About the Study
In 2022, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO), in collaboration with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), funded independent contractor Abt to conduct the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) Evidence Building Portfolio Project. This Portfolio Project will continue to provide evaluation technical assistance and conduct evidence-building activities, building on those started under DOL’s previous Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) Evidence Building and Implementation Study (2018-2023). The current project also includes several new studies aimed to support and supplement state-led RESEA evaluations. Abt is partnering with the American Institutes for Research (AIR), W.E. Upjohn Institute, Behavioural Intervention Team (BIT), and National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) on this project.
This Department of Labor-funded study was a result of requirements from section 30206 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115-123 (BBA) and Section 306 of the Social Security Act, which created a permanent authorization for a new tiered-evidence RESEA program. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform employment and training programs and policies and addresses departmental strategic goals and priorities.
Evidence-Building Efforts within the Portfolio
In collaboration with DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office and the Employment and Training Administration, the project team will undertake:
- comprehensive evaluation technical assistance (TA) to State Workforce Agencies and evaluators designing and conducting RESEA studies;
- an RESEA Selection Models Study to identify promising participant selection approaches to ensure that claimants who most need the program are identified early in their UI claim;
- a multi-state RESEA Impact Study to estimate the impact of RESEA interventions;
- several cost studies, to better understand the costs of implementing an RESEA program and a study of related administration costs to understand how costs change over time and in different economic conditions;
- RESEA evidence reviews and syntheses and related support and refinement of RESEA intervention effectiveness ratings, in collaboration with DOL’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR), as new evidence is developed;
- hosting DOL’s RESEA Evaluation TA Helpline (RESEA@abtassoc.com) and facilitating additional peer learning opportunities for states;
- annual RESEA state plan reviews in collaboration with DOL;
- a feasibility assessment for potential future options for building the RESEA evidence base; and
- dissemination of project findings to help promote understanding and adoption of effective strategies, as well as further research.
- What evaluation technical assistance needs do states have when conducting their own evaluations and evidence-building activities? How does this change over time?
- What types and intensity of evaluation technical assistance, provided by DOL and its independent Contractor, best meet states’ needs?
- Which RESEA program models and/or program components are effective and/or demonstrate promising results for program participants?
- How does the effectiveness of program models, strategies, and program components vary by different characteristics (e.g., race, ethnicity, occupation, industry)?
- What are promising participant selection or profiling strategies to more quickly and/or effectively identify UI claimants who need reemployment services, such as RESEA or other job search assistance?
- What are promising approaches, statistical models, data sources, and variables for participant selection that account for and incorporate changes in the labor market?
- How does the performance of participant selection models vary across claimant characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, etc? How can models be updated or developed to ensure equitable treatment of claimants across characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, etc?
Project Duration: 60 Months
Contract End Date: December 2027
Contractor: Abt Associates in partnership with the American Institutes for Research, the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, the Behavioural Insights Team, and National Association of State Workforce Agencies.
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.