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In February 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) contracted with Avar Consulting, Inc., along with subcontractors Capital Research Corporation, Inc., and George Washington University, to conduct a formative evaluation of the redesigned Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Employment Workshop for members of the military before their separation from active duty. The report is broken into three main sections. Section I provides a synthesis of findings from three observational visits of the revised 3-day TAP Employment Workshop conducted by a team of Avar researchers in May and June 2013. Overall, these exploratory visits found that facilitators at the three sites demonstrated fidelity in the delivery of all sections of the curriculum, including the exercises and activities, as set forth in the Facilitator Guide (FG). The facilitators all possessed a thorough understanding of the subject matter, and delivered it in a professional and competent manner, generally within the timeframes suggested within the FG. Based on their own professional experiences, the facilitators modified some and added other exercises and activities to better meet the needs of the workshop participants. Uncomfortable classroom conditions due to lack of adequate ventilation in two of the three sites presented challenges for the workshop facilitators and the participants. Section II of this report provides analyses of customer satisfaction survey collected from TAP Employment Workshop participants. The survey results suggest a high level of satisfaction with the TAP Employment Workshop among workshop attendees, with only a slight difference in satisfaction levels across questions, service branches, facilities, or separation status (retirees versus separatees). Section III of this report examines potential approaches for formally evaluating the TAP Employment workshops, including discussions of potential experimental and non-experimental impact evaluation approaches and a process/implementation evaluation effort.

Key Takeaways

• Overall, these exploratory visits found that facilitators at the three sites demonstrated a high degree of fidelity in the delivery of all sections of the curriculum, including the exercises and activities, as set forth in the FG.
• The facilitators all possessed a thorough understanding of the subject matter, and delivered it in a professional and competent manner, generally within the timeframes suggested.
• Based on their own professional experiences, the facilitators modified some and added other exercises and activities to better meet the needs of the workshop participants.
• Uncomfortable classroom conditions due to lack of adequate ventilation in two of the three sites presented challenges for the workshop facilitators and the participants.

Research Gaps

• The biggest shortcoming of this study is the low number of non-participant responses. In future studies the number of Temporary Assistance Program (TAP) non-participants should be increased in order to reach a representative sample of the population. Therefore, comparisons could be made between TAP participants and non-participants. (page 26)

Citation

Trutko, J., O’Brien, C., Barnow, B., Balducchi, D., Darling, D., Kaiser, J., Wandner, S., Wang, X. (B.), Wang, Z. J. (2013). Avar Consulting. Formative Evaluation of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Employment Workshop: Findings from Observational Visits; Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Survey; and Options for Future Evaluation of TAP - Final Report. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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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 and CEO’s research development process.