Note to Reviewer

Note to Reviewer: Emergency Request for READINESS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CONSULTATION

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, PL 111-05 – Title VIII, outlines the public workforce system’s role in helping workers prepare for and find employment, and providing work experience for youth. The Act contains many provisions for ensuring a successful implementation of effective workforce interventions, including strict timelines and accountability measures.

Overriding principles are:

1. Transparency and accountability in the use of funds;

2. Timely spending of the funds and implementation of quality activities;

3. Expanded workforce system capacity and service levels; and

4. Increased training leading to increased employment opportunities.

Given the requirement in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, ETA plans to assess State and Local Workforce Investment Areas’ readiness and technical assistance needs starting as early as April 1, 2009.

Regional staff will hold consultation conversations with state and selected local workforce staff to review a number of questions in areas critical to the success of implementation of the ARRA. They will use a ‘tool’, set of questions, to ensure some standardization of conversations and feedback.

Objectives of the Readiness Tool:

• Determine the capacity of the state and local systems to use ARRA funds to significantly increase the number of workers and employers who receive ETA services, with a focus on increased training opportunities in areas such as the President’s Green Jobs initiative.

• Determine if state and local systems are in place that will prevent waste, fraud and abuse from occurring with the additional ARRA funds.

• Receive feedback on implementation areas that ETA could support through Technical Assistance (TA) directly to states and through regional sessions to ensure ARRA goals are met.

• Deliver a determination that the state or local system has the capacity to manage ARRA funding – “yes” or “no” – and what level of technical assistance should be provided to get to “yes” in all key implementation areas.

Output / reports:

• Summary of each state’s readiness

• TAT required to be fully ready

• Regional Recovery & Re-employment Forums