, Inc. the owners of the AWARE system, prioritizes its customers’ ability to provide accurate and timely Federal reporting and it provides customized options to meet each state’s needs. The data produced by the system is stored in an industry standard Microsoft Sequel Server database for each of reporting, analysis and data sharing through security data connections. Alliance also works closely with its state customers to insure it meets policy and business practice standards required by the state. In Oklahoma’s case Alliance customized AWARE to handle a financial system tied to the PeopleSoft system, the State Treasurer’s office, and Third Party Administrators who process Medical/Pharmacy claims via data imports and exports.

Data collection and Reporting Processes:

The workforce system partners are utilizing the Oklahoma Works, Key Objective: Data, to integrate and use workforce and economic development data to inform policy, track progress, and measure success. Under this objective, Workforce Partners have identified the “Common Connectivity” strategy in the form of a common intake portal as a priority for the state. Oklahoma looks forward to joint guidance from the US Department of Labor and US Department of Education on joint performance reporting requirements that influence common intake processes, procedures, and common data elements.

Oklahoma was awarded a $1,100,000 Reemployment and System Integration Dislocated Worker Grant (RSI-DWG) to support high quality service delivery and improve employment outcomes for dislocated workers, including those who are also unemployment insurance claimants or long-term unemployed, through investment in integrated technology solutions that support connectivity across programs and services provided to dislocated workers.

Utilizing this grant, Oklahoma is undertaking a project whose core elements are the implementation of robust on-line service delivery hubs that integrate information and on-line services across at least the Dislocated Worker (DW), Employment Services (ES), and the Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs; and data integration strategies that support the ability of front-line staff, including career counselors, to better connect dislocated workers to the services they need to get jobs in demand along career pathways and expand the capacity to provide career counseling to more customers.

The Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development (OOWD) is currently working with America’s JobLink Alliance (AJLA), the system procured in 2017, on system upgrades to OKJobMatch.com, the State’s virtual case management system, in response to the deliverables described in OOWD’s scope of work for the Reemployment and System Integration Dislocated Worker Grant (RSI-DWG).

Expected outcomes of RSI-DWG funds received by OOWD outlined in the scope of work include improved service delivery and employment outcomes for dislocated workers; more effective connections to all available services through common case management; prevention of long-term unemployment, increased early intervention and layoff aversion; increased accessibility to services through automation and self-service; and enhanced identification of service delivery needs.

State policies supporting state strategy implementation:

All Oklahoma Works workforce system policies will support the alignment of service delivery and focus on increasing the wealth of all Oklahomans. Policy development and process is a collaborative approach, utilizing the System Oversight Subcommittee (SOS) members who draft and revise policy. The Workforce System Oversight Committee (WSOC) reviews all policy upon release.

For example, under guidance of the WSOC and SOS, a pilots in a local area is occurring with regards to infrastructure cost sharing and contributions. From this pilot Oklahoma anticipates retrieving best practices and lessons learned to distribute to other regions and local areas undergoing the same negotiations. SOS used these lessons learned to draft policy for the system. The guidance was accompanied with technical assistance by the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development and our system partners represented on the System Oversight Subcommittee.

In 2017 the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development issued OWDI 24-2017 and OWDI 24-2017, Change 1. This issuance provides local boards, chief elected officials and one-stop partners with guidance on determining equitable and stable methods of funding infrastructure in accordance with WIOA Sec. 121. OWDI 24-2017, Change 1 provides:

• Definitions for terms and practices commonly associated with infrastructure agreements;
• A description of the differences between one-stop operating costs specific infrastructure costs;
• A list of the required one-stop partners with agency or entity information specific to Oklahoma;
• Options for allocation methodologies;
• The required aspects of the Infrastructure Funding Agreement;
• The differences between the Local Funding Mechanism (LFM) and the State Funding Mechanism (SFM) as well as the potential impacts of using either mechanism;
• Procedures the state will follow if one or more WDAs requires the SFM including, and;
• Several tools to be used by local boards, chief elected officials, and local one-stop partners while negotiating Infrastructure Funding Agreements using the LFM.

In addition to issuing OWDI 24-2017, Change 1, OOWD held and multiple meetings for one-stop partners, made staff available for meetings held in the local areas as requested, shared an ongoing document containing frequently asked questions, and held bi-weekly or weekly phone calls. As a best practice, OOWD continues to hold bi-weekly calls with local boards and one-stop partners as the all parties strive to continue improving the system.