Report 2011-111 Recommendations

To assist the state board and other workforce investment partners in the development and implementation of state-specific performance measures, EDD should ensure that it works with the state board to develop procedures for approving the addition of data elements to its Web-based system and for the exchange of data between EDD and the state board.

To comply with WIA requirements and eliminate the State's risk of losing funds, EDD should ensure that it awards rapid-response funding for additional assistance only to local boards or community-based organizations that demonstrate that their local areas experience natural disasters, mass layoffs, plant closings, or other dislocation events when such events substantially increase the number of unemployed individuals.

To ensure that the State maximizes federal funding opportunities related to workforce investment, EDD should update its written policy to include, at a minimum, the following procedures: the methods it will use to identify federal grant opportunities, the factors it will consider in its decision to pursue or forego applying for these grants, and the process by which it will document its final decision to either pursue or forego the grant opportunity.

To ensure that the State maximizes federal funding opportunities related to workforce investment, EDD should implement the updated policy as soon as practicable.

To make certain that the state board meets the WIA requirement that a majority of the members are representatives of California businesses, the labor agency should continue working with the Governor's Office to identify and appoint a sufficient number of business representatives to the state board as soon as possible.

To ensure that the state board promptly develops a strategic workforce plan, the Legislature should consider amending the pertinent statutes to establish a due date for the plan.

To comply with WIA requirements for state boards, the Legislature should consider amending the pertinent statutes to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the state board and EDD.

To assist the governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system, the state board should collaborate with state and local workforce investment partners to promptly develop and implement a strategic workforce plan as state law requires. The strategic plan should include, at a minimum, the following elements: clear roles and responsibilities pertaining to the state board, EDD, and other state and local workforce partners; clear definitions for terminology used in the strategic plan, such as quality services; performance measures that are specific to California for evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of WIA-funded programs and activities; and procedures for approving the addition of data elements to EDD's Web-based system and for the exchange of data between EDD and the state board to facilitate the development and implementation of performance measures that are specific to California.

To assist the governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system, the state board should continue to exercise its legal authority to review the local boards' plans to, among other things, assure the coordination and nonduplication of services to program participants.