About the Portfolio

In 2022, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Women’s Bureau, the Office of Unemployment Insurance, and the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance to fund contractor Mathematica, and its partner Social Policy Research Associates, to conduct a series of studies as part of the Navigator Evidence-Building Portfolio project.

The purpose of the project is to build the evidence base about the potential of Navigators to improve outcomes and equity in workforce programs. The project includes three studies:

1. Implementation evaluation of the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) Navigator grantees
2. Implementation evaluation and evaluability assessment of Unemployment Insurance (UI) Navigator grantees
3. Formative evaluation and evaluability assessment of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Navigators

The project includes a coordinated data collection approach to build a cohesive evidence base across all three evaluations. It also includes coordinating evidence building activities with other DOL agencies, contractors, and other stakeholders through convenings and quarterly newsletters.

The FARE Grant Navigators implementation study will capture the nature of programs established by 2021 and 2022 FARE grantees, assess the nature and degree of grantees’ achievement of FARE grant goals, and identify key learnings from FARE grantees with respect to challenges and promising practices.

The UI Navigators implementation study will focus on ARPA UI Navigator grants to seven states to better understand how UI agencies partnered with community-based organizations (CBOs) to reduce disparities in access to UI benefits and services and to explore barriers in implementation. It will also include an evaluability assessment for an impact study on the effectiveness and impact of UI Navigator models.

The TAA Navigators formative study will focus on the implementation of Navigator programs across states and how those programs have provided hands-on assistance to workers to increase enrollment in TAA and improve training and employment outcomes. It will also include an evaluability assessment for an impact study on the effectiveness and impact of UI Navigator models.

This Department of Labor-funded project 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.

This portfolio includes the studies below. Select a study for more information.

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 and CEO’s research development process.