Located in:
- III. Operational Planning Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in section II Strategic Elements. This includes—
- 6. Program Data
- A. Data Alignment and Integration
Describe the plans of the lead State agencies with responsibility for the administration of the core programs, along with the State Board, to align and integrate available workforce and education data systems for the core programs, unemployment insurance programs, and education through postsecondary education, and to the extent possible, the Combined State Plan partner programs included in this plan. The description of the State’s plan for integrating data systems should include the State’s goals for achieving integration and any progress to date.
- A. Data Alignment and Integration
- 6. Program Data
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 6. A. iv. Describe the State’s plans to develop and produce the reports required under section 116, performance accountability system. (WIOA section 116(d)(2))
Current Narrative:
Arkansas is using it's Workforce Data Quality Initiative - WDQI Round 8 grant to develop and produce information and reports required under section 116.
Although the minimum requirements for WIOA reporting are currently met, current systems lack the level of data and programming to produce enhanced products beyond the minimum that is required. Arkansas has established a longitudinal administrative database (LP2), the state must expand its current capacity to further the vision of WIOA and to more effectively analyze the impact of certifications, work experience, education, training programs, and federal workforce programs.
Arkansas objectives for expanding and enhancing the longitudinal data system are centered around the needs of two complementary strategies for promoting continuous learning and improvement in workforce and education. The first strategy is to help the state leaders and service providers continuously improve programs and services and align resources to the
evolving needs of citizens to deliver better workforce and education outcomes.
The second strategy is to facilitate continuous learning and collaboration through shared standards and governance, analytic capacity building, coordinated research and data products, and inter-agency, interstate, and cross-sector collaboration to support improved policy outcomes and an engaged community of practice.
Both strategies are heavily reliant upon the availability of:
- A comprehensive database of high-quality, timely, linked administrative longitudinal data
- Training for analyzing data and applying insights for improved performance and policy
- Mechanisms for providing secure, governed, tiered data access and data products to a wide range of state workforce, research, and public users.
Arkansas objectives for the major activities supported by this funding opportunity include:
- Expanding the workforce longitudinal database – The state seeks to expand the scope of the SLDS to support application of the above strategies to WIOA Title I, II, III, and IV programs, Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
- Improving the quality of workforce data – The state seeks to improve the quality of workforce data by maturing from a legacy repository data warehouse approach to a modern data hub approach that extends SLDS analytical capabilities with best practice data governance and data quality management capabilities including metadata management (data dictionaries), data quality management, and master data management.
- Expanding capacity to match workforce and education data – The state seeks to expand its capacity for administrative data linkage by leveraging advanced probabilistic identity resolution across a broader population and adding support for household linkage.
- Using data for analysis of workforce and education programs – The state seeks to develop a statewide skills gap analysis to support program improvement and alignment as well as products to support analysis of co-enrollment, equity, program cost effectiveness, credential attainment, skills gains, career pathways, work history, and apprenticeships.
- Producing and disseminating workforce training provider performance information and outcomes – The state seeks to disseminate workforce training provider performance information and outcomes via provider performance dashboards.
- Creating user-friendly portals to inform consumer choice – The state seeks to support user-friendly options for informing consumer choice by adding products to the state open data portal and the learning management system informed by user-centered design.
Outcomes
The measurable outcomes expected to result from the project include:
- Increase the employment outcome reporting frequency from annual to quarterly (300%)
- Increase the annual completers covered by the skills gap analysis by 250%
- Increase Arkansas labor force coverage in the SLDS
- Increase coverage of credential attainment in the SLDS
- Provide applied data analytics training on integrated workforce data to 60 participants.
- Increase the number of consumer-facing workforce outcome products from 1 to 6 (500%)