About the Study

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) developed a Technical Assistance (TA) Center Program comprising five TA Centers which seek to promote successful employment policy and practices for people with disabilities. Each center had a unique focus, including assisting customers with workforce accommodations, systems-level changes, and accessible technology, as well as finding ways to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

To gain knowledge of customer satisfaction with the TA Center Program, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) of DOL, in partnership with ODEP, conducted a two-phased study to examine the extent to which the Program meets customer needs, as well as the reach and satisfaction with services provided by the individual TA Centers.

Phase I began in 2016 and focused on determining the feasibility of conducting a customer satisfaction survey of the five TA Centers. ODEP conducted semi-structured interviews of staff from all TA Centers, conducted in-person site visits with three TA Centers, and reviewed documents such as monthly metrics reports, quarterly reports, grant applications, work plans, meeting notes, and logic models. Phase II began in 2019 and focused on customer satisfaction with two TA Centers: the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), and the Employer Assistance Resource Network (EARN). ODEP conducted semi-structured telephone interviews of customers and staff from the two TA Centers, and reviewed data on customer satisfaction and service utilization. The study includes a final report and two issue briefs.

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.