U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration 1 Quality Reporting for High Growth and Community Based Grantees September 19, :30 – 3:00 p.m. Phoenix, AZ

2 Quarterly Reporting… Can be OR

3 Goals for Today’s Session Increasing your understanding about preparing reports focused on program successes and deliverables Preparing for quarterly report submissions Making reporting easier and less of a chore by increasing understanding of what makes a good report Illustrating common errors/misunderstandings in reporting Having Fun!

4 Poll How long do you spend on average in preparing your quarterly report? Less than 2 hours 2-5 Hours 5-10 hours More than 10 hours

5 Background on HGJTI and CBJTG Reporting Development of Common Measures –Improve information about program effectiveness –Account for Federal dollars invested –TEGL Workforce Investment Streamlined Performance Reporting (WISPR) –Streamlined System For State Formula- Funded Workforce Programs

6 Proposed Reporting Format A copy of the full Reporting package can be found here: 0NEW_ cfm Contains:  Federal Register Notice  Supporting Statement  Quarterly Performance Report Form  Reporting Instructions

7 Why does ETA collect so much information? 1.To learn about the great things you are doing! 2.To compile information about grants and their successes to share with key stakeholders: DOL Leadership Congress Other federal and state agencies Workforce system Community Colleges Business and Industry 3.To ensure performance/program goals are met 4.To provide opportunities for technical assistance 5.To serve as an aid in securing additional funding 6.To avoid surprises!

8 Value of Reporting Transforming workforce development into talent development! - Innovative solutions to meet target industry needs and local/regional talent development challenges - Leveraging resources, including talent development, partnerships, and infrastructure to drive economic development - Consistent data collection and dissemination to ETA and grantee key stakeholders and investors

9 Tips for Preparing for Quarterly Reports Work on it throughout the quarter: Maintain easy access to statement of work As they occur, check off/cross walk activities, products, and deliverables to your statement of work Keep a list of events, meetings, and activities you would report to the leadership of your organization (e.g. College President, CEO, Company President) Schedule time before the due date to enter data, talk with staff, etc.

10 Quarterly Performance and Narrative Reports Proposed Reporting Format – 3 components: 1. Individual Record Information – Common Measures Data COMMON MEASURES COVERED IN PERFORMANCE BASICS SESSION - Follow up questions? 2. Quarterly Performance Reports (QPRs) PROVIDES PARTICIPANT SUMMARY COUNTS 3. Quarterly Narrative Reports SUMMARY OF GRANT ACTIVITIES, STATUS OF LEVERAGED RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES, UPDATE OF TIMELINE FOR PRODUCTS AND DELIVERABLES, CAPACITY BUILDING OUTCOMES, SUCCESS STORIES, AND TA NEEDS

11 QPRs: Three Sections A. Grantee Identifying Information: grantee name, address, grant number, and reporting period, etc. B. Customer Summary Information: counts of exiters and participants by gender, race/ethnicity, veteran status, and disabilities C. Customer Services and Activities: counts of participants who entered training/education, completed training, received a degree/certificate, entered employment, and entered training-related employment.

12 Three QPR Reporting periods Cumulative Grant-to-Date: from the date the grant was awarded until the end of the reporting period. Current Quarter: the most recent quarter only Previous Quarter: the prior quarter only

13 What does ETA do with this data? CREATE SUMMARY REPORTS: Round 1 Community Based Grants Of the 60,529 individuals projected to be trained under Round 1 of the Community Based grants, 60% are currently enrolled in or completed training. As of July 27, 2007: Total Projected Trained 60,529 Total Trained 7,454 Total Enrolled 28,804 Total Trained + Enrolled 36,258 Total Certified 6,231 Total Employed 617 Total Youth Enrolled 1,796 Total Youth Completed Training 34 Demographics Male: 9,927American Indian: 623Asian: 329 Female: 8,406Native Hawaiian: 241Disabled: 126 Black: 2,545Hispanic: 2,078Veteran: 722 White:10,949Not Hispanic:10,681Dislocated 9 Workers:

14 Narrative Report: Topics for Inclusion A. Summary of Grant Activities B. Status Update on Leveraged Resources C. Status Update on Strategic Partnership Activities D. Timeline for Grant Activities and Deliverables E. Capacity Building Activities F. Key Issues and Technical Assistance Needs G. Best Practices and Lessons Learned H. Additional Information

15 Provide a short summary of capacity-building and training activities supported by the grant for the current quarter, highlighting key activities. Similar to Executive Summary – highlights key activities for the current quarter with more details provided later in report. How to think about framing this section? Your “Elevator Summary” Sound bites A PNG 3-minute update Where someone would go for a paragraph summarizing your grant activities that quarter Summary of General Grant Activities

16 Quality Examples

17 Background: Leveraged resources are not match, so not reported on budget form Still required to track and report on leveraged resources used and activities they support Information Needed: Quarterly and cumulative amount leveraged resources contributed to the project –Cash and In-Kind –Federal and Non-Federal –Organizations contributing resources Expenditures of leverages resources each quarter Ways in which resources were used (activities, supplies, space, tuition, etc) Update on Leveraged Resources

18 Quality Examples

19 What this is: How partners work together Specific roles and contributions of each partner during this quarter Challenges encountered/resolved in the development and management of the partnership; and New partners in the project What this is NOT: A list of every partner meeting or conversation (e.g. monthly breakfast meeting) Update on Strategic Partnership Activities

20 Update on Strategic Partnership Activities TIPS: What would you report to the President or CEO of your organization about your partners? –Put only that in the report! Beyond Business as Usual: Look for and report where there were breakthroughs, “aha” moments, synergies, etc

21 Quality Examples

22 Timeline for Grant Activities and Outcomes Create Timeline for progress of grant activities and key deliverables Include: –Project Activity –Projected Completion Date –Actual Completion Date Used to track progress towards meeting grant goals Used to gather completed products for dissemination strategy

23 Where does this information go? ETA’s Dissemination Strategy: Product CDs All Grantee Meeting Presentation Reports to Key Stakeholders

24 Quality Examples

25 Capacity Building Activities Details Capacity Building Strategies and Activities Highlights completed activities Assessment of how the strategies are meeting training needs Capacity Building Strategies may have deliverables associated with them. –Career Awareness Models –Developing Qualified Instructors –Competency models and curricula –Clinical Experiences, including simulations –Innovative learning models

26 Capacity Building Activities In report on strategies, include: Status of activities, including % complete, if appropriate How activity is linked to training and how well it is meeting demand for training Number of instructors who participated in capacity building activities and number of students subsequently trained by those instructors Number of other people participating in capacity building activities Growth in activities over time Challenges or concerns

27 Capacity Building Impacts Verifiable measures of participation: # of instructors receiving training # of students receiving instruction from newly training teachers # of individual attending a recruiting seminar # of students provided career awareness activity materials Impact refers to the number of individuals the capacity building activity has affected Key word: number (we are looking for quantitative information) Note: Not all activities have impacts

28 Quality Examples

29 Capacity Building Lightening Round 1. Share Capacity Building Activities 2.ETA experts will brainstorm about how to calculate and report impact

30 TA Needs, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned Key Issues and Technical Assistance Needs: Summarize significant issues or problems encountered Describe actions taken to resolve Request assistance from ETA Best Practices and Lessons Learned Promising Approaches Innovative Practices Lessons Learned

31 Additional Information (optional) Any other information considered important: Possible Examples: Impact on Regional Economy Literacy Rate Increases Youth Common Measures Business Return on Investment Studies Program Evaluations

32 Where do TA Requests go? TA Requests National OfficeFPO Provide Guidance Answer Questions Review documents Connection to fiscal experts Connection to workforce system Connection to other grantees Inform webinar content Schedule expert led teleconferences Inform All Grantee Meeting content

33 Where do success stories go? ETA and DOL Performance Reports Workforce3one.org Key Stakeholders Workforce Innovations Workshops

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration 34 QUESTIONS???

35 What is ETA Looking For? Timeliness Completeness Accuracy of information and data Training Outcomes Replicable Models Products for dissemination Best Practices Success Stories Technical Assistance Needs

36 Common Reporting Errors to Avoid Failure to submit a timely report Failure to provide new narrative information Incomplete reports that lack: capacity building activities and outcomes, timelines, success stories, etc Inserting new sentences into last quarters narrative entry Not providing capacity building outcomes Lack of case management: not keeping apprised of participant progress Submitting confidential or unnecessary information: social security numbers, individual student names, meeting notes, etc.

37 Common Reporting Errors to Avoid Not including copies of products completed during the reporting period Providing information not relevant to the grant Too many attachments! Waiting until the grant ends to follow-up with participants and document activities for the final report Reporting for reporting’s sake, and not using it as a grants management tool

38 Test Your Reporting IQ! Q. Why is it important to report? A) To provide innovative models for replication and dissemination B) To inform stakeholders of success C) To insure success through technical assistance opportunities D) All of the above Q.Why provide a quality report? A.To make DOL/ETA happy B.To prevent a call from our FPO C.To communicate with our FPO and maintain the relationship D.None of the above Q: What are some key reporting errors to avoid? A) Failure to provide complete information B) Failure to provide new information C) Not calling your FPO if you have questions D) All of the above and more!

39 Test Your Reporting IQ! Volunteers Needed!

40 Test Your Reporting IQ! 1) Give three reasons why quality reporting is essential. 2) Give two tips for quality report preparation. 3) What are two things to do when preparing a quality report? 4) What are two things not to do?

41 Final Thoughts You are not in this alone. We have a support network! For any questions, please Contact your FPO Review the Reporting Guide Talk to a performance specialist

42 You have successfully completed the post test Give yourselves a round of applause.

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration 43 QUESTIONS???

44 Contact Information Vivian Luna Business Relations Group U.S Department of Labor Employment and Training Amanda Shaffer Region VI – San Francisco U.S Department of Labor Employment and Training Maria Weidmark Region VI – San Francisco U.S Department of Labor Employment and Training