As the authorized signatory official for _I agree to the
following preamble specifications in order to be considered for selection:
Agree to partner closely with Philadelphia Works, the Operator Consortium, and the Local Management Committee in a productive relationship and in a spirit of continual improvement
Agree to partner with the other selected contractors and Center co-located partners in the continuous improvement of the “no wrong door” service delivery design
Agree to implement the service delivery procedures as specified in the service procedures manual to be developed by initiation of the contract
Agree to implement the service design to accomplish the specified success indicators for each service component
Agree to provide sensitive and meaningful functional leadership to all staff assigned to the Center, program, and support functions for which they are responsible (including staff that are not directly employed by the contractor) in compliance with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Draft Workforce Delivery System Policy(02-2014, which is attached)
Agree to not subcontract any portion of the contract awarded
Agree that all key staff, specifically the Site Administrator and the Cross-Center Manager, will reside in the Philadelphia area
Authorized Representative Signature:
Name and Title:
Date:
Appendix A - No Wrong Door Service Delivery Design
Philadelphia Works No Wrong Door
Integrated, Quality Service Delivery (Bricks, Clicks and Connect)
Table of Contents
1. Environmental Scan: The Rationale For Change………..page 2 2. Alignment with Philadelphia Works Board’s Strategic Plan 2013-18……...page 3 3. The No Wrong Door Service Design Framework………..….page 4 4. Four Strategies to Implement the No Wrong Door Strategic Priority……...page 5 5. Overviews of the Service Design and Customer Flow………..….page 8 6. No Wrong Door Success Indicators………..…page 9 7. Transition to No Wrong Door……….…page 11 8. Support Needed from the Commonwealth for Success……….page 13 Exhibits:
A. Overview of Philadelphia Works “No Wrong Door” System………….…...page 15 B. Functionally Aligned, Quality Integrated Services Delivery………...page 16 C. Procurement for Centers and for Cross-Center
Services ……….………...page 17 D Integrated Services Delivery Customer Flow………..….page 18 E. Integrated Services Delivery Customer Flow:
Co-Located Partner Programs Serving Targeted Populations…………...page 19 F. Product Box Services Universally, Immediately Available After Welcome
and After Meeting with Skills and Employment Functional Staff………..….page 20 G. Product Box Services Available After Partner Program
Eligibility and Enrollment………...page 21 H. Responsibilities, Outcomes, Coordination of Employment Services,
Job Development Services, Employer Services, Business Engagement...page 22
1. Environmental Scan: The Rationale For Change A. Changing Labor Market
(1) Unemployment is high (particularly within certain neighborhoods and among certain populations) and even the best job seekers are sometimes challenged to finding employment that will support them and their families
(2) Employers report difficulty in recruiting qualified employees that have the needed skills for them to be competitive
(3) Job security is declining and is being replaced by the need for skill security
(4) “Workforce improvement” is both a job seeker and employer service and produces tangible results for both
Philadelphia Works seeks to transform more job seekers into better job candidates and to connect more employers with a transformed talent pool
B. Declining Resources with Increased Expectations for Performance (1) Public resources for the workforce system are in decline, while
the need for workforce services are increasing
(2) Stakeholders and taxpayers are demanding higher performance from the resources allocated and expecting that services provided will result in tangible outcomes
Philadelphia Works seeks to reduce infrastructure costs while simultaneously increasing access to enhanced services and become leaner by increasing efficiency and adding-value at every customer transaction
Philadelphia Works seeks to increase virtual service access and delivery (by building both a “clicks and bricks” system) and increase partnerships with community-based organizations to expand the customer base and reach all neighborhoods
C. The Mayor’s Goals and Commitment
(1) Greater access to a full range of quality workforce services to help them improve their skills, become and stay employed, and increase their career pathway opportunities
(2) “Workforce development for economic development” is key to a thriving Philadelphia economy
Philadelphia Works seeks to build even stronger linkages with the economic development system and provide even more job
seekers services that respond to current and future targeted industry demand
D. The Commonwealth’ s Goals and Commitment
(1) The Governor has set as a goal the integration of the Employment Advancement and Retention Network (EARN) Centers and the PA CareerLink Centers to reduce duplicative administrative and operational costs
(2) The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry has recently issued policies to encourage service integration and clarified the expectation for aligned and integrated service delivery
(3) The Department has also issued a new process for PA CareerLink Certification and new criteria for Certification, including aligned, integrated services
Philadelphia Works seeks to capture the opportunities provided by these policies to not just co-locate, but to
improve the service delivery strategy and services in its Centers.
2. Alignment with Philadelphia Works Board’s Strategic Plan 2013 -2018 The Board’s strategic plan responds to each of the above environmental demands and opportunities. The recommendations in this report are aligned with the strategic plan’s goals and objectives:
A. Implementing a “no wrong door approach” to service delivery and co-locating the EARN and PA CareerLink Centers
B. Integrating the WIA Title I and TANF funding streams and programs and meeting all baseline performance measures
C. Developing, enhancing, and enlarging services for both employers and job seekers
D. Outreaching and targeting the hardest-to-serve populations
E. Coordinating services that lead to more employer customer satisfaction F. Engaging and serving more, smaller businesses
3. Service Design Framework
The “no wrong door” recommendations are based on the following key service design principles and parameters:
(A) All Center, job-seeking customers should expect:
(1) A Center welcome that is warm, respectful, personalized, and responsive
(2) An opportunity to identify their skills, improve their skills, and get the best job possible with their skills
(3) Finding a job that is better than the job they could have found on their own
(4) Personalized and customized services
(5) Tangible, value-added services at each and every Center visit (6) A service focus (and not a program focus) with the fewest service
entry procedures as possible
(7) Easy access to a robust series of services that are responsive to their needs and that makes them more competitive in the labor market
(8) Access to the same quality services at each center (B) All employer customers should expect:
(1) Staff-assisted service when needed and wanted
(2) Competent and useful workforce intelligence at the time of job posting to assist them in talent recruitment
(3) Maximum exposure of job openings to the full-range of talent available at all Centers
(4) High quality control (when requested) for referred applicants (with skill verification, when possible) and with follow-through and fulfillment, not just follow-up to “capture the hire” for reporting (5) Non-redundant contact by system partners
(6) The opportunity to partner with the Centers in tapping a full range of recruitment opportunities, including in-Center recruitment of pre-screened talent, pre-employment and pre-referral testing and skill validation, access to hiring and training subsidies, customized
training, and others
(C) Philadelphia’ s Centers will:
(1) Organize services by purpose and function and not by program silos
(2) Offer Center customers more than what they could get through self-service at home, virtually
(3) Realize that Center customers need both skills and jobs and organize services so both are emphasized and delivered
concurrently, when possible
(4) Shift to a program design that emphasizes the development of talent and not just labor exchange
(5) Commit to transforming every job seeker who enters the Center into a better job candidate
(6) Increase the services available to help customers improve and develop skills (and not just occupational-specific training)
(7) Expand the Center’s menu of services (i.e., the “product box”) so the services available are responsive to the needs of the full range of Center customers
(8) Give priority to dual-customer connection services (i.e., services that directly help both employers and job seekers simultaneously), such as On-the-Job Training, in-Center hiring events, and job openings that reflect available Center Talent
(9) Meet performance measures and improve outcomes through the delivery of value-added services
4. Four Strategies to Implement the Board’ s Strategic Priority of “No Wrong Door”:
Four strategies are recommended for initial implementation on July 1, 2014:
(A) Co-Locate Partner Programs; (B) Integrate Services Delivery; (C) Enhance Services and, (D) Implement Lean Processes
A. Co-Locate Partner Programs
(1) Open new comprehensive Centers with the co-location of the EARN and WIA programs (as well as with existing co-located partners and the opportunity to expand collocation to include other partner programs)
(2) Create an inviting physical environment in the new Centers to enrich the customer experience
(3) Design the center layout to encourage and facilitate the customer’s immediate and continuous service engagement (4) Allocate and organize the space by service and function
to encourage service and staff integration B. Integrate Services Delivery
(1) Integrate the leadership and management structure for the system as a whole and each individual Center to encourage unified implementation of integrated services with increased accountability for collective Center performance
(2) Integrate and cross-train staff to deliver three Center core service functions: greeting/welcome (staffed by the TANF, WIA Title I Adult, and Wagner-Peyser funding streams) and skills and employment services (staffed by the WIA Title I Adult and Wagner Peyser funding streams)
(3) Integrate the Center customer flow so all Center customers move through a series of value-added transactions that emphasize
services, not programs
(4) Integrate the welcome function so that all first-time Center customers are greeted warmly, registered in the system, offered immediate access to Center services, and leave having received a tangible, useful service
(5) Integrate Job Gateway and ensure all employer job openings identified by any Center staff are posted and all Center customers are registered into the system, so employers have maximum exposure for their job listings to tap an increased talent pool
(6) Integrate employer services across all Centers and all programs to increase outreach to employers (especially smaller employers) and improve quality control for referrals made and services delivered (7) Integrate employer contacts to decrease redundancy by requiring
all partners to record all employer contacts and services in the Commonwealth Workforce Development System
(8) Integrate the Centers’ “product box” so more customers have easy access to (and continuous engagement with) a wider-range of nonprogram-specific, demand-driven, value-added services
(9) Integrate community engagement and outreach to increase the awareness and use of Center services by all Philadelphians.
(10) Integrate the Centers’ performance metrics to encourage integrated services and functional alignment
(11) Integrate the Commonwealth Workforce Development System (where possible) so customers can be served without redundant data collection and to permit display of integrated customer data
C. Enhance Services
(1) Standardize the services available at all Centers to ensure that
“every door is the right door” and to permit branding and promotion through common customer promise and delivery
(2) Design a Center customer flow giving more Center customers easier access to more services at all phases of the flow by permitting more staff to help customers directly access those services (and reduce staff-handoffs needed for service access) (3) Increase the quantity and quality of demand-driven and results-
producing services with four product lines: job finding/readiness services; skill development and improvement services; occupational training, and employer-sponsored services
(4) Ensure that services available reflect the diversity of customers seeking services from the Centers, especially first-time job seekers and those with barriers to employment
(5) Focus on growing shorter-term skill development services that make Center customers more competitive and help employers have access to an increased talent pool
D. Implement Lean Processes
(1) Map and improve the Centers’ customer flow to eliminate/
minimize waste and add-value at every process step
(2) Standardize the customer service procedures and processes across all four to five Centers for branding, quality control, performance, and continuous improvement
(3) Streamline program eligibility, wherever possible, so customers can have a “service experience” (and not a “program experience”) and reduce staff time spent on program entry, compliance, and maintenance functions
(4) Decrease the number of staff-handoffs in service delivery to reduce cycle time for service entry and to increase conversion ratios from initial inquiry to service use to positive outcomes
(5) Capture the economies of scale by centralizing services and functions that can support all Centers (i.e., community engagement and outreach, Business Services, and product box
customer access, and permit Center staff to focus on providing services to Center customers
5. Overviews of the Service Design and Customer Flow
The attached exhibits provide a visual overview of the service delivery design and customer flow:
A. Overview of Philadelphia Works “No Wrong Door System”
Displays Philadelphia Works System map and shows the oversight and management of the four to five “no wrong door” Centers and the three functions to be established to support all Centers (Exhibit A)
B. Functionally Aligned, Quality Integrated Service Delivery
Provides increased detail on the functional alignment within the Centers and the three cross-Center functions (Exhibit B)
C. Procurement for Center Contractors and For Cross-Center Services
Recommends two procurements: one for each of the centers and one for cross-center services delivery (Exhibit C)
D. Integrated Services Delivery Center Customer Flow
Maps the Centers’ job-seeker customer flow, defines the responsibilities of the three in-Center functions, and shows the initial and continuous access and engagement with services in the “product box” (Exhibit D)
E. Co-Located Partners Serving Targeted Populations
Since some co-located partner programs (including EARN) have specific program requirements that cannot be realistically integrated, this exhibit indicates these program partner responsibilities in the Center and how they help their customers access product box services (Exhibit E)
F. Product Box Services Universally, Immediately Available After Welcome and/or After Meeting with Skills and Employment Functional Staff
Lists the services available to all customers with immediate access (Exhibit F)
G. Product Box Services Available After Partner Program Eligibility and Enrollment
Lists the services available (beyond the universal services available) to customers who meet specific partner program eligibility and requirements (Exhibit G)
- H. Responsibilities, Outcomes, and Coordination of Employment Services, Job Development Services, Employer Services, and Business Engagement
Shows the distinction of and connection between these four service
functions and includes a summary of the major responsibilities and outcome expectations for each function (Exhibit H)
6. “No Wrong Door” Success Indicators A. Defining Success
(1) The outcome metrics for the WIA Title I Adult/Dislocated Worker Programs and the EARN Program are defined by the funding
sources and supplemented by real-time input indicators (defined by Philadelphia Works) that predict outcome success
(2) Success indicators for the new “no wrong door” service delivery design are to be established in two complementary categories:
“Integrated Center Success” and “Cross-Center Services”
(3) The adopted success indicators are not just important for
procurement, contracting and accountability---they are also to clearly communicate what is most important, what is defined as the value-add, and what changes are needed to implement the “no wrong door” vision
(4) While baseline data exist to set specific achievement levels for the silo program metrics, such data does not exist for the new, “no wrong door” success indicators; consequently, first year of operations will be used as a baseline year and, then, specific levels of expected performance for each success indicator will be established for the ensuing years
B. Continued Silo, Program Metrics
(1) WIA Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs:
a. Common Measures Outcomes: Entered Employment, Retention, and Average Earnings
b. Inputs Contributing to Outcomes: Number of Newly
Registered (including Target Populations) for WIA Intensive and Training Services; Percentage Entering Training-Related Employment and Number Achieving Credentials; Number of
(2) EARN Program
a. Contracted Outcomes: Placements, Retention, and Increased Work Hours within 90-Days
b. Inputs Contributing to Outcomes: Number of Job
Developments; Satisfaction of Job Developed Employers;
Percentage of Customers Moving from Community Service to Entered Employment
C. Success Indicators for the Center Contactor for Each of the Integrated Centers
(1) Job seeker Satisfaction with the Center and Its Services
(2) Number and Percentage of Center Customers Registered in Job Gateway
(3) Percentage of Center Customers Receiving at Least One Post- Welcome Service
(4) Percentage of Center Customers Receiving More than One Post- Welcome Service
(5) Percentage of Center Customers With More than One Center Visit D. Success Indicators for Cross-Center Services
(1) Community Engagement and Outreach
a. Number of Quality Agreements with Community-Based Organizations Serving as Community Connections
- b. Show-Rate for EARN and PREP Customers
c. Percentage of All Unemployment Insurance Claimants Served by the Centers
(2) Business Services
a. Number of Employers Receiving Staff-Assisted Services b. Number of Employers Receiving More than One Staff-
Assisted Service
c. Employer Satisfaction with Staff-Assisted Services Received d. Fill Rate of Staff-Assisted Job Orders
e. Cycle Time for Filling Staff-Assisted Job Orders
f. Number of In-Center Hiring Events
g. Number of Employers Using Pre-Referral/Pre-Hire Testing Services
(3) Service Enhancement and Product Box Coordination a. Number of Customers Using Each Product Box Service b. Percentage of Center Customers Attending at Least One
“Skill Advancement for Employment” Workshop
c. Customer Satisfaction with Each Universal, Product Box Service
d. Number of Community and Partner Programs Delivering Services in the Product Box
7. No Wrong Door Transition
A. Procurement and Contracting:
(1) The “no wrong door” system design elements outlined in this report will be the basis for the procurement specifications for the operation of the WIA Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs, the EARN Program, the Center contractor of the integrated Centers, and the Cross-Center Services functions
(2) The contractors selected will be the eligible RFP respondents who exhibit the greatest understanding of, commitment to, and plans for the successful implementation of the “no wrong door
design” elements
(3) These design elements will be embedded in the service contracts with the selected providers and be the basis for performance evaluation, contract payments, and reporting
(4) Philadelphia Works will issue the RFPs for the implementation of the
“no wrong door system” in July 2014 and will select Contractors in November 2014
B. Transition Activities (Dates staggered between January 1, 2015 to November 30, 2015)
The transition period will be used to accomplish the following activities:
(1) Staggered closing of the current Centers and the opening of the new integrated Centers, with at least one integrated Center opening
(2) Convening of all contractors on an ongoing basis to continue the planning for the successful implementation of the “no wrong door”
system
(3) Development of a detailed procedures manual (including detailed customer flows) to implement the “no wrong door” system design in all Centers and within all cross-center functions
(4) Training for all contractor, Center, and Cross-Center Services functional staff in the rationale and principles of the “no wrong door”
system, the success indicators, and the procedures manual (5) Planning for the early, post-implementation phase, including
early evaluation of the implementation of the design and scheduling of continuous improvement activities