About the Study
In 2022, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Women’s Bureau (WB) to fund contractor Mathematica, and its partner Social Policy Research Associates, to conduct the FARE Grant Navigators Implementation Study. The implementation study examines the nature of programs established by 2021 and 2022 FARE grantees, assesses the nature and degree of grantees’ achievement of FARE grant goals, and identifies key learnings from FARE grantees with respect to challenges and promising practices.
The WB initiated the FARE program in 2021, which aims to “help marginalized and underserved women workers learn about and access their employment rights and benefits” (U.S. DOL 2021; U.S. DOL 2022a). The WB, in partnership with DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, awarded two rounds of FARE grants in 2021 and 2022. The WB’s mission to “champion policies and standards that safeguard the interests of working women, advocates for the equality and economic security of women and their families, and promotes quality work environments” directly connects to their goals for the 2022 FARE grants. These grants aimed to support grantees’ outreach and provision of other supports to underserved and marginalized women workers with low incomes to help them understand and exercise their employment rights and access relevant benefits.
This study is one in a series of studies under the Navigator Evidence-Building Portfolio project, which aims to build the evidence base about the potential of Navigators to improve outcomes and equity in workforce programs. This DOL-funded study was a result of the annual process to determine the department’s research priorities for the upcoming year. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform employment and training programs and policies and addresses Departmental strategic goals and priorities.
- How do FARE Navigators promote equity in access?
- What were key components of FARE grant services?
- How and why were they chosen?
- How did grants assist women in understanding and accessing their employment rights and benefits?
- What were the roles and responsibilities of key personnel and partnerships?
- What challenges did FARE grants experience? What were promising practices?
Project Duration: 60 Months
Contract End Date: August 2027
Contractor: Mathematica
For More Information: ChiefEvaluationOffice@dol.gov
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.