Grantees are required to produce eight core products and services with PY 2002 funding. Except for those core products which are expected to be standard to allow comparability across states (such as population of the ALMIS Database core tables, production and dissemination of long-term employment projections and short-term employment forecasts), all other core products and services allow states flexibility to address the priority while determining the form and content that best meets the state's needs.

The plan statement of work will be posted on a secure ETA supported Web site to allow review by the workforce development system. For consistency and ease of review, the format of the statement of work must discretely and concisely address each of the planned products and services and include the following information for each:

• A description of the core product or other major activitiy, including the principal customers, e.g., employers, job seekers, workforce boards, workforce development professionals or others, and the methodology to be used, where appropriate;

• the focus of each product or activity, e.g., data or economic analysis, correcting data gaps, system development, One-Stop service delivery or other;

• a summary of the results of consultation with the State Board and other customers concerning the deliverable;

• how the product or activity supports the State's WIA/Wagner-Peyser Five Year Strategic Plan;

• the measurable customer outcome(s) projected for each core product or other major activity;

• planned milestones for completion of the deliverable;

• total estimated cost of each deliverable, including identification of planned equipment purchases of $5,000 or more per unit cost.

Core Products and Services

1) Continue to populate the ALMIS Database with state data.

The ALMIS Database structure is designed to provide states with a resource for storing information in a single format and location, to facilitate information delivery to a wide range of customers. The database is intended to serve as the cornerstone for information delivery, labor market research and product development. States are required to populate all tables designated as core tables in accordance with guidelines issued by the ALMIS Database Consortium. Information and technical support are provided at the Consortium's Web site at: http://almis.dws.state.ut.us.

The most current release of the ALMIS Database structure is version 2.2. Depending on existing state applications for accessing the database, some states may need to continue maintaining an earlier version for a period of time. States are required to state in the plan which version of the database is currently being used and the projected date for upgrading to version 2.2 if an earlier version is currently used.

States are required to populate the following database files: license.dbf, licauth.dbf and lichist.dbf. Licensing data must be updated every two years. States are required to submit licensing data through the National Crosswalk Service Center (NCSC) for inclusion on the America=s Career Information Network (ACINet) site. The NCSC also provides support to the ALMIS Database Consortium and state ALMIS Database administrators, including access to ALMIS Database files and information on updates to those files.

The licensed occupations information found in ACINet were recently recoded from an OES to the O*NET SOC coding taxonomy. The NCSC recently distributed the recoded data to state ALMIS Database Administrators. States are free to use any occupational coding taxonomy for the licensing information delivered in state systems. However, the files included in ACINet must be coded to O*NET SOC. The NCSC will assist states in recoding their files, if necessary. States may access information and support through the NCSC web site at http://www.xwalkcenter.org or by calling 515-242-5034.

States are encouraged to participate in Basic ALMIS Database Training through the LMI Institute, if needed. The curriculum is technical in nature and is targeted to new or inexperienced staff with responsibility for ALMIS Database work. Instruction is conducted with the assistance of the ALMIS Database Consortium.

Funds may be used for equipment, programming, database population, staff or other costs required to implement and maintain the database.

2) Produce and disseminate long-term, industry and occupational employment projections.

Continue to produce and disseminate state-level, long-term industry and occupational employment projections for calendar years 2000 to 2010, using the methodology, software tools and guidelines developed by the Projections Consortium and the Projections Managing

Partnership. The primary focus for PY 2002 should be the production of sub-state, long-term projections. Inability to produce sub-state projections due to size or other restrictions must be noted in the plan. In addition, states should develop NAICS-based historical industry employment series for state and sub-state areas and test the series with the long-term projections models.

States are required to populate the ALMIS Database with the 2000 - 2010 projections data and submit the data for public dissemination following procedures established by the Projections Consortium and the Projections Managing Partnership.

3) Produce and disseminate short-term, industry and occupational employment forecasts.

Continue to produce and disseminate state-level, short-term industry and occupational employment forecasts using the methodology, software tools and guidelines developed by the Projections Consortium and the Projections Managing Partnership. The primary focus for PY 2002 is for states to develop NAICS-based historical industry employment series for state and sub-state areas and to test the series with the short-term projections models. The NAICS-based occupational files produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which are an input requirement to complete NAICS-based occupational forecasts, will not be available to states until PY 2003.

States are required to populate the ALMIS Database with the 2001 -2003 projections data and submit the data for public dissemination following procedures established by the Projections Consortium and the Projections Managing Partnership.

4) Provide occupational and career information products for public use.

Continue to improve and disseminate customer focused occupational and career information products, incorporating related information such as occupational supply information, employment projections, forecasts and trends, and skills requirements. All products must be O*NET SOC-based and must be developed in consultation with intended customers. States will determine the appropriate media for dissemination of this information. Describe the products to be developed, including the products= intended utility for customers.

5) Provide an employer name and address list that can be accessed by the public.

The majority of states are licensed to use the ALMIS Employer Database. Licensed states are required to integrate the ALMIS Employer Database with the ALMIS Database in accordance with ALMIS Database Consortium guidelines. States not licensed are required to provide public access to an alternative, comprehensive employer name and address list to facilitate job search, job development and for other purposes.

States are required to provide applications allowing electronic public access to the employer name and address list and describe in the plan, the employer name and address list being used or developed, how customers will access the information and the functionality of the application for workforce development requirements and operations in the state.

The ALMIS Employer Database also resides on the ACINet site. States have the option of directly using ACINet or developing system links to the site for public access to the employer name and address list.

6) Provide information and support to Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and produce other state information products and services.

Describe the information products and services to be provided, as a result of consultation, to support WIB planning, analysis, policy development and program operations. Also describe any special information products and services to be provided at the request of principal customers or other stakeholders.

7) Improve and deploy electronic state workforce information delivery systems.

Funds are provided to support continued improvement and deployment of publicly accessible state workforce electronic information delivery systems. Grantees are required to deploy applications that allow electronic public access to the state's ALMIS Database. States are encouraged to develop systems that facilitate customer access to information across multiple states and for labor market areas that cross state boundaries.

Describe what system activities will be undertaken to improve customer access to workforce information. Examples include, but are not limited to, upgrading system content and technology, improving formats and ease of use, deploying Web-based or other electronic applications for self-service, developing systems which are compatible with other states= workforce information systems for interstate functionality, or integrating workforce information systems with other workforce operating systems.

Funds may be used for system development, procurement, implementation or other necessary costs.

8) Support state workforce information training activities.

Describe the training activities to be undertaken to increase staff and customer understanding of workforce information. The plan must describe the type of training to be provided and its purpose, the intended recipients of the training, the number of training sessions planned or alternative methods of training delivery to be used. Funds may be used to support the costs of course development, training materials, training delivery, facility rental, tuition, training related travel expenses and other associated costs necessary to provide workforce information training. States are encouraged to take advantage of the standard and customized training offered by the LMI Institute.