Workforce Development and Economic Development Strategic Planning Initiative
Neighborhood Networks Strategic Planning and Organizational Development
Housing/Jobs Linkage Program—Alameda County, California
Program Evaluation of Black Lung Program, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
Job Competency Analyses for IRS Research Employees, U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Organizational Assessment of Emergency Planning and Response Functions, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Transition Team-Building Plan, Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Office of Native American Programs (ONAP)
Welfare-to-Work and Resident Self-Sufficiency Initiatives
Study of Entry-Level Transportation Construction Workforce Shortages—Florida Department of Transportation
Workforce Development and Economic Development Strategic Planning Initiative
Under a U.S. Department of Labor grant, ICF International assisted Union County, New Jersey, in the development of a strategic plan to integrate the plans and activities of its workforce development and economic development efforts.
As part of the process, Union County hosted a summit of more than 300 workforce development and economic development professionals for a two-day conference, titled "A Tale of Two Systems," to examine how these two professions could better coordinate their efforts and work collaboratively.
ICF International developed and facilitated the conference/summit and also created interactive case studies that highlight both the problems and the opportunities of better collaboration between these two groups. The conference resulted in a report and recommendations that guided
the county’s effort to develop the strategy so that these groups can work in concert to foster both economic development and increased employment in the county.
Neighborhood Networks Strategic Planning and Organizational Development
ICF International assisted the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Neighborhood Networks initiative—an effort to develop computer training centers and information resources in low-income housing developments—in
creating its organization structure, defining organizational roles and relationships, identifying and promoting the volunteer structure, developing business models for center activities, and providing technical assistance and training
to those centers. As part of this effort, ICF International organized and managed a three-day strategic planning retreat that used scenario planning to plot the future and develop plans and strategies to sustain the Neighborhood Networks Initiative. ICF International worked
with HUD and volunteer leaders to plan an agenda that used innovative visioning techniques by combining open space technology and scenario planning facilitation tools. In addition, ICF International provided training to center managers and leaders on how to develop relationships
with the business, civic, and nonprofit communities in their cities to garner funding and support, as well as training on how to identify, cultivate, provide, and promote local computer services for micro-enterprise, health care, education, and other areas of economic development. ICF International's work helped lead to a dramatic
expansion of the computer centers through commercial funding, foundation support, and public-private partnerships.
Housing/Jobs Linkage Program—Alameda County, California
ICF International facilitated strategic planning activities for a collaborative that included Alameda County, California; several nonprofit organizations; and seven homeless shelters. The outcome was a strategic plan that focused on developing self-sufficiency opportunities related to housing and employment for homeless families in Alameda County.
Program Evaluation of Black Lung Program, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
ICF International is currently conducting a program evaluation of the DOL Black Lung Program, administered by the Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation (DCMWC), which provides important financial and medical benefits to former coal miners who have been disabled by pneumoconiosis—black
lung disease—a devastating illness caused by prolonged inhalation of coal mine dust. The purpose of the evaluation is to identify performance measures for the Black Lung program, assess the program’s efficiency and effectiveness against those measures, and identify areas
for improvement. The outcome of ICF International’s evaluation will help improve services provided by the Black Lung program to coal miners and other program beneficiaries (i.e., survivors, dependents), and will help DOL improve its Office of Management and Budget Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) assessments.
Job Competency Analyses for IRS Research Employees, U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
In response to a reorganization, the IRS asked ICF International to evaluate whether or not the capabilities of research employees aligned with current and future job requirements. ICF International identified gaps in competency and performance and used the findings to create
a competency-based learning plan (CBLP) process to support the organization's professional development needs. Each CBLP aligns the competencies for a job category with the gaps identified, suggests courses to close the gaps, and provides options for training. The CBLP process allows
managers to develop flexible, targeted training plans for each employee, and to have the necessary information to make strategic decisions about learning needs. The CBLP process is being incorporated into the IRS Individual Development Plan (IDP) process.
Organizational Assessment of Emergency Planning and Response Functions, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
ICF International analyzed the organization’s emergency response role and identified options to improve the lines of authority, including reorganization and other means of institutionalizing authority. We examined HHS' roles in emergency preparedness, existing relationships (processes, structures,
authority, and communication) among senior management, and the integration and use of elements of the Commissioned Corp system in emergency response, to recommend options for refinements and improvements.
Transition Team-Building Plan, Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Office of Native American Programs (ONAP)
ICF International developed this plan to aid ONAP staff through a major reorganization. ONAP had developed all reorganization materials and approaches, but had not sufficiently involved staff in the transition planning phase
of the organizational change. ICF International conducted focus sessions with ONAP staff and interviews with office administrators. We compiled information, identified key challenges, and developed nine key recommendations to deal with the challenges and increase the chances for successful change.
Welfare-to-Work and Resident Self-Sufficiency Initiatives
ICF International and a subcontractor assessed the design of locally implemented U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) employment and training programs to identify the specific service components used by Public Housing Authorities to help residents of public and assisted housing
make the transition from welfare to work, examine whether these practices were consistent with what research has determined to be effective approaches, and assess the linkages between the HUD programs and the human services and employment and training systems in the community.
Our assessment framework was based on an extensive review of the employment and training research literature and the compilation of a list of promising practices. Site visits were conducted in six communities to compare the design of the HUD programs to the promising practices
suggested by the research literature and to explore the linkages among the HUD programs and the labor and human service systems in each community. The final report documented findings from each community and explored patterns across the communities visited.
Study of Entry-Level Transportation Construction Workforce Shortages—Florida Department of Transportation
The growth in the need for transportation construction workers in the state of Florida has outpaced the growth in available workers. To determine the causes of and potential remedies for the existing and projected entry-level transportation construction workforce shortages, ICF is reviewing and analyzing the job choice and selection literature to understand the factors that contribute to job choice decisions, conducting a “policy capturing” study with high school students likely to be part of the unskilled labor market to capture their "policies" on what they look for when they choose a job, and collecting information on best practices in marketing and recruiting for unskilled construction jobs. These methods have complimentary strengths and, when used together, can create the most accurate and complete picture of the workforce shortage issues and potential solutions.
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