This report focuses on implementation of changes to requirements on performance accountability, eligible training providers, labor market information, and evaluation research under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. Findings in the report are based primarily on site visit interviews conducted in early 2019 with administrators, workforce boards, and front-line staff in 14 states and 28 local areas.

Some of the key findings include the following: (1) at the time of the site visits, respondents at both the state and local levels reported challenges and concerns related to WIOA's primary performance indicators, though ETA provided extensive guidance and multiple technical assistance opportunities subsequent to those visits; (2) respondents from ten states indicated that it had been difficult to obtain performance data from Eligible Training Providers; (3) state level administrators in four states cited challenges in meeting WIOA's evaluation requirements, including lack of staff time, limited resources, and a lack of understanding about how to conduct high-quality evaluations.

This report is one of a series of products from a larger study of WIOA implementation. The study focused on the core programs under WIOA Title I (Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Services) and Title III (Employment Services). The goals of the study were to (1) examine the variation in the approaches used to implement key WIOA provisions, (2) assess implementation progress, and (3) identify best practices and areas for possible additional guidance or technical assistance.