About the Study

In 2017, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) to fund contractor Mathematica to conduct the Wage and Hour Division’s Compliance Strategies Evaluation. The impact design and outcomes evaluation aim to build evidence on how to assess effective compliance strategies and compliance assistance within WHD, including exploring ways WHD may use external data for ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The study also included design options for an impact evaluation of compliance assistance strategies informed by behavioral science. The design options will provide a framework and logic model for WHD’s compliance assistance program and will support WHD in using rapid evaluation to support continuous learning and improvement.

The Department of Labor-funded study was a result of the annual learning agenda process. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform worker protection programs and policies and addresses Department strategic goals and priorities.

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.