For current policy on Designation and Redesignation of LWIAs and Planning Regions, please see the WIOA Transition Letter on the Notices tab.

1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) vests local chief elected officials (CEOs) with significant authority to provide leadership in the development, operation and performance of local workforce development programs.  Under WIOA, local chief elected officials:
   1. Serve as grant recipient for WIOA funds or to designate an alternative entity as grant subrecipient or fiscal agent;  (Refer to the Chief Elected Official Delegation of Authority and Acknowledgment of Financial Liability section of the policy manual.)
   2. Assume financial liability for any grant funds determined to be misused or unallowable even when alternate grant subrecipients or fiscal agents are appointed;  (Refer to the Chief Elected Official Delegation of Authority and Acknowledgment of Financial Liability section of the policy manual.)
   3. Appoint members of local workforce innovation board; and
   4. Approve all significant actions of local workforce innovation board, including the board’s competitive selection of a one-stop center operator, the negotiated local memorandum of understanding, the board’s desire to provide career services prior to requesting approval from the Governor and the local workforce innovation board budget.
2. WIOA also positions chief elected officials to consult with the Governor regarding significant structural, planning, operational and performance matters pertaining to the delivery of workforce services, including consultation related to:
   1. Designation of local areas;
   2. Identification of planning regions;
   3. Allocation of WIOA funds;
   4. The development of a Unified State Plan;
   5. Development of a reorganization plan for local workforce innovation board (LWIB), if an LWIB is decertified; and
   6. The operation and certification of local one-stop centers, including consultation with the Governor regarding policies related to and funding of one-stop center infrastructure costs.
3. Under WIOA, chief elected officials are required to work in partnership with local workforce innovation boards to assure the local workforce system responds to the local needs of employers in sectors critical to the local and regional economies, including by:
   1. Developing a local plan that meets local workforce development needs and the requirements of WIOA;
   2. Engaging in regional planning with other chief elected officials and local workforce innovation boards designated by the Governor as being in the same region;
   3. In conjunction with the state, carrying  out statewide rapid response activities using funds reserved by the Governor, including additional assistance to local areas that experience disasters, mass layoffs, or plant closings, or other events that precipitate substantial increases in the number of unemployed individuals;
   4. Negotiating local performance accountability measures under WIOA;
   5. Establishing and operating a fiscal and management accountability information system based on guidelines established by the Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Education; and
   6. Conducting ongoing oversight of workforce development activities to assure appropriate management and use of funds and to maximize performance outcomes.
4. Chief elected officials must periodically review all local agreements pertaining to the delivery of workforce development services within the local workforce innovation area.  All local agreements, including the CEO Agreement (if required) must comport with responsibilities WIOA defines for CEOs.
5. Chief elected officials in local workforce innovation areas comprised of more than one unit of general local government are required to periodically review their existing CEO Agreement to ensure that it conforms to this policy.  If changes are necessary, a revised CEO Agreement should be forwarded to:

   Chief Elected Officials Agreement
   Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
   Office of Employment and Training
   500 East Monroe Street – 9^th Floor
   Springfield, Illinois 62701

6. A checklist that outlines the required elements of the CEO Agreement as well as a suggested template accompanies this policy.

1. All LWIAs comprised of more than one unit of general local government must establish a written agreement, known as a CEO Agreement, among the CEOs in the LWIA.  At a minimum, this written agreement shall:
   1. Describe the process and method CEO(s) will use to appoint members of the Local Workforce Board (LWIB), including each individual CEO’s role in the appointment process and how appointments will be distributed between or among CEOs in the local workforce innovation area;
   2. Name the entity CEOs designate as grant recipient or grant subrecipient;
   3. Name the entity CEOs designate as fiscal agent in the local workforce area;
   4. Identify the method, formula or other basis on which each unit of general local government’s liability for misspent funds or disallowed costs will be determined, including acknowledging that any required repayment of funds must be made from non-federal fund sources;
   5. Define the process and method to be used to make all other significant decisions required pursuant to the responsibilities of CEOs under WIOA, including any formula or other method for weighted voting to which the CEOs agree;
   6. Specify how the CEOs will fulfill their responsibilities to partner with the LWIB to develop and submit the local and regional plans; provide WIOA program oversight; select one-stop operators; approve the LWIB budget; approve “additional” one-stop partners; and agree on the memorandum of understanding; and
   7. Describe how the CEOs will consult with the state to negotiate local performance measures; coordinate the development of a reorganization plan following any LWIB decertification; provide rapid response activities; establish fiscal and accountability management systems; and consult with the Governor or the Secretary of Labor concerning activities in the local area funded by the State or US Department of Labor.

This policy describes chief elected official (CEO) authority as the local grant recipient, including the authority to designate local grant subrecipients and fiscal agents for grant funds provided under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).  It also defines each chief elected official’s liability for WIOA funds determined to be misspent or used for unallowable purposes.

1. The definitions provided in the CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Definition of Terms section of this policy apply to this policy and to the related CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form.
2. For purposes of interpreting the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200) (Uniform Requirements), the State of Illinois is considered the “recipient” of WIOA funds.  Entities that receive WIOA funds from the State of Illinois, such as Local Workforce Innovation Areas, are considered “subrecipients” of WIOA funds under the Uniform Requirements.
3. Under WIOA, “grant recipient” refers to a local CEO receiving WIOA funds from the State, and “grant subrecipient” refers to an entity designated by a local CEO to receive WIOA funds from the State. This policy follows the WIOA definitions for “recipient” and “subrecipient.”
4. “CEO” or “Chief Elected Official,” when used in this policy, means the CEO’s unit of general local government, not the CEO personally, except in reference to:
   1. The individuals required to sign the CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form and the grant-related documents in the Chief Elected Official’s Financial Liability section of this policy, numbers 2, 5, and 6 herein; and
   2. The individuals required to sign section five of the CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form.

1. The local CEO within each single CEO Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA) shall serve as the grant recipient for funds under WIOA unless the local CEO designates a grant subrecipient. (WIOA Section 107(d)(12)(B)(i))
2. Local CEOs in LWIAs comprised of multiple units of general local government may designate a single CEO as the grant recipient or designate another entity to be the grant subrecipient.
3. The entity functioning in the capacity of grant recipient or grant subrecipient must enter into a grant relationship with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the Department) for all WIOA Title I funds (i.e., youth, adult, and dislocated workers).  The grant recipient or grant subrecipient will be the receiver of record for all WIOA Title I funds allocated to the local area from the Department.
4. The grant recipient or subrecipient must disburse funds at the direction of the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB), as long as that direction does not violate a provision of WIOA.  As stated in the Chief Elected Official’s Financial Liability section of this policy, number 3, a separate entity may be designated to perform fiscal agent responsibilities.

1. The CEO(s) within each LWIA is financially responsible for the use of WIOA funds within that LWIA, whether the CEO serves as the grant recipient or another entity is designated to serve in that capacity. 
   1. In the case of multiple CEOs, all CEOs in the LWIA are jointly and severally liable for any improper expenditures.
   2. This means that the political jurisdiction of the CEO is liable for any misuse of WIOA grant funds allocated to the local area and must repay the State using non-federal funds for any improper or unallowable expenditures.
2. When an alternate entity is designated as the grant subrecipient by the CEO(s), a separate agreement between the CEO(s) and the grant subrecipient, as well as a CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form, are required.
   1. The CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form will make explicit the local grant subrecipient arrangement and acknowledge the CEO’s individual or collective (in the case of multiple CEOs) financial liability for WIOA funds. 
   2. The CEO, or all CEOs in multiple CEO areas, is required to sign this form and submit it to the Department. 
   3. Under this designation arrangement, funds flow to the entity selected by the CEO(s) to function as the grant subrecipient.
   4. The designated entity receiving funds from the Department must have an authorized representative from that entity execute the grant agreements and related budget and disclosure forms.
3. When an alternate entity is designated as fiscal agent by the CEO(s), there must be a written agreement between the fiscal agent and CEO(s) to define the roles and responsibilities of the fiscal agent.
   1. The CEO(s) must also include the designated fiscal agent’s information on the CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form. 
   2. The designated fiscal agent must meet the minimum qualifications defined by the GATA Framework for a Grantee Fiscal Agent Function (the GATA Framework) (see website link on the References tab). 
   3. The CEO-Fiscal Agent Agreement must follow the GATA Framework and must include one or more of the following fiscal agent functions specified in 20 CFR 679.420: 
      1. Receive funds from the grant recipient or grant subrecipient (if a separate entity is designated as the grant subrecipient);
      2. Ensure sustained fiscal integrity and accountability for expenditures of funds in accordance with OMB circulars, WIOA, and corresponding Federal Regulations and State policies;
      3. Respond to audit financial findings;
      4. Maintain proper accounting records and adequate documentation;
      5. Prepare financial reports; and
      6. Provide technical assistance to grant recipients or subrecipients regarding fiscal issues. 
      7. At the direction of the local workforce innovation board, the fiscal agent may also:
         1. Procure contracts or obtain written agreements;
         2. Conduct financial monitoring of service providers; and
         3. Ensure independent audit of all employment and training programs. 
4. A local organization/entity may be selected or otherwise designated to perform more than one of the following functions:  fiscal agent, local workforce innovation board staff, one-stop operator, direct provider of career services or training services. 
5. If a local organization/entity is performing more than one of these functions, there must be a written agreement with the local workforce innovation board and the CEO(s) to clarify how the organization will carry out its responsibilities while demonstrating compliance with WIOA and corresponding regulations, relevant OMB Circulars, and the State’s conflict of interest policy.  A separate CEO-Fiscal Agent Agreement is not required. 
6. In instances in which the CEO is the grant recipient, the CEO is the party authorized to sign grant agreements and related budget and disclosure forms with the Department under WIOA. 
   1. The CEO may delegate signature authority to another person(s) within the CEO’s organization to execute grant agreements and related budget and disclosure forms. 
   2. The CEO may designate other agents within or outside the CEO’s organization to sign other grant-related documents, such as periodic reports. 
   3. The delegation of signature authority by chief elected officials is accomplished by completing the attached CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form. 
   4. In areas comprised of multiple CEOs, each CEO is required to sign the attached form.
   5. All individuals with either type of designated signature authority must also be listed on the grant agreements as an authorized designee.
7. In order to establish a designation arrangement regarding the local grant subrecipient under WIOA, delegation of signature authority, and the acknowledgment of financial responsibility, CEOs are required to submit the attached CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form as well as the CEO(s)/grant subrecipient agreement, if applicable.
   1. In areas comprised of multiple CEOs, each CEO is required to sign this form, which will be included as an addendum to the comprehensive four (4)-year local plan.

1. The CEO(s) of each LWIA is required to submit a CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form as set forth in the Chief Elected Official’s Financial Liability section of this policy, number 2:
   1. When the local CEO(s) wishes to name or change the grant recipient, subrecipient, or fiscal agent.
   2. When the local CEO(s) or designated grant subrecipient elects to change the designation of individuals who may sign grant agreements or grant-related documents with the Department.
   3. When an LWIA is reconfigured and the units of general local government included in the new LWIA change.
2. In instances in which the CEO(s) of an LWIA has elected to designate a grant subrecipient or fiscal agent pursuant to the Chief Elected Official’s Financial Liability section of this policy, numbers 2 or 3 herein, respectively, or where a local entity is selected or designated to perform more than one of the functions as set forth in the Chief Elected Official’s Financial Liability section of this policy, number 4 herein, the CEO(s) must submit the applicable Grant Subrecipient, Fiscal Agent, and/or Entity Multiple Function Agreement(s):
   1. When the local CEO(s) wishes to name or change the grant subrecipient or fiscal agent.
   2. When the local CEO(s) selects or otherwise designates an entity to perform more than one of the following functions:  fiscal agent, local workforce innovation board staff, one-stop operator, direct provider of career services or training services. 
   3. When an LWIA is reconfigured and the units of general local government included in the new LWIA change.
3. Upon completion, the CEO Acknowledgment and Designation Form, Grant Subrecipient Agreement, Fiscal Agent Agreement and Entity Multiple Function Agreement should be forwarded to:

Chief Elected Officials Governance Forms and Agreements
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Office of Employment and Training
500 East Monroe Street – 9^th Floor
Springfield, Illinois 62701

This policy provides guidelines by which membership of all Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) shall be configured and established.

1. The authority to appoint members to the LWIB lies solely with the chief elected official(s) (CEOs).  Appointments should be made in accordance with the CEO Agreement as outlined in the Chief Elected Official Delegation of Authority and Acknowledgment of Financial Liability section of the policy manual.
2. The CEO should give special consideration to assuring an appropriate ethnic and gender balance and other representation as reflective of the local area.
3. Representatives of organizations, agencies or other entities serving on the local board shall be individuals with optimum policy-making authority within the organizations, agencies or entities they represent and represent diverse geographic areas within the local area. 
   1. A representative with optimum policy-making authority is an individual who can reasonably be expected to speak affirmatively on behalf of the entity he or she represents and to commit that entity to a chosen course of action.

Membership of each LWIB shall be comprised of or meet the following requirements:

1. Business representatives that:
   1. Reflect a majority of all board members. (This is defined as greater than fifty percent (50%) of all board membership);
   2. Are owners of businesses, chief executives, operating officers, or other business executives or employers with optimum policy-making or hiring authority;
   3. Include at least two (2) representatives of small businesses as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Refer to the Small Business Administration Table of Small Business Size Standards listed on the References tab;
   4. Represent businesses that provide employment opportunities that, at a minimum, include high-quality and work-relevant training and development in in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area;
      1. Key industry sectors;
      2. Labor Market Information (LMI) provided by the state to each area that reflects current employment and future projections by industry sector and tallies of establishments by employment size by major industry sectors; and
      3. Additional sources of labor market information to help demonstrate the appropriate business composition of the board as indicated by the Chief Elected Officials (CEOs); and
   5. Are appointed from among individuals nominated by local business organizations and business trade associations.
2. Not less than twenty percent (20%) of the members of the local board shall be representatives of the workforce within the local area, which:  
   1. Shall include two (2) or more representatives of labor organizations where such organizations exist in the local area and who have been nominated by local labor federations.  Where labor organizations do not exist in the local area, representatives must be selected from other employee representatives. 
   2. Shall include a representative of a joint labor-management or union-affiliated, registered apprenticeship program within the area who must be a training director or a member of a labor organization.  If no union-affiliated registered apprenticeship program exists in an area, then a representative of a registered apprenticeship program with no union affiliation must be appointed if such program exists.   
   3. May include representatives of community-based organizations (private, nonprofit organizations) that have demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing the employment needs of individuals with barriers to employment as defined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), including organizations that serve veterans or provide or support competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities; and
   4. May include representatives of organizations that have demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing the employment, training, or education needs of eligible youth, including out-of-school youth.  
   5. A representative with “demonstrated experience and expertise” means an individual who:
      1. Is a workplace learning advisor as defined in WIOA;
      2. Contributes to the field of workforce development, human resources, training and development, or a core program function; or
      3. The local board recognizes for valuable contributions in education or workforce development-related fields.  
3. Entities administering education and training activities in the local area which:
   1. Shall include an eligible provider administering adult education and literacy activities under WIOA Title II; and
   2. Shall include a representative of institutions of higher education providing workforce investment activities (including community colleges). 
   3. If the local area includes multiple providers of adult education and literacy programs and multiple institutions of higher education, each representative described in a. and b. shall be appointed from among individuals nominated by each respective group.  
   4. May also include representatives of local education agencies and community-based organizations (private, non-profit organizations) with demonstrated expertise addressing the education or training needs of individuals with barriers to employment as defined in WIOA.  
4. Each local board shall have representatives of governmental and economic and community development entities serving the local area, which:
   1. Shall include a representative of economic and community development entities defined in WIOA;
   2. Shall include an appropriate representative of the state employment service office under Wagner-Peyser serving the local area;
   3. Shall include an appropriate representative of programs in the area providing services under Title I of the Rehabilitation Services Act of 1973, other than Sec. 112 or Part C of the Title, serving the local area; 
   4. May include representatives of agencies that administer programs providing transportation, housing, or public assistance in the local area; and
   5. May include representatives of philanthropic organizations serving the local area.
5. Each local board may also have representatives of agencies or entities the chief elected official(s) in the local area may deem appropriate.
6. An LWIB member may represent multiple programs under WIOA in certain circumstances:
   1. With the exception noted in c. below, an individual may be appointed as a representative of more than one (1) program if that individual meets all criteria for representation, including the criteria described in the Final Rules.
      1. A labor representative could also serve as the required apprenticeship representative if the individual meets the criteria for representing both membership categories.  
   2. Individuals representing more than one (1) program must have optimum policy-making authority within each of the programs they are representing.
   3. A representative of higher education may not simultaneously represent adult education and literacy activities under WIOA Title II. The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) approved Adult Education and Family Literacy representative, preferably the Project Director or the Project Coordinator, must have direct oversight of the adult education program.
7. All required board members must have voting privileges.  The CEO may convey voting privileges to non-required members.  

1. The Chief Elected Official (CEO) shall set the term limits for board members.
2. Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) bylaws shall include provisions that set fixed-length terms and include how the board will treat vacancies.
3. Membership terms shall also be staggered so that only a portion of membership terms expire in a given year.  All appointments will end on September 30 (9/30) in a given year.

1. A Chairperson for the local board must be elected from among the business representatives of the board.

1. The local board may designate and direct the activities of standing committees to assist the board in carrying out its activities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 107(b)(4) if the following requirements are met:
   1. The standing committee must be chaired by a member of the local board; and
   2. The standing committee must include individuals appointed by the local board who are not members of the local board and whom the local board has determined have demonstrated experience and expertise in accordance with the definition stated in the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Composition section of this policy. 
2. The local board may designate standing committees as it determines appropriate, including the following standing committees:
   1. A standing committee to assist with operational and other issues related to the one-stop delivery system, which may include as members representatives of one-stop partners;
   2. A standing committee to assist with planning, operational, and other issues related to services to youth, which shall include community-based organizations with a demonstrated record of success in serving eligible youth; and
   3. A standing committee to provide information and to assist with operational and other issues relating to the provision of services to individuals with disabilities, including issues relating to compliance with WIOA, if applicable, and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 regarding providing programmatic and physical access to the services, programs and activities of the one-stop delivery system, as well as appropriate staff training on providing supports for or accommodations to, and finding employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. 
3. Members of the local board may also serve as members of a standing committee.
4. A local board may designate a standing or other committee that existed under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 as a standing committee pursuant to this policy as long as the requirements in item 1.a. are met.  
5. All standing committees, except for an Executive Committee, shall be advisory and will make recommendations to the full local board.

1. In a case in which a local area includes more than one (1) unit of general local government, the chief elected officials of such units shall execute an agreement as described in the Chief Elected Official Delegation of Authority and Acknowledgment of Financial Liability section of the policy manual.

1. These nomination requirements apply to all business and labor appointments to the local board as well as adult education and higher education entities when multiple providers are in the area. 
2. The Chief Elected Official (CEO) must contact appropriate businesses, workforce, or educational entities, including chambers of commerce, labor representatives and local educational entities serving the local area, to request nominations for local workforce board membership. 
3. Business representatives are to be nominated by local business organizations and business trade associations.  Such organizations may consist of local chambers of commerce or business councils.
4. Labor representatives are to be nominated by local labor federations such as labor councils or building and trades councils or (for an LWIA in which no employees are represented by such organizations) by other representatives of employees, such as employee organizations and/or the State AFL-CIO.  A labor representative cannot be nominated by a local union.
5. Local providers administering adult education and family literacy activities are to be nominated by other providers identified by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) when multiple providers are in the local area.
6. Local institutions of higher education are to be nominated by other institutions governed by the Illinois State Board of Higher Education (IBHE) when multiple institutions are in the local area.
7. Individuals may nominate themselves if they meet the criteria to nominate and represent the business, organization, or program for which they are being nominated.
8. All nominations must be made using the LWIB Nomination Form (OET/LWIB Form # 001). (See the Forms & Instructions tab.)
9. All Nomination Forms must be fully completed, signed, and dated to be accepted.
10. The Nominated individual must sign and date the Appointment/Reappointment Form within one (1) year of the Nominator’s signature and date.
11. The Nomination Form must accompany the Appointment/Reappointment Form (OET/LWIB Form # 002) and is required for initial appointments only.  (See the Forms & Instructions tab.)   A nomination form is not required for reappointments.
12. Form # 001 in an Excel format is provided as an attachment to this policy. 
13. Form # 001 is only required for an initial appointment.

1. Members serving on Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) who subsequently retire or no longer hold the board position or status that made them eligible board members must resign or be removed by the Chief Elected Official (CEO) immediately as a board member.  To retain their knowledge and experience, the CEO may appoint them to an LWIB standing committee as outlined in the LWIB Standing Committees section of this policy.  (These individuals would be a member of the committee but not a member of the LWIB.)
2. LWIBs may, under the circumstances indicated in their local bylaws, remove board members at their discretion for justifiable cause.
3. LWIB vacancies must be filled within ninety (90) days of the vacancy.

1. The Chief Elected Official(s) (CEO(s) in a Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA) are authorized to make all reappointments of members of the local board for that designated area in accordance with the CEO Agreement.  Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) reappointments must be made within ninety (90) days of the term expiration.
2. Appointment or reappointment of an individual as a member of the LWIB must be made using the Appointment/Reappointment Form (OET/LWIB Form # 002) generated in the Local Workforce Area Contact System (LWACS).
3. If an appointee is representing multiple entities filling multiple seats on the board, then two (2) separate appointment forms are required.
4. The Appointment/Reappointment Form must be fully completed, signed, and dated to be accepted.  An updated and fully completed electronic copy of the Composition Summary Form (OET/LWIB Form # 003) generated in LWACS must accompany any Appointment/Reappointment Form.
5. The CEO must sign and date the Composition Summary Form following these guidelines:
   1. The CEO’s signature and date may be an original signature, a stamp or an electronic signature;
   2. The CEO’s signature and date must be made within ninety (90) days of the appointed individual’s signature and date on the Appointment/Reappointment Form(s);
   3. In LWIAs where there are multiple chief elected officials, the Composition Summary Form must be signed by ALL chief elected officials using the Additional Signature Form (OET/LWIB Form # 004) unless they have designated one or more of the chief elected officials to act on behalf of all of the chief elected officials through the CEO Agreement; and
   4. Where an LWIA has designated one or more CEOs to act on behalf of multiple CEOs, a CEO Agreement must be on file with the Office of Employment and Training.
6. A digital copy of the Nomination Form, if applicable, Appointment/Reappointment Form and Composition Summary Form must be uploaded LWACS within thirty (30) days of the CEO’s signature and date of the Composition Summary Form.
7. The completed packet must be uploaded to LWACS.
8. The composition of each LWIB will be reviewed periodically by the state to ensure compliance. 
9. The state will notify the LWIB in writing if conditions exist that are not in compliance with WIOA or the requirements of this policy.

1. Any change to the Chairperson designation should be forwarded in writing to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Employment and Training (OET) and updated in the Local Workforce Area Contact System (LWACS) within thirty (30) calendar days.  (See the Contacts tab.

1. A member of a Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) or a member of a standing committee:
   1. Must publicly disclose to the LWIB if he/she has a real or perceived conflict of interest prior to discussion;
   2. May not vote on any matter under consideration by the local board:
      1. Regarding the provision of services by such member (or by a program that such member represents); or
      2. That would provide direct financial benefit to such member or the immediate family of such member, or the organization the member represents;
   3. May not engage in any other activity determined by the Governor to constitute a conflict of interest as specified in the state plan; and
   4. The minutes of LWIB meetings shall document compliance with these conflict of interest requirements.  

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Employment and Training (OET) will make a determination regarding the certification of all Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) based on compliance with criteria established in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and this policy. 

1. The composition of each Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) will be evaluated on the following criteria:
   1. Federal membership composition requirements encompassing business, representatives of the workforce, including labor organizations, local education program representatives and representatives of governmental and economic and community development entities;
   2. Specific requirements for each of the above membership categories; (Refer to the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Membership Requirements section of the policy manual.)
   3. Authority of board members (optimum policy-making authority);
   4. Majority business membership;
   5. At least twenty percent (20%) workforce/labor membership; and
   6. Compliance with the Chief Elected Official (CEO) Agreement and LWIB Bylaws of the local board.
2. If the LWIB meets the requirements for initial certification, it will be certified for a two (2)-year period. 
3. Initial LWIB certification requires the electronic submittal of a complete LWIB certification information packet (preferably in .pdf format) to the Office of Employment and Training (OET) by uploading documents to the Local Workforce Area Contacts System (LWACS).  The packet consists of the following:
   1. A copy of a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) compliant CEO Agreement, signed and dated by the CEO(s).  (Refer to the Chief Elected Official Delegation of Authority and Acknowledgment of Financial Liability section of the policy manual for minimum requirements of a CEO Agreement.)  Among other requirements, the CEO Agreement must clearly identify:
      1. The CEO(s) who have authority to appoint members;
      2. The CEO(s) who have the authority to submit appointment requests to OET; and
      3. Grant Recipient designation.  (Refer to the Chief Elected Official Delegation of Authority and Acknowledgment of Financial Liability section of the policy manual.) 
   2. A narrative demonstrating how the business members of the LWIB provide employment opportunities that include high-quality, work-relevant training and development in in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area; 
   3. A statement of accessibility indicating:
      1. All LWIB and LWIB committee meetings will be held in accessible facilities; and
      2. All materials and discussions are in an accessible format (i.e., large print, Braille, interpreter, etc.) for all members, as needed or indicated.
   4. Complete LWIB membership forms, including:
      1. Nomination forms (OET/LWIB Form # 001) for all business, education (as needed) and labor members being appointed;
      2. Appointment/Reappointment Forms (OET/LWIB Form # 002) for all LWIB members; (Refer to the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Membership Requirements section of the policy manual.) 
      3. A current and accurate Composition Summary Form (OET/LWIB Form # 003); and
      4. A current and accurate Composition Summary Form Additional CEO Signature Page (OET/LWIB Form # 004), if applicable.
      5. Forms # 001 and # 004 are provided as attachments to the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Membership Requirements section of the policy manual.  (See the Forms & Instructions tab.)  Forms # 002 and # 003 are generated by LWACS and must be printed from the system, signed, and uploaded into the LWACS document library.
   5. The completed LWIB Certification information packet must be uploaded to the LWACS document library.  
      1. Do not submit partial packets.  Packets without all required signatures, required members and completed documents as outlined in this policy will not be accepted and/or reviewed.  If the packet is not in compliance with state and local requirements as determined by Office of Employment and Training (OET) staff, the packet will be returned to the local board staff for revisions.
      2. A letter of certification will be issued once the LWIB has been determined to be in compliance. 

1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires each Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) to be recertified every two (2) years.  The first recertification was effective beginning October 1, 2017.  Recertification of local boards will be based on the extent to which the local board has ensured:
   1. Board composition requirements have been maintained;
   2. Local workforce activities enable the Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA) to meet negotiated standards related to performance measures; and
   3. Fiscal integrity has been sustained.
   4. If an LWIB meets all membership requirements but fails to meet all performance measures, LWIB recertification will be granted for only a one (1)-year review period instead of a two (2)-year period.
   5. At the end of the one (1)-year review period, the recertification process will be repeated with an updated assessment of LWIB membership and local performance measures.
   6. If the LWIB meets all the performance measures during the one (1)-year review period, they will be given a new two (2)-year recertification.
   7. All recertification documentation is due to the Office of Employment and Training (OET) by October 1 of the recertification year.
2. Subsequent LWIB recertification requires the electronic submittal of a complete LWIB recertification information packet (preferably in .pdf format) to OET.  The packet consists of the following:
   1. A copy of the Chief Elected Official (CEO) Agreement (if changed since the last certification/ recertification), signed, and dated by the CEO(s) (Refer to the Chief Elected Official Delegation of Authority and Acknowledgment of Financial Liability section of the policy manual);
   2. A copy of the LWIB bylaws (if changed since the last certification/ recertification), signed, and dated;
   3. A narrative demonstrating how the business members of the LWIB provide employment opportunities that include high-quality, work-relevant training and development in in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area; 
   4. A statement of accessibility indicating:
      1. All LWIB and LWIB committee meetings will be held in accessible facilities; and
      2. All materials and discussions are in an accessible format (i.e., large print, Braille, interpreter, etc.) for all members, as needed or indicated.
   5. Complete LWIB membership forms, including:
      1. Nomination forms (OET/LWIB Form # 001) for all business, education, and labor members being appointed; 
      2. Appointment/Reappointment Forms (OET/LWIB Form # 002) for all LWIB members; (Refer to the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Membership Requirements section of the policy manual.)
      3. A current and accurate Composition Summary Form (OET/LWIB Form # 003); and
      4. A current and accurate Composition Summary Form Additional CEO Signature Page (OET/LWIB Form # 004), if applicable.
      5. Forms # 001 and # 004 are provided as attachments to the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Membership Requirements section of the policy manual. Forms # 002 and #003 are generated by LWACS and must be printed from the system, signed, and uploaded into the LWACS document library.
   6. The completed LWIB recertification information packet must be must be uploaded to the LWACS document library.   
      1. All recertification packets shall include:
         1. A copy of the current CEO Agreement;
         2. A copy of the current LWIB bylaws;
         3. A copy of the current CEO/LWIB Agreement for LWIBs with such an agreement in place;
         4. A business member narrative; and
         5. A statement of accessibility.
   7. Documentation of any changes made to the CEO Agreement, LWIB bylaws, and CEO/LWIB Agreement since the most recent recertification (or original certification if this is the first recertification of the LWIB). Changes should be documented as follows:
      1. Written summary of all changes to the CEO Agreement, LWIB bylaws, and CEO/LWIB Agreement;
      2. A separate electronic copy of the CEO Agreement, LWIB bylaws, and CEO/LWIB Agreement that clearly indicates all changes. (This can be accomplished through word processing software such as using the "Track Changes" feature of Microsoft Word.); and
      3. A separate final copy of the CEO Agreement, LWIB bylaws, and CEO/LWIB Agreement.
   8. Do not submit partial packets. Packets without all required signatures, required members and completed documents as outlined in this policy will not be accepted and/or reviewed.  If the packet is not in compliance with state and local requirements as determined by OET staff, the packet will be returned to the local board staff for revisions.
   9. A letter of recertification will be issued once the LWIB has been determined to be in compliance. 

1. Upon notification of the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) certification, the new board is required to review and revise its bylaws for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) compliance.  At a minimum, the bylaws should include: 
   1. The nomination process used by the Cheif Elected Official(s) (CEOs) to elect the local board chair and members;
   2. The term limitations and how the term appointments will be staggered to ensure only a portion of the membership expires in a given year;
   3. The process to notify the CEO(s) of a board member vacancy to ensure a prompt nominee within ninety (90) days of the vacancy;
   4. Whether an appointee filling a vacancy will serve the remainder of the unexpired term or be appointed for a new full term;
   5. If utilized by the LWIB, the proxy and alternative designee process will be used when a board member is unable to attend a meeting and assigns a designee;
   6. The use of technology, in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, such as phone and web-based meetings that will be used to promote board member participation;
   7. The process to ensure board members actively participate in convening the workforce system’s stakeholders, brokering relationships with a diverse range of employers, and leveraging support for workforce activities;
   8. A description of any other conditions governing appointment or membership on the board as deemed appropriate by the CEO(s);
   9. The adopted generally accepted parliamentary procedure, such as Robert’s Rules of Order, chosen by the LWIB;
   10. The LWIB’s policy assuring attendance and participation of its members;
   11. Quorum requirements;
   12. Any standing committees the LWIB has established; (Refer to the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Membership Requirements section of the policy manual.)   
   13. The LWIB’s conflict of interest policy, which may not be any less stringent than the requirements of the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) Membership Requirements section of the policy manual;
   14. The LWIB’s policy on absentee voting, if allowed by the LWIB; and
   15. The process the board will take when expedient action is warranted between board meetings, such as calling a special meeting or allowing the Executive Committee to act on behalf of the board. 
2. The LWIB is required to review its existing bylaws periodically.  If a need arises to alter the bylaws, then the revised bylaws must be signed, dated, and emailed to the Office of Employment and Training (OET) staff listed on the Contacts tab.  
3. A checklist that outlines the required elements of the board bylaws, as well as a suggested template, accompanies this policy. 

1. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) are subject to decertification by the Office of Employment and Training (OET) under one or more of the following conditions:
   1. Failure to carry out functions of the board; or
   2. Fraud and/or abuse.
   3. If an LWIB, having already been placed on a one (1)-year cycle of recertification due to a lack of meeting all performance measures, fails to meet all performance measures in a second year, the LWIB may be decertified.
2. A written notice of decertification and opportunity for appeal will be provided before decertification becomes effective. 
3. An LWIB that is decertified or fails to achieve initial certification will be required to reappoint and submit a revised membership listing and repeat the process for initial certification. 

1. If a Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) is denied certification or decertified by the state, it may appeal the decision.  The Office of Employment and Training (OET) will notify the LWIB of its decision regarding the appeal within twenty-one (21) days from the receipt of the request by the LWIB.
2. The LWIB has twenty-one (21) days, from the date of receipt of the notice of denial in which to file an appeal to OET.  The appeal must include the following information:
   1. A statement that the LWIB is appealing the denial;
   2. The reason(s) certification or recertification should be granted or decertification should not be made;
   3. LWIB contact information to request additional information, if necessary; and
   4. The signature of the Cheif Elected Official (CEO).
3. The appeal must be submitted formally, in writing to OET, and must be sent by registered mail no later than the twenty-first (21st) day from the date of receipt of the notice of denial.
   
   Appeals must be sent to:
   Local Workforce Innovation Board Decertification Appeal Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
   Office of Employment and Training
   607 E Adams Street – 3rd Floor
   Springfield, Illinois 62701
4. OET will review the request for appeal within twenty-one (21) days of its receipt.
   1. If an administrative error was made or if additional information submitted by the LWIB changes the basis upon which the original decision was issued, the decision may be reversed, and the LWIB granted certification or recertification, or the decertification may be revoked.
   2. If OET reverses its decision, it will notify the LWIB of its action in writing.
   3. If OET does not reverse its decision to deny LWIB certification or recertification or upholds its decision to decertify the LWIB, it shall notify the LWIB within twenty-one (21) days from the receipt of the request by the LWIB.

The vision for the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) is to serve as a strategic leader and convener of local workforce development system stakeholders. The LWIB partners with employers and the workforce development system to develop policies and investments that support public workforce system strategies that support regional economies, the development of effective approaches, including local and regional sector partnerships and career pathways, and high-quality, customer-centered service delivery and service delivery approaches.

The purpose of the LWIB is to:

1. Provide strategic and operational oversight in collaboration with the required and additional partners and workforce stakeholders to help develop a comprehensive and high-quality workforce development system in the local area and larger planning region;
2. Assist in the achievement of the State's strategic and operational vision and goals as outlined in the Unified State Plan; and
3. Maximize and continue to improve the quality of services, customer satisfaction, and effectiveness of the services provided.

1. Section 107(d)(1) through (13) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and 20 CFR 679.370 requires Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) to:
   1. Develop and submit a four-year local plan that meets the requirements of WIOA Section 108 in partnership with the chief elected official(s) CEO(s) following state guidance outlined in the Regional and Local Planning Requirements section of the policy manual;
   2. Collaborate with other LWIBs and CEOs in the preparation and submission of regional plans required under Section 106(c) of WIOA following state guidance outlined in the Regional and Local Planning Requirements section of the policy manual;
   3. Collect and analyze local and regional economic and labor market information to understand the workforce development needs and issues in the local and regional areas and to assure that local and regional plans respond to these issues and needs;
   4. Convene local workforce development system stakeholders to identify and leverage resources to support local workforce development activities;
   5. Take the lead to engage a diverse range of employers in the local and regional areas to promote business representation on the LWIB, to develop effective linkages that generate support among businesses for the local workforce development system and local workforce development activities, and to enhance communication, coordination and collaboration among employers, economic development entities and service providers to assure employer needs are met;
   6. Take the lead to develop and implement effective strategies to expand opportunities in in-demand industry sectors and occupations to provide the skilled workforce employers need;
   7. Take the lead to select and tailor career pathways that align employment, education and training services with the local needs of adults and youth, particularly individuals with barriers to employment;
   8. Identify, promote and disseminate information on proven and promising strategies and initiatives to meet the needs of employers, workers and jobseekers in the local area;
   9. Develop strategies utilizing technology to maximize the accessibility and effectiveness of the local workforce development system for employers, workers, and jobseekers;
   10. Provide oversight, in conjunction with CEO(s), of programs that serve youth, adults, and dislocated workers and the local workforce development system to ensure appropriate management and use of funds and to maximize performance outcomes;
       1. As part of this responsibility, LWIBs must perform an annual fiscal and programmatic monitoring of their subrecipients;
       2. LWIBs are encouraged to formally review their programs and system for effectiveness annually; however, it must occur at a minimum of every two years and align with the planning process.
   11. Participate with the CEO(s) to negotiate local performance accountability measures with the State following the state guidance outlined in General Requirements for Negotiation of Local Performance Goals section of the policy manual;
   12. Negotiate with CEO and required partners on the methods for funding the infrastructure costs of one-stop centers in the local area following state guidance outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) section of the policy manual.
   13. Work with the CEO(s) to competitively select one-stop operators and to identify and award competitively bid contracts to eligible providers of services to youth in compliance with the requirements of Section 107(d)(10) of WIOA, including the requirement to take steps to maximize consumer choice;
   14. Identify eligible training providers and providers of career services in compliance with the requirements of Section 107(d)(10).
   15. Coordinate activities with local education and training providers, including reviewing and making recommendations regarding applications to provide adult education and literacy activities to determine whether such applications are consistent with the local plan and making recommendations to the eligible agency to promote alignment with such plans, and replicating and implementing cooperative agreements to enhance services to individuals with disabilities as described in Section 107(d)(11) of WIOA;
   16. Develop a budget for the activities of the LWIB, which include costs associated with staffing the board, subject to the approval of the CEO(s);
   17. Assess annually the physical and programmatic accessibility of local one-stop centers to individuals with disabilities; and
   18. Certify local comprehensive one-stop centers in accordance with 20 CFR 678.800 and state guidance outlined in the One-Stop Center Certification section of the policy manual.
2. As part of the functions outlined in 107(d)(8), LWIBs are responsible for program oversight and, in partnership with the CEO(s), must develop and approve formal equity-focused policies to guide and support workforce activities provided in the local workforce innovation area under Title IB of WIOA.   These are outlined in the WIOA Required Local Area Policies (See Attachments Tab).
   1. All current policies must be reviewed through an equity lens, which the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) has provided in a framework that includes answering, but is not limited to, the following questions:
      1. What does the policy have the ability to impact? (Service delivery? Education and employment outcomes? Job quality? Other workforce system outcomes/goals?)
      2. Will the policy impact specific geographic areas (neighborhoods, areas, or regions)?
      3. What are the racial, economic, and other demographics of those living there?
      4. Who are the most affected community members concerned with or have experience related to this policy?
      5. How have community members been involved in developing this policy?
      6. How will the policy increase access and opportunity for underrepresented communities?
      7. Does the policy improve the customer experience and not create unnecessary steps to access the services in the local workforce area?
      8. Can changes be made to make the policy more equitable and inclusive?
      9. How will the policy be evaluated to ensure it has the intended impact?
      10. What is the implementation plan for the policy, including training local staff?
      11. Does the policy create inequity for participants to access services as compared to a neighboring local workforce area?
3. For purposes of carrying out duties under WIOA, LWIBs may incorporate and may operate as entities described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that are exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.

1. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) may hire a director and other staff to assist in carrying out the functions of the LWIB.
2. LWIBs must establish and apply a set of qualifications for the position of director that ensures the individual selected has the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet identified benchmarks and to assist in carrying out the functions of the LWIB.
3. The LWIB director and staff must be subject to the limitations on the payment of salary and bonuses described in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
4. In general, LWIB staff may only assist the LWIB in fulfilling the required functions.
5. Should the LWIB select an entity to staff the LWIB that provides additional workforce functions beyond the functions described in WIOA, such an entity is required to enter into a written agreement with the LWIB and chief elected official(s) (CEO) to clarify their roles and responsibilities.
   1. Local organizations often function simultaneously in a variety of roles, including local fiscal agent, LWIB staff, one-stop operator, and direct provider of services. Any organization that has been selected or otherwise designated to perform more than one of these functions must develop a written agreement with the LWIB and CEO to clarify how the organization will carry out its responsibilities while demonstrating compliance with WIOA and corresponding regulations, relevant Office of Management and Budget circulars, and the State's conflict of interest policy.
6. The LWIB must formally assess the management and oversight of the LWIB director or staff to ensure the board's required functions are met.

1. All Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) must adopt a generally accepted parliamentary procedure, such as Robert’s Rules of Order, to ensure that LWIBs conduct business in an orderly and ethical fashion.
2. The LWIB’s meeting procedures should be noted in its bylaws, and business must be conducted accordingly. 

1. The LWIB must conduct its business in an open manner as required by WIOA sec. 107(e), by making available to the public, on a regular basis through electronic means and open meetings, information about the activities of the LWIB. These items must be reviewed and updated to reflect actual practice frequently or, at the very least, on an annual basis.  This includes:
   1. Information about the local plan, or modification to the local plan, before submission of the plan;
   2. List and affiliation of LWIB members;
   3. Selection of one-stop operators;
   4. Award of grants or contracts to eligible training providers of workforce investment activities, including providers of youth workforce investment activities;
   5. Minutes of formal meetings of the LWIB; and
   6. LWIB by-laws, consistent with § 679.310(g).
2. LWIBs are strongly encouraged to maintain the required local policies and make them accessible to the public.

1. Local Workforce Innovation Board’s (LWIB’s) Provision of Career Services or Certification as the One-Stop Operator
   1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Final Rules offer the Chief Elected Official (CEO) and Governor flexibility in deciding whether to pursue a competitive award of career services.
   2. As outlined in the One-Stop Operator Procurement section of the policy manual, One-Stop Operators must be selected or designated through a competitive process even if the LWIB is considering being an operator.
   3. WIOA stipulates that LWIBs or staff to the LWIBs may not provide career services or be certified as the one-stop operator unless there is an agreement between the CEO(s) and the Governor.
      1. An LWIB or its staff acting as a direct provider of services is not optimal, as the board and its staff are designed to oversee the one-stop system and its services, not provide them.
      2. The criteria for and procedure to obtain agreement between the CEO and Governor is described in the LWIB as the One-Stop Operator and Additional Procurements and Board Staffing sections of the policy manual as well as the Request for Approval – LWIB to Serve as the One-Stop Operator and Request for Approval – LWIB to Provide WIOA Career Services attachments within the One-Stop Operator Procurement section of the policy manual.
   4. If an LWIB or its staff provides career services or is selected as the one-stop operator, the State must ensure that certification of one-stop centers is consistent with the State Certification Process in the One-Stop Certification section of the policy manual.
2. LWIB May Not Provide Training Services
   1. The LWIB and staff of the LWIB are prohibited from providing training services unless a waiver is obtained from the Governor.
      1. This waiver intends to provide the option for LWIBs to provide training services in extenuating circumstances only, such as in rural areas with limited training providers.  A formal procedure facilitates transparency and clarity regarding the criteria for the training waiver and ensures that any LWIB that applies is subject to the same criteria. Furthermore, the new criteria underscore that the waiver is not appropriate for local areas that have a robust network of training providers.  Local areas should act in good faith when asserting that there are insufficient providers in the local area and protect against a conflict of interest.
      2. The criteria for and procedure to obtain agreement can be found in the Additional Procurements and Board Staffing section of the policy manual and Request for Approval – LWIB to Provide WIOA Adult and/or Dislocated Worker Training Services attachment within the One-Stop Operator Procurement section of the policy manual.
3. A member of an LWIB or standing committee must comply with the WIOA conflicts of interest provisions:
   1. Refrain from participation in board discussion in areas of real or perceived conflict of interest;
   2. Abstain from voting on a matter under consideration by the LWIB regarding the provision of services by the member or by an entity that the member represents or that would provide direct financial benefit to the member or the immediate family of the member; or
   3. Abstain from engaging in any other activity determined by the Governor to constitute a conflict of interest as specified in the State plan.
   4. No LWIB member may vote or participate in the decision-making process for procuring services that would provide any financial benefit to that member, an immediate family member or a partner, or an organization the member represents. Consistent with 20 CFR 683.200(a)(5) and 2 CFR Parts 200.318, the Board must establish a standard of conduct that governs conflicts of interest and provides for disciplinary actions.
4. Executive Boards or Executive Committees of LWIBs may meet between regularly scheduled Board meetings to address issues that require timely action.  The issues can then be addressed and ratified by the Board as a whole at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
5. Nothing in WIOA shall be construed to provide an LWIB with the authority to mandate curricula for schools.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires that all one-stop operators be selected or designated through a competitive process even if the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) is considering being an operator.  Training and Employment Guidance Letter 15-16 (TEGL 15-16) Competitive Selection of One-Stop Operators (January 17, 2017) provides information on the requirements for the competitive process as set forth in Section 121(d)(2)(A) of WIOA. 

TEGL 15-16 establishes that one-stop operators are subrecipients of federal funds that must follow the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR part 200, including the contractual provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 through 200.326.  Part of this requirement is for the LWIB and the selected one-stop operator to enter into a legally binding agreement which may take the form of a written contract or another type of agreement, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which is explained in the One-Stop Operator Procurement Competition Requirements section of this policy. 

The Local Workforce Innovation Areas (LWIAs) must follow the provisions outlined in TEGL 15-16, the key elements of which are summarized in the subsections of this policy.

The basic role of a one-stop operator is to coordinate the service delivery of participating one-stop partners and service providers. 

1. At a minimum, states and LWIBs must ensure that one-stop operators do the following:
   1. Disclose any potential conflicts of interest arising from the relationships of the one-stop operators with particular training service providers or other service providers, including, but not limited to, career services providers;
   2. In coordinating services and serving as a one-stop operator, refrain from establishing practices that create disincentives to providing services to individuals with barriers to employment who may require longer-term services, such as intensive employment, training, and education services; and
   3. Comply with federal regulations, and procurement policies, relating to the calculation and use of profits.
2. LWIB’s may establish additional roles for the one-stop operator, including the following:
   1. Being the primary provider of services within the center;
   2. Providing some of the services within the center;
   3. Coordinating service providers within the center and across the one-stop system; and
   4. Coordinating service delivery in a multi-center area, which may include affiliated sites.
3. The role of the one-stop operator must be clearly articulated in all phases of the procurement process, as well as in the legally binding agreement between the LWIB and the one-stop operator. 
4. One-stop operators may not perform the following functions:
   1. Convene system stakeholders to assist in the development of the local plan;
   2. Prepare and submit local plans;
   3. Be responsible for oversight of itself;
   4. Manage or significantly participate in the competitive selection process for one-stop operators;
   5. Select or terminate one-stop operators, career service providers, and youth providers;
   6. Negotiate local performance accountability measures; or
   7. Develop and submit budgets for activities of the LWIB in the local area.  

The one-stop operator must be an entity (public, private, or non-profit) or a consortium of entities that, at a minimum, includes three (3) or more of the required one-stop partners in the local area. 

1. While certain entities are eligible to serve as one-stop operators, an entity’s eligibility to be the one-stop operator in a specific local area is affected by the nature of the procurement process, particularly as it relates to conflict of interest and avoiding “less-than arms-length” relationships.

LWIBs may serve as one-stop operators, however, they must still participate in the competition to be the one-stop operator and meet the mandatory requirements in 20 CFR 678.605(c) and 678.615(a).

1. LWIBs may not deem themselves as the one-stop operator due to lack of bids received.
2. As stated above, the eligibility of the one-stop operator is affected by the nature of the process, particularly as it relates to conflict of interest and avoiding “less-than arms-length” relationships. 
3. One way to avoid a conflict of interest is for the LWIB to contract with a separate and independent outside entity to conduct the competition.
   1. Outsourcing the entire process (including development of requirements, drafting the Request for Proposal (RFP) or Information for Bid (IFB), evaluation of proposals/bids, and identification of the best proposer) to an alternate entity would be the best practice in this circumstance to avoid a conflict of interest. 
   2. If the outcome of the competitive process is the selection of the LWIB itself as the one-stop operator, the Governor and the Chief Elected Official (CEO) must agree to the selection of the LWIB. 
      1. LWIBs must submit the Request for Approval – LWIB to Serve as the One-Stop Operator to obtain the Governor’s approval.

TEGL 15-16 requires that all one-stop operators be selected by July 1, 2017. 

1. The competitive process must be conducted at least once every four (4) years.

The WIOA Joint Final Rule requires that the LWIB’s competitive process be based on local procurement policies and procedures as well as the principles of competitive procurement in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) at 2 CFR part 200, including the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) specific requirements at 2 CFR part 2900, and other applicable regulations and policies. 

1. Appendix I of the Uniform Guidance outlines what the federal government has identified as the information that should be included in a competitive solicitation.  Under WIOA, and consistent with the Uniform Guidance, the general procurement requirements include:
   1. Written Policies and Procedures;
   2. Methods of Procurement for Competitions;
   3. Full and Open Competition;
   4. Written Standards of Conduct;
   5. Transparency and Responsibility; and
   6. Recordkeeping.
2. All procurement transactions must be conducted using full and open competition.
   1. In order to ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, or invitations for bids or requests for proposals must be excluded from competing for such procurements.
   2. Some of the situations considered to be restrictive of competition include, but are not limited to:
      1. Placing unreasonable requirements on firms in order for them to qualify to do business;
      2. Requiring unnecessary experience and excessive bonding;
      3. Noncompetitive pricing practices between firms or between affiliated companies;
      4. Noncompetitive contracts to consultants that are on retainer contracts;
      5. Organizational conflicts of interest;
      6. Specifying only a “brand name” product instead of allowing “an equal” product to be offered and describing the performance or other relevant requirements of the procurement; and
      7. Any arbitrary action in the procurement process.

Persons and entities involved in the competitive process to select a one-stop operator using federal funds must be free of apparent or real conflicts of interest.

1. LWIBs are required to make available to the public:
   1. The LWIB’s written conflict of interest policy;
   2. The LWIB’s written procurement policies;
   3. The procurement solicitation itself;
   4. A listing of the entities that submitted bids or proposals;
   5. An abstract of those bids or proposals;
   6. The identity of the selected one-stop operator; and
   7. Total award amount and duration of the contract with the one-stop operator. 
   8. This list is not all inclusive.
2. WIOA law and governing regulations also require that any organization or entity that has been selected to perform multiple functions in a local area must develop a written agreement with the LWIB and the CEO to clarify how the organization will carry out its responsibilities while demonstrating compliance with WIOA and corresponding regulations, the Uniform Guidance, and conflict of interest policies of both the state and the organization or entity performing multiple functions. 
   1. The possibility that a conflict of interest may arise is inherent when entities are performing, or seeking to perform, multiple functions within the workforce development system. 
   2. Proper firewalls must be in place to ensure the transparency and integrity of the procurement process and demonstrate to the public as well as the state that the selection process was impartial and that no preferential treatment was given to the awardee.

All One-Stop Operator Agreements must include the essential elements of a legally binding written agreement, and contain, at a minimum, a Statement of Work, Authorized Officials and Purpose, and Additional contractual terms and conditions.

1. The One-Stop Operator Agreement must identify that the one-stop operator is a subrecipient of federal funds and must comply with the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR part 200, including DOL’s specific requirements at 2 CFR part 2900.  The Agreement must include the information required by the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR 200.331.
2. The One-Stop Operator Agreement must include a provision that outlines how the Agreement may be modified or amended. 
3. Note that an amendment to the One-Stop Operator Agreement may be required if there are substantive regulatory and/or policy changes at the federal, state, and local level with the implementation of WIOA.

One-Stop Operator procurement must be conducted in accordance with the local procurement policies that are consistent with the procurement standards of the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR 200.318 through 200.326. 

1. The LWIB must complete, sign and submit the One-Stop Operator Procurement Attestation along with other documentation outlined in the Attestation within thirty (30) days of the execution of the One-Stop Operator Agreement. 
   1. Any LWIB that has awarded a One-Stop Operator Agreement must ensure that the process used complies with WIOA rules and regulations as well as the Uniform Administrative Requirements.
   2. If this process was not followed, the contract must be terminated and the process must be restarted in accordance with TEGL 15-16. 
2. WIOA requires the LWIB to conduct monitoring of its one-stop operator.
   1. When the local board is the one-stop operator, there is an inherent conflict of interest in that the local board cannot effectively monitor itself.
   2. In such circumstances, an outside entity must conduct the monitoring and report the monitoring results to the CEO. 
   3. The State of Illinois will verify compliance to the oversight and monitoring requirements of the one-stop operator as part of the annual monitoring review.

Since the Uniform Guidance is applicable to all contracts with federal funds, the TEGL suggests the advice relating to the one-stop operator competitive process may be useful to consider when procuring other program activities or services, including selection of a fiscal agent, or procuring elements of the youth program, career services, and/or training services.

1. LWIBs are encouraged to select providers of career services through a competitive procurement process, though WIOA law and proposed rules do not require this.
   1. LWIBs can provide basic and individualized career services by agreement of the local Chief Elected Official and Governor which can be obtained by submitting a Request for Approval – LWIB to Provide WIOA Career Services.
2. WIOA further stipulates that LWIBs cannot provide training services unless the LWIB submits a written waiver request based on satisfactory and demonstrable evidence to the Governor to waive the limitation in Section 107(g)(1). 
   1. The waiver request shall be made through submission of the Request for Approval – LWIB to Provide WIOA Adult and/or Dislocated Worker Training Services.
3. WIOA specified that one-stop operators must be in place by July 1, 2017, but there is no similar deadline requirement for other roles such as staff to the LWIB.
   1. The U.S. Department of Labor Regional Office for our state has suggested the LWIBs should first define the roles of the one-stop operator and issue the RFP. 
   2. RFPs should not be tailored based on the current or future functions of an applicant.
   3. This has the appearance of potentially influencing prospective bidders and setting up an unfair advantage to other potential entities wishing to apply.
   4. The LWIB or outside entity would need to ensure that appropriate firewalls and conflict of interest agreements are in place during the negotiation and selection phase of procurement.
   5. Since the one-stop operator should be procured and in place prior to determining staff to the LWIB, DOL has instructed the state to not address LWIB staffing questions during the procurement process time period. 
   6. LWIB staffing policy will be issued at a later date.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires State workforce development boards, in consultation with chief local elected officials and local workforce development boards, to establish objective criteria and procedures to certify local one-stop centers.  This policy describes the requirements and procedures for evaluating and certifying one-stop centers in Illinois under WIOA.

The network of one-stop centers created under WIOA, branded nationally as the American Job Center (AJC) network, includes approximately 3,000 one-stop centers nationwide that provide central points of contact for job seekers and employers to access employment and training services.  Six (6) core programs must be delivered through comprehensive one-stop centers:  Title I Youth, Adult and Dislocated Worker, Title II Adult Education and Literacy, Title III Wagner-Peyser, and Title IV Vocational Rehabilitation.  These partner programs, and other required partners identified in WIOA, ensure that employers and all job seekers have access to information and services that lead to positive educational and employment outcomes.

Illinois’ one-stop certification policy requires an evidence-based system of effective service delivery, physical and programmatic accessibility, and pursuit of continuous improvement opportunities.  The certification process ensures that local workforce innovation boards (LWIBs) oversee the delivery of employment and training programs in their communities and support high levels of effectiveness and sustainability. 

This process also requires assurance that implementation of the non-discrimination and Equal Opportunity provisions of WIOA Section 188 has been met through compliance with the Nondiscrimination Plan and completion of an Accessibility Report (ADA Facilities Monitoring Checklist) annually.

1. LWIBs must certify all sites designated as comprehensive, affiliate, or specialized one-stop centers as defined under the One-Stop Delivery System Under WIOA section of the policy manual.
   1. LWIBs are encouraged to develop their own written one-stop certification procedures, consistent with Federal and State guidance, to ensure consistency and transparency in the local certification process.
   2. This policy should address the frequency of certification, a certification schedule, certification criteria, continuous improvement, and timelines for the review and/or revocation of certification and the appeals process.
2. As part of the local one-stop certification process, noteworthy practices and improvement opportunities will be identified.  This information will be compiled and shared as a continuous improvement resource to be made available to all one-stop centers. 

1. It is the responsibility of each Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) to certify one-stops in each area, but it is the role of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) to establish criteria and procedures for certification. 
2. In areas where the LWIB functions as the one-stop operator, the IWIB must certify the one-stop center to ensure that the process is conducted objectively.
   1. LWIBs, or the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) in those cases where LWIBs are the one-stop operator, must use the Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers approved by the IWIB to certify comprehensive one-stop centers. 
3. The IWIB, in consultation with Chief Local Elected Officials (CEOs) and LWIBs, must review and update the one-stop certification criteria contained in the Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers every two (2) years as part of the review and modification of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan.
4. All of the criteria must be assessed as “attained” and all indicators met for the certification team to recommend to the LWIB that the comprehensive one-stop center be certified.
   1. LWIBs may require additional evidence other than that provided in the application.
5. A combination of desk review of documents and on-site observation shall be used by the Local Certification Teams.
6. LWIBs may establish additional criteria and set higher standards for service coordination than those set by the State every two (2) years as part of the WIOA Local Plan update process.
   1. Additional criteria must be clearly identified in addendum to the Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers. 
7. Each time a local board reviews and updates the one-stop certification criteria and process, it must notify the IWIB in writing.

1. Federal law requires that one-stop centers be evaluated and certified no less than once every three (3) years.  The Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) may choose to re-certify their one-stop centers more frequently.
2. Each time an LWIB certifies a one-stop center, it must submit the completed Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers to the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) in accordance with procedures found within the Application.
3. LWIBs, especially those with large numbers of one-stop centers, may consider staggering the center certifications.  
   1. Center certifications would still be in effect for three (3) years; however, by staggering the certifications not all would be during the same time frame. 

1. In addition to comprehensive one-stop centers, additional locations known as “affiliate” or “specialized” centers may also provide access to workforce system services.
   1. This could include centers serving targeted populations such as youth, dislocated workers, basic skills deficient individuals, English language learners, or specific industry sectors. 
2. Characteristics of the types of one-stop centers are defined in the One-Stop Delivery System Under WIOA section of the policy manual.

1. One-Stop Local Certification Teams shall be established by Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) (or the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) when the LWIB is the one-stop operator) and are responsible for conducting independent and objective evaluations of one-stop centers and making certification recommendations to LWIBs (or the IWIB, as appropriate).
2. Team members shall include the local board chair or designee and at least two (2) other individuals representing LWIB members, board staff, and/or local partners with specific expertise serving populations with barriers. 
3. At least one (1) team member must be an employer. 
4. Certification team members shall be free of conflicts of interest. 
5. Certification teams may utilize experts from the state level or outside of the local area to ensure evaluations are objective.
6. They may also utilize local experts who represent targeted populations but have no financial ties with the one-stop center.

1. The one-stop certification process for one-stop centers consists of five (5) main steps.
   1. Step 1:  One-Stop Operators Complete the Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers.  The Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers will be completed by the one-stop operator and submitted to the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB). 
      1. Each criterion will be self-evaluated as to whether the one-stop center meets the requirements by checking “Attained” or “Not Attained”. 
      2. The Local Certification Team will use the completed application during their review. 
   2. Step 2:  Convene Local Certification Team.  The LWIB chair or designee will convene and lead a Local Certification Team to conduct an independent, objective evaluation of the one-stop center seeking certification.
   3. Step 3:  Conduct Center Evaluation.  The Local Certification Team will conduct the evaluation of the one-stop center.  This process will include:
      1. Reviewing the completed Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers submitted by the one-stop center operator.
      2. Scheduling an on-site evaluation with a tour of the facility.  The on-site review will include at a minimum:
         1. A walk-through of various parts of the center as a customer might experience the service delivery flow and referrals.
         2. Interviews with center staff including all system partners.
         3. Interviews with a sample of employer and job seeker customers.
         4. A review of the center’s general materials (e.g., outreach and orientation materials, media, and activities; workshop and meeting offerings; and center calendars, as appropriate).
         5. A review of the system’s facilities, layout, and infrastructure, with a goal of customer accessibility and customer flow.
         6. Any additional on-site review needed to determine whether the certification criteria and indicators have been met.
      3. Following the site visit, interviews, and final responses to any follow-up questions, the Local Certification Team will add their comments to the Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers and provide their certification recommendation in Section D, Local Certification Team Recommendation, indicating one (1) of four (4) outcomes:
         1. Recommends certification – all criteria and indicators have been met.
         2. Recommends provisional certification pending successful completion of an MOU.
         3. Recommends provisional certification pending implementation of specific improvements by specified dates.
         4. Does not recommend certification. 
   4. Step 4:  LWIB Action.  The LWIB determines whether to accept the recommendation of the Local Certification Team through formal approval according to its bylaws.
      1. This may require a special convening of the Board or Executive Committee to meet the timelines suggested in paragraph 3 of the Timeline for One-Stop Certification section of this policy.
      2. If an existing comprehensive one-stop center is ultimately not certified as meeting all certification criteria or “for-cause,” the LWIB and one-stop operator must have a plan to ensure continuity of service until a center is certified.
   5. Step 5:  LWIB Notifies IWIB of Certification Decision.  The decision of the LWIB to accept or reject the recommendation of the Local Certification Team shall be reported to the IWIB, the local elected official(s), and ­­the one-stop operator with a copy of the completed Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers.
      1. In the event of a provisional certification, improvements needed to meet the initial certification criteria and a timeline for completing those actions shall be provided.
      2. When the one-stop operator informs the local board chair in writing that all issues preventing certification have been resolved, the Local Certification Team must independently verify that the improvements have been made. 
      3. The Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers shall be modified and resubmitted to the LWIB.

1. In circumstances where the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) is serving as the one-stop operator with approval from the Governor and local Chief Elected Official(s) CEO(s), the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) must certify the one-stop center(s) in that local area.
   1. LWIBs that serve as the one-stop operator must notify the IWIB electronically at wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com by 5:00 p.m. on March 20.
   2. An individual designated by the IWIB will convene a State Certification Team to conduct an independent, objective evaluation for each LWIB-operated one-stop center described in the Certification Process for One-Stop Center if the Local Board is not the One-Stop Operator section of this policy.

1. A Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) may review and/or revoke a one-stop center’s certification “for cause” as determined appropriate by the LWIB. 
2. Consideration may be given to the center’s integrity, compliance with public policy, the record of past performance, and financial and technical resources. 
3. If such a request is forthcoming:
   1. The LWIB must send a formal written notice of its concerns to the affected one-stop center operator. 
   2. The one-stop operator will have the option of providing the LWIB with additional information that would clarify and substantiate the center’s certification status. 
   3. Both the notice from the LWIB to the affected one-stop operator and the operator’s response to the LWIB must be sent by mail.
   4. The LWIB must inform the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) in writing of any change in the certification status of the one-stop center electronically at wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com.
4. The IWIB may request that an LWIB review and/or consider revoking a one-stop center’s certification “for cause” using the same considerations described above.  If such a request is forthcoming, the following steps must occur:
   1. The IWIB must send a formal written notice of its concerns to the affected LWIB. 
   2. The LWIB will have the option of providing the IWIB with additional information that would clarify and substantiate the center(s) certification status.
   3. The LWIB’s response to the IWIB must be sent electronically to wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com. 

1. A Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) that denies or revokes one-stop center certification for which it sought approval must notify the one-stop operator of the center(s) in writing of its decision. 
2. The notice shall include the following information:
   1. The one-stop center(s) that are being denied or revoked certification;
   2. The reason(s) for the denial or revocation; and
   3. Opportunities the one-stop operator has to appeal the decision if the reason for revocation or denial of certification is the responsibility of the one-stop operator.
   4. The notice must be sent to the one-stop operator via mail with an electronic copy to wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com.
3. The one-stop center may file an appeal with the LWIB.
   1. The appeal must include the following information:
      1. A statement that the one-stop operator is appealing the denial or revocation of its center(s) certification;
      2. The reason(s) the certification should be upheld;
      3. Contact information for additional information; and
      4. The signature of the Director or Administrator of the one-stop operator.
   2. The appeal must be submitted in writing and must be sent by mail no later than the twenty-first (21^st) day from the date of receipt of the notice of denial or revocation.
   3. The LWIB, or a committee designated by the LWIB (separate from that which provided the initial certification decision), will review the request for appeal. 
      1. If an administrative error was made or if additional information submitted by the one-stop operator changes the basis upon which the original decision to deny or revoke certification was issued, the decision may be reversed, and the center(s) awarded the appropriate certification status. 
      2. If the LWIB reverses its decision, it will notify the one-stop operator of its action in writing and forward an electronic copy to  wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com. 
   4. If the LWIB does not reverse its decision to deny or revoke certification of a center(s), it shall notify the one-stop operator in writing by mail. 
   5. The notice will include information about the opportunities for the one-stop operator to appeal its denial of certification and forward an electronic copy to wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com.
   6. Once a one-stop operator appeals the denial or revocation of certification to wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com on behalf of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB), the following steps will take place.
      1. The IWIB Certification Team will have thirty (30) days to complete its investigation into the matter, gather additional information from the affected LWIB and operator (such as the completed local appeal), and issue a final determination of certification.
      2. During this time, the IWIB Certification Team will convene a meeting with the affected parties if requested.
      3. This final determination will be forwarded to the one-stop operator and the LWIB in writing.
      4. If the IWIB overturns the decision of the LWIB, the center will be provided certification or provisional certification within seven (7) days.
      5. The IWIB will not make a final decision to overturn the decision of an LWIB without convening a meeting with all the affected parties.

1. Monitoring of the one-stop certification process will be conducted as part of the ongoing programmatic, administrative, and fiscal monitoring required under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).  

1. Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIBs) may begin the process of certifying their one-stop centers while negotiating their memorandum of understanding (MOU).
   1. However, the executed MOU must be in place before local boards can recommend certification.  
2. In instances where the certification process has been completed, and the LWIB would recommend certification, but the MOU has not been executed, the LWIB should indicate Recommends provisional certification pending successful completion of an MOU in the application.
3. A suggested sequence of events and timeline to guide the local certification process is provided below.  All applications for certification must be submitted electronically to wioaplan@illinoisworknet.com by 5:00 p.m. on June 30.
    

   Action	Estimated Completion
   Constitute Local Certification Team(s)	March 20 – May 15
   Offer training of Local Certification Team members	March 20 – May 15
   One-stop operator procurement, as applicable	April 1 – June 15
   Conduct center(s) review	April 1 – May 31
   One-stop operators complete Application for Certification of One-Stop Centers	April 7 – June 15
   Team makes certification recommendation to LWIB	April 7 – June 15
   Address needed improvements, as feasible	April 15 – June 15
   Reconvene Local Certification Team, if needed	April 21 – June 15
   Transmit certification recommendation to LWIB	April 21 – June 15
   LWIB notifies IWIB of certification decision	June 30
   IWIB sends official designation letter to LWIBs	July 1 – July 31

1. This policy disseminates the memorandum of understanding (MOU) requirements. The MOU requirements that are included in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and final regulations are outlined in this policy and the Governor’s Guidelines to State and Local Program Partners Negotiating Costs and Services Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 hereto referred to as the guidelines. (See the link on the References tab.)
2. These guidelines fulfill the WIOA requirement that the Governor issue guidance to State and local partners for negotiating cost sharing, service access, service delivery and other matters essential to the establishment of effective local workforce development systems under WIOA.
3. The guidelines apply to:
   1. All State-level agencies and entities in Illinois responsible for planning and administration of Federally-funded workforce development programs; and
   2. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs), chief elected officials (CEOs) and required partners responsible for planning, administering and delivering workforce development services in a local workforce innovation area.
4. All required partners, LWIBs and their chairs, and CEOs are expected to act in accordance with these guidelines. As required by WIOA, the State of Illinois will monitor local areas to assure compliance with these guidelines.
5. Governor’s Guidelines supporting documents and other MOU development information can be found on Illinois workNet on the WIOA Implementation Documents and Updates page. (See the link on the References tab.)

1. Each local workforce innovation board (LWIB) in Illinois will submit a Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) that reflects the shared vision and commitment of the board and required partners to establish and maintain high-quality workforce development systems and centers, consistent with the vision articulated in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and in State, regional and local planning priorities.
2. The MOU must include at a minimum:    
   1. A description of services to be provided through the one-stop delivery system, including the manner in which the services will be coordinated and delivered through the system;
   2. Agreement on funding the costs of the services and the operating costs of the system, including:
      1. Funding of infrastructure costs of one-stop centers in accordance with Sections 678.700 through 678.755; and
      2. Funding of the shared services and operating costs of the one-stop delivery system described in Section 678.760.
   3. Methods for referring individuals between the one-stop operators and partners for appropriate services and activities;
   4. Methods to ensure that the needs of workers, youth, and individuals with barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities, are addressed in providing access to services, including access to technology and materials that are available through the one-stop delivery system;
   5. The duration of the MOU and procedures for amending it; and
   6. Assurances that each MOU will be reviewed, and if substantial changes have occurred, renewed, not less than once every three (3)-year period to ensure appropriate funding and delivery of services.

1. Core principles of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) emphasize a commitment to integration. This means that all Federally-funded programs authorized under WIOA collaborate to optimize the quality of services provided in all local workforce innovation areas throughout the State. To effectively collaborate, required partners in Illinois must commit to:
   1. Negotiate in good faith the commitments of each required partner to provide access to services and programs, as well as to share in the costs of the local one-stop delivery system;
   2. Share necessary data and customer information;
   3. Cross-train frontline staff of other required programs to learn about key program goals and eligibility criteria, improving the efficiency of referrals and providing the best customer experience with workforce services;
   4. Plan and act strategically based on a common understanding of regional economies, key sectors, workforce demographics and employer needs;
   5. Leverage program resources where possible to the mutual benefit of customers and programs; and
   6. Develop integrated service strategies, which reduce duplication of services and improve the customer experience.

1. These guidelines:
   1. Provide guidance and requirements for negotiating local memoranda of understandings (MOUs) that are required of each local workforce innovation area (LWIA) to support the operation of a local one-stop delivery system;
   2. Provide guidance related to negotiating annual one-stop operating budgets, including infrastructure costs and other agreed-upon local service delivery system costs;
   3. Prescribe timelines for major steps in the negotiation processes, for both MOUs and annual one-stop operating budgets;
   4. Provide guidance on other requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and
   5. Provide resources to support required partners in negotiations.

1. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) must follow the format as laid out in the guidelines. The required items of content listed in the guidelines will be reviewed for quality and completeness to meet compliance requirements. MOUs must be submitted as instructed in the guidelines.

For current policy on branding of the one-stop centers, please see the attached WIOA Notice.

The purpose of this policy is to transmit instructions for the collection, tracking and submittal of information on resource room utilization and provision of non-registered core services. To not only comply with the DOL mandate, but to address the earlier findings, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is implementing basic reporting requirements for self-service participants.

1. LWIAs who have implemented Illinois workNet® must provide a monthly status report to OET.
2. Instructions for completion and submittal of the report will be provided by OET to those LWIAs utilizing Illinois workNet®.

1. Resource room utilization and universal core services received by each participant must be recorded in IWDS. 

   1. System log-on and data input to IWDS must be performed by the LWIA or partner-funded staff only (e.g., a resource room technician or case manager).

   2. The system has been recently modified to collect DOL-ETA’s latest requirements for minimum data for self-service participants.

2. Local Workforce Innovation Areas (LWIAs) must provide a listing of each resource room so that OET can establish them as distinct locations in IWDS. This is so that participant activity can be tracked by individual and associated with the distinct resource rooms.
   1. Staff user log-in of each resource room must be associated to the distinct resource room.
   2. The listing of Resource Rooms should be completed using the WIOA–Funded Resource Room Data form attachment.
   3. An updated version of the form detailing any changes to an existing Resource Room must be completed and a copy provided to OET within ten (10) business days of the changes.
   4. A new form must be completed and a copy provided to OET within ten (10) business days of the establishment of a new Resource Room. 
   5. All forms should be mailed or electronically forwarded to the OET staff listed on the Contacts tab.
3. LWIAs must either utilize the IWDS resource room tracking system or a third-party tracking system that posts to IWDS to track the participants. Instructions for each system are found in the Resource Room Tracking Instructions attachment.
   Note:   The IWDS resource room tracking system is the preferred method of tracking participants.
4. For those LWIAs choosing to use a third-party tracking system, the following data entry procedures should be followed:
   1. The LWIA must follow the process outlined in their third-party system for collecting the data necessary to track and report participant activity.
   2. LWIAs must ensure that all participant data be requested within the third-party system.  Data fields require a response and the default may not be “Prefer Not to Answer”.  If a third party system is unable to collect all required data elements and/or provide a weekly data load to IWDS, the LWIA cannot use the system for Resource Room utilization tracking. 
   3. The Interface Between Illinois Workforce Development System and Third Party Services Tracking Systems attachment provides the guidance for interfacing between the two systems. 
   4. Data load from third-party tracking systems to IWDS must be made on at least a weekly basis.
5. Participant data
   1. All data must be requested of any participant using the resource room, but is not required to be provided by the participant.
   2. The data to be requested includes:
      1. First Name;
      2. Last Name;
      3. Zip code of the home address;
      4. Social Security Number (SSN);
      5. Birth Date;
      6. Labor Force Status at contact;
      7. Hispanic;
      8. Race/Ethnicity; and
      9. Gender.
   3. Data elements must be entered in the IWDS system.  Should the participant not provide the data, the LWIA must enter a response such as prefer not to answer in IWDS. 
6. Participant classifications – Each classification is based on the data provided by the individual.
   1. Basic self-service participant – only the following data is collected from the individual:
      1. First Name;
      2. Last Name; and 
      3. Zip Code of the home address.
   2. Reported/non-registered self-service participant – the following data is collected from the individual:
      1. First Name;
      2. Last Name;
      3. Zip Code of the home address; and
      4. Social Security Number (SSN).
   3. WIOA participant – these individuals already have data recorded in the system for all nine items listed above (5.b.1-9) in support of a determination of eligibility for the program(s) under which they are served, as well as the applicable federal and state data collection requirements for registered customers.
7. A flowchart is provided to illustrate how the various classifications are assigned.  See the Resource Room Tracking Decision attachment.
8. Only those Resource Room services to participants who provide an SSN can be included in Quarterly and Annual reporting to DOL-ETA. This is in accordance with the requirements in the TEGL listed on the References tab.
9. To assist LWIAs in managing resource room utilization, IWDS has five (5) reports available for local review. These reports are found in the Resource Room Reports on the Attachments and Forms & Instructions tabs.

Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) must establish a one-stop delivery system to implement the operational requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).  The vision for the one-stop delivery system is to align a wide range of publicly- or privately-funded education, employment, and training programs, while also providing high-quality customer service to all job seekers, workers, and businesses. 

WIOA reinforces the partnerships and strategies necessary for one-stop centers to provide all job seekers and workers with high quality career, training, and supportive services needed to obtain and maintain good jobs.  Such strategies help businesses find skilled workers and access other human resource assistance to meet their current workforce needs.

The management of the one-stop delivery system is the shared responsibility of States, LWIBs, chief elected officials (CEOs), core and required one-stop partners, one-stop operators, and service providers. The one-stop delivery system in Illinois includes six (6) core and ten (10) required programs as well as additional partners identified in WIOA under Section 121(b).

Illinois’ one-stop centers carry the dual brand as Illinois workNet® centers and the federal network of American Job Centers (AJCs).  These centers are part of a single integrated system providing services in-person and via technology to business and individual customers.

This policy describes the various components of Illinois’ local one-stop delivery systems and considerations for designation by the local partners in developing a system to meet WIOA customer needs.

1. In Illinois, development of the one-stop system is a collaborative and deliberative data-driven process occurring at the local level as part of regional and local planning.
   1. LWIBs must identify how the one-stop system in their local area will meet the needs of businesses and individuals, including:
      1. How the two types of service sites in Illinois, designated centers (comprehensive, affiliate, and specialized) and access sites, will carry out local planning objectives;   
      2. Which services, programs, and activities will be available locally to meet customer needs; and
      3. The number and location of centers that will operate in the local area.
   2. The decision by the LWIB to designate centers shall occur only after consultation with representatives of the LWIB and CEOs, businesses, representatives of labor organizations, community-based organizations (CBOs), adult education providers, institutions of higher education, representatives of the four agencies, and other stakeholders. 
      1. Factors to consider when determining designation of a site as a center include:
         1. How to best serve job seeker and employer customers based on their location and workforce needs (see the Attachments tab for Data for Consideration in Assessing the Need and Location of One-Stop Centers);
         2. Availability and proximity of existing WIOA programs, services, and activities;
         3. Availability of alternative space and utilization of existing holdings; and
         4. Infrastructure and other costs, and the ability of participating partners to share in those costs.
      2. Potential benefits associated with center designation include:
         1. Providing better access and service to customers, particularly populations with multiple barriers to employment and in-demand careers;
         2. Establishing greater quality control and consistency through the certification process;
         3. Enhanced brand recognition and coordinated marketing associated with Illinois workNet and the AJC network; and
         4. Assisting the LWIB and one-stop partners in negotiating partner service levels and allocation of resources in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
      3. Identification of comprehensive, affiliate, or specialized one-stop centers and access sites must occur through good faith partner negotiations at the local level and incorporated into the MOU.
      4. The obligations of the partner programs are to participate in the operation of the one-stop delivery system and provide access to their programs through the comprehensive one-stop centers.
   3. LWIBs may not require partner programs to participate in affiliate or specialized centers.
      1. Provision of services, programs, and activities, either in-person or through direct linkage, at centers other than comprehensive is a decision of each partner program.
         1. If resources and/or other factors suggest that service provision is not feasible at a center, the LWIB must negotiate with the partners to identify how customers will receive needed services.
      2. Only one-stop partners that participate in the affiliate centers by providing access to programs, services, and activities through a direct linkage or physical presence must contribute to the infrastructure costs for those centers. 
      3. The financial contributions of one-stop partners through a direct linkage will be different than those one-stop partners with a physical presence, regardless of the type of center.
   4. Comprehensive, affiliate, or specialized centers, and all other locations supported solely or in part by federal funding, regardless of designation status, must meet the following conditions:
      1. Be physically and programmatically accessible to all individuals;
      2. Achieve certification at least once every three (3) years for designated Illinois workNet centers only;
      3. Include the program staff’s physical presence and operating budget in the local partner MOU negotiations within the parameters of the federal regulations;
      4. Display appropriate signage identifying the center as part of the Illinois workNet and American Job Center networks; and
      5. Be documented by the LWIB in the MOUs and describe the components of their one-stop delivery system; the process used to designate comprehensive, affiliate, and specialized centers; and the process used to identify access sites.
   5. The Requirements Associated with One-Stop Centers and Access Sites attachment summarizes the requirements associated with the three types of one-stop centers and access sites.  (See the Attachments tab.)

1. Each one-stop delivery system must include at least one (1) designated comprehensive center where job seekers and employer customers can access the programs, services, and activities of all required one-stop partners (Section 121(b)(l)(B) of WIOA), along with any additional partners as determined by the LWIB.  Additionally, a comprehensive one-stop center must:
   1. Have at least one (1) WIOA Title I staff person physically present;
   2. Provide the career services listed in 20 CFR 678.430, 34 CFR 361.430, and 34 CFR 463.430;
   3. Provide access to training services described in 20 CFR 680.200;
   4. Provide access to any employment and training activities carried out under Section 134(d) of WIOA;
   5. Provide access to programs and activities carried out by one-stop partners listed in 20 CFR 678.400 through 678.410, 34 CFR 361.400 through 361.410, and 34 CFR 463.400 through 463.410, including the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Services (ES) program; and
   6. Make available workforce and labor market information.
2. Customers must have access to these programs, services, and activities during regular business days and hours. The LWIB may establish other service days and hours to accommodate individuals unable to access the one-stop center during regular business hours.
3. One-stop partner programs may deliver career services at a comprehensive one-stop in one (1) of three (3) ways:  
   1. By a program staff member physically present at the one-stop center;
   2. By a staff member from a different partner program physically present and appropriately trained to provide information to customers about the resources available through all partner programs; or
   3. By using technology to provide a direct linkage to a program staff member who can provide meaningful information or services.  The Governor’s Guidelines to State and Local Program Partners Negotiating Costs and Services details Illinois’ requirements concerning direct linkage under WIOA.

1. LWIBs, in consultation with their agency partners and one-stop operator(s), also may choose to designate affiliate centers as part of their one-stop system.
2. Affiliate centers make available to job seeker and employer customers one or more of the one-stop partners’ programs, services, and activities.
   1. The exception to this are Wagner-Peyser employment services provided by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which may not serve as a stand-alone affiliate center and must be co-located with at least one (1) or more other partners with the physical presence of combined staff more than fifty percent (50%) of the time the center is open. 
   2. Local veterans’ employment, disabled veterans’ outreach, or unemployment compensation programs may not count toward the combined staff presence calculation.
3. The frequency of program staff’s physical presence in the affiliated site must be established through partner MOU negotiations at the local level, within the parameters of the federal regulations at 20 CFR 678.310 through 678.320, 34 CFR 361.310 through 361.320, and 34 CFR 463.310 through 463.320.

1. LWIBs may designate a specialized center to meet the needs of a specific population, such as youth, veterans, or individuals with disabilities; key industry sectors or clusters; or a specific group of dislocated workers affected by a regional layoff.
2. Specialized centers need not provide access to every required partner, but should be knowledgeable about, and prepared to make referrals to, partners in the comprehensive or affiliate one-stop centers.
3. As described in the Affiliate Centers section of this policy, Wagner-Peyser employment services cannot stand alone in a specialized center and must include other programs besides Wagner-Peyser Act employment services, local veterans’ employment representatives, disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists, and unemployment compensation.
4. Specialized centers must connect, physically or technologically, to a comprehensive center and any appropriate affiliate centers.
5. Partner services provided through specialized one-stop centers must be determined by partner negotiations at the local level and incorporated into the MOU.

1. LWIBs, in consultation with the WIOA partner agencies, may determine that their local one-stop network include additional sites that provide access to one (1) or more partner services, but are not designated as a center.  These “access sites” must link, physically or technologically, to the comprehensive one-stop center and any appropriate affiliate one-stop centers.
2. This linkage may occur, for example, through referral processes to these centers and the partner programs located in them. 
3. Access sites provide customers with information on the availability of career services and other program services and activities, regardless of where they initially enter the public workforce system in the local area.  
4. Access sites providing services by WIOA partner program staff must display appropriate signage identifying the site as part of the Illinois workNet and American Job Center networks.  WIOA regulations require that the common identifier or tagline be used on "all products, programs, activities, services, electronic resources, facilities, and related property and new materials used in the one-stop delivery system," which includes signage and materials printed, purchased, or created by the one-stop delivery system.  Resource room materials distributed to customers not printed, purchased, or created by the one-stop delivery system do not need to contain the common identifier or the tagline.
5. Access sites that are part of the one-stop delivery system do not need to be included in operating costs in the MOU nor do they need to go through the certification process.

1. In addition to the three types of designated centers and access sites that may be included in the local one-stop delivery system, WIOA customers may also avail themselves of other workforce, education, training, and support services in their areas.
2. Because these “other sites” do not offer services, programs, or activities by a WIOA partner agency or receive WIOA funding, they may not display signage identifying the site as part of the Illinois workNet or American Job Center network.
3. Other sites do not need to be included in operating costs in the MOU nor do they need to go through the certification process.

1. There are several resources available to assist workers, employers, and workforce professionals in achieving their career, employment, and training goals in Illinois.  Local and statewide organizations can utilize the Illinois workNet (IwN) Service Finder Tool to enhance their outreach efforts and ensure communities can easily connect to available services.
2. LWIBs must ensure that all local service locations are accurately listed in the Illinois workNet Service Finder Tool which collects information such as the services available to both individuals and businesses, hours of operation, referrals, social media links, location contacts, and site designation type.
3. Any updates to existing sites and new locations must be entered into the Illinois workNet Service Finder Tool within ten (10) days.
4. Sites designated as Comprehensive, Affiliate, or Specialized centers as noted in this section of the policy are subject to inclusion in the One-Stop Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and as part of shared infrastructure funding and be certified as a one-stop under the One-Stop Center Certification section of the policy manual.  It is, therefore, essential to ensure locations have the proper designations.
5. Non-compliance with updating the Service Finder may result in an audit finding during monitoring visits.

Technical assistance to assist LWIBs in implementing this policy will be available upon request to the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board.  IWIB staff will coordinate the provision of technical assistance with the WIOA Interagency Team.

1. The Service Integration policy provides requirements for the Illinois workforce system to achieve a customer-centered service delivery approach that enhances customer experiences. This policy sets forth the vision for what service integration looks like. Each section sets out a vision and specific goals that the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) expects all partners to work towards. The IWIB understands that not all partners can operate in the same way at all times and that there can be resource challenges. The State expects all partners to work collaboratively towards this policy's goals.
2. Programs in the workforce system refer to those we serve in various ways, such as clients, participants, students, customers, employers, businesses, etc. For the purpose of this Service Integration Policy, we use the term customer throughout.

1. Summary
   1. Illinois’s Service Integration Policy focuses on improving customer service by building strong partnerships to share resources and expertise across the workforce, education, and social services systems. This policy applies to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Core and Required Partners network in Illinois.
2. Background
   1. The WIOA is a critical driver in transforming how workforce development programs can offer integrated service delivery. This integrated service delivery operates through a network of one-stop centers and partner organizations branded as the American Job Center (AJC) network. One-Stop Centers, referred to in Illinois as Illinois workNet Center/partner of AJC, provide central contact points for job seekers and businesses to access employment and training services.
   2. Six core programs deliver these services: Title I Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker; Title II Adult Education and Literacy; Title III Wagner-Peyser; and Title IV Vocational Rehabilitation. Additionally, WIOA requires twelve (12) partner programs to provide access through the one-stops:
      1. Career and Technical Education (Perkins)
      2. Community Services Block Grant
      3. Indian and Native American Programs
      4. HUD Employment and Training Programs
      5. Job Corps
      6. Local Veterans Employment Representatives and Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program
      7. National Farmworker Jobs Program
      8. Senior Community Service Employment Program
      9. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
      10. Trade Adjustment Assistance Programs
      11. Unemployment Compensation Programs
      12. YouthBuild
   3. Local boards may include additional partners in one-stop centers such as employment and training programs operated by other federal agencies (e.g., the Social Security Administration and Small Business Administration), local employers, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and/or not-for-profit programs.
   4. Effective planning and coordination among these workforce development programs are needed to maximize their value and benefits to business and job-seeking customers. The foundation of this policy is building relationships and consistent and ongoing communication among partners to align service delivery in a cohesive way to achieve greater outcomes for employers and job seekers.
   5. The State recognizes and acknowledges that at the core of this system are federal programs with specific regulations. As outlined, State-level partners are responsible for helping to understand and implement these programs. 
3. Vision Statement
   1. Service Integration connects people with resources within and outside the workforce development system. Customers of the local workforce system are supported with integrated services as core and required partners, and other community partners work together to continuously improve service delivery through policy and data-driven decisions to assist individuals in meeting their training and employment goals. These partnerships will value customers, equity, and the law.
4. This policy builds on the existing guidance and support for service integration within the Illinois workforce ecosystem.  
   1. The Unified State Plan sets the vision, goals, and strategies for the workforce system in Illinois.
   2. The Governor’s Guidelines to State and Local Program Partners Negotiating Costs and Services under WIOA guides how one-stops coordinate and jointly use WIOA resources.
   3. The IWIB has embedded service integration expectations in key planning and policy documents, including the Unified State Plan and the IWIB’s strategic plan.
   4. The IWIB’s Certification of One-Stop Centers policy guides certification of One-Stop Centers.
   5. The Career Pathways Dictionary provides a framework for the definition of career pathways in Illinois developed by workforce, education, and other stakeholders.
   6. The IWIB’s definition of equity is the lens the State will evaluate equitable service delivery. “The State, quality, or ideal of being just, impartial, and fair. The concept of equity is synonymous with fairness and justice. To be achieved and sustained, equity needs to be thought of as a structural and systemic concept.” Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation

1. The Illinois Workforce Development Board (IWIB) defines service integration as a combination of strategies to align and simplify access to one-stop center services and supports for employers, job seekers, and system customers with the goal of providing the best experience possible.  Service integration may occur across entities delivering specific services or programs, across time as customer needs change, or both.

1. Seven (7) service integration functions are the focus of Illinois’ one-stop centers:  customer-centered design, staff, intake and assessment, services, career pathways, information, and evaluation.  Goals, outcomes, and applications for each function are listed below and represent a long-term, high-level vision for one-stop service integration in Illinois.  Operationalizing these goals will occur locally through the WIOA planning, one-stop certification, and MOU negotiation processes. 

1. Customer-Centered Design Goal.
   1. Vision for Customer-Centered Design Goal:  Workforce partners use the IWIB Equity Lens to center the customers’ needs, goals, and challenges in designing and delivering services. Customers are respected, heard, and responded to.
   2. Outcomes for Customer-Centered Design Goal:  Every customer can find efficient and streamlined workforce services that meet their needs, goals, and challenges regardless of their entry point.
   3. Application of the Customer-Centered Design Goal for all Stakeholders, such as State and Local Partners, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIB), and One-Stop Operators (OSO) as applicable:
      1. Customer input is collected on an ongoing basis from local users (including One Stop walk-in customers, enrolled participants, and employers) and, at a minimum, evaluated annually by partners. 
      2. Customer input gathered from local users is used to evaluate and improve technologies, programs, services, interactions, accessibility, and environments within the local area. Based on customer input, local partners will propose improvements and a timeline for implementation.
      3. The LWIB will set the expectation for the One Stop Operator to manage service integration initiatives in the OSO scope of work. The OSO will report to the LWIB on service integration initiatives, timelines, and progress. 
      4. Partner staff will provide system users access to other options for feedback outside of an annual input process and be made aware of complaints procedures and appeal rights. WIOA partners will not retaliate against users who provide negative feedback, complaints, or make appeals.
2. Partner Staff Goals.
   1. Vision for Partner Staff Goals:  All partner staff have up-to-date information and receive ongoing training on available services, customer eligibility, and service integration strategies, and are supported by all partners.
   2. Outcomes for Partner Staff Goals:  Partner staff understand the goals of integrated service delivery and reinforce that framework through their daily work activities. 
   3. Application of the Partner Staff Goals for all Stakeholders, such as State and Local Partners, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIB), and One-Stop Operators (OSO) as applicable:
      1. Cross-training and program information resources addressing the roles, services, performance expectations, and eligibility requirements of all WIOA partner programs are provided for all partner staff, including information and encouragement in acquiring professional credentials. 
      2. Communication across partners is consistent, comprehensive, and timely.
      3. All partner staff receives current and relevant professional development to service integration goals.
      4. All partner staff are treated as valued and respected team members.
3. Intake and Assessment Goals.
   1. Vision for Intake and Assessment Goals: Partners will work to eliminate duplicative processes and increase informed customer choice while protecting confidentiality.
   2. Outcome for Intake and Assessment Goals: Customer needs are promptly, accurately, and thoroughly identified so that partners can respond efficiently and collaboratively.  
   3. Application of the Intake and Assessment Goal for all Stakeholders, such as State and Local Partners, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIB), and One-Stop Operators (OSO) as applicable:
      1. Customers provide basic information once through a collaborative intake process or information-sharing across programs.
      2. During intake, customers are provided an overview of partner services, eligibility, and suitability requirements by appropriate partner staff. 
      3. An open dialogue during intake and a comprehensive assessment(s) between partner staff and customers leads to informed choice and becomes the foundation of a service plan.
      4. If partners use different assessments for the same purpose, they must designate a single assessment to the extent possible.  
      5. Partners inform and support customers throughout the process to secure the documents and verification needed for program participation.
      6. Partners will review and apply asset-based and barrier-reduction practices to intake and assessment processes while using best practices to protect customer confidentiality and reduce stigmas of accessing public services. 
4. Service Goals.​​​​​​​
   1. Vision for Service Goals:  The partners meet jobseekers’ employment, education, and training needs through communication, assessments, referrals, and resources that occur through relationships with frontline staff. 
   2. Outcomes for Service Goals:  The outcome of these goals is that all customers have access to quality integrated services that meet their needs efficiently and seamlessly. Frontline staff are empowered to meet service integration goals and have the support they need to meet these goals through ongoing professional development and training. 
   3. Application of the Service Goals for all Stakeholders, such as State and Local Partners, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIB), and One-Stop Operators (OSO) as applicable:
      1. WIOA partners support service integration by identifying and empowering a leader from each title who will engage in ongoing communication and relationship building.
      2. WIOA partners must be familiar with WIOA eligibility and suitability and are responsible for ensuring appropriate referrals and referral outcomes, working effectively to leverage partner resources for the benefit of customers, including training and directing applicable staff.
      3. Consider the customer’s experience and the processes involved during service delivery, such as referrals and their outcomes. Necessary assessments should be reviewed, streamlined, and coordinated through continuous collaboration with partners. Collaboration among partners should ensure the alignment of these assessments.
      4. Individual service plans and goal statements are used to provide and coordinate services and guide follow-up. These plans are continuously updated to respond to changing customer needs and evaluated for referral opportunities on an ongoing basis.
      5. Customers receive timely and coordinated access to all WIOA employer and job seeker services, whether on-site, through technology, at a partner site, or by other appropriate and accessible community services.
5. Career Pathways Goal.​​​​​​​
   1. Vision for Career Pathways Goals: Integrated services are shaped through the lens of career pathways defined by the State.
   2. Outcomes for Career Pathways Goals:  A shared philosophy among education, workforce development, employers, and economic development regarding college and career pathways aims to enable Illinois residents to progressively build toward college and career success through aligned education and training, which may include stackable credentials leading to sustainable employment opportunities.
   3. Application of the Career Pathways Goals for all Stakeholders, such as State and Local Partners, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIB), and One-Stop Operators (OSO) as applicable:
      1. The workforce development system will create strong partnerships with community programs to streamline services and provide funding for the wrap-around support needed for career pathways.
      2. Service integration will seek employer input to ensure that pathways investments align with the needs of employers and prioritize career pathways that align with future employer demands.
      3. Current and timely labor market information informs career planning and sector-based initiatives.​​​​​​​
6. Information Goals.
   1. Vision for Information Goals:  Partners continually use a range of information gathered to make informed decisions and improve integrated services to provide excellent customer service.
   2. Outcome for Information Goals:  Decisions are made utilizing all available information and data collected, including but not limited to customer feedback, labor market research, program performance, and evaluations.
   3. Application of the Information Goals for all Stakeholders, such as State and Local Partners, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIB), and One-Stop Operators (OSO) as applicable:
      1. All partners will share information on a continual basis.
      2. All partners share national and state policies, procedures, and guidance with each other and use this information to make local decisions.
      3. The design and delivery of workforce services are guided by current and timely labor market information.
      4. One-Stop Operators will facilitate ongoing, consistent communication among local partners.
      5. Customer information will be shared, as appropriate and feasible, with all partner programs and services following confidentiality requirements.
      6. Partners will inform customers of their Appeal Rights.
7. Evaluation Goal.​​​​​​​
   1. Vision for Evaluation Goal:  State and local workforce board expectations drive the evaluation of one-stop performance, operations, and compliance for service integration. 
   2. Outcome of Evaluation Goals:  The outcome of this goal is that Partners evaluate local service integration efforts regularly to identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities.
   3. Application of the Evaluation Goals for all Stakeholders, such as State and Local Partners, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIB), and One-Stop Operators (OSO) as applicable:
      1. Partners must create and use customer satisfaction tools, analyzing the feedback on a continual basis. 
      2. Partners must conduct an evaluation using The IWIB Evaluation Toolkit to assess local service integration efforts and create evidence-based policymaking and system design.

1. The Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) will regularly update the State’s one-stop certification criteria and evidence measures to reflect current service integration goals. Each LWIB will be responsible for assessing the level of service integration in all seven functional areas for the local one-stop system, which includes all one-stop center(s) it oversees. One-Stop Operators will lead partners in an annual service integration self-assessment (attached) to evaluate progress, identify improvement targets, and align with other deadlines as appropriate, such as MOU guidance.
2. Each LWIB will be responsible for assessing the level of service integration in all seven functional areas for the local one-stop system, which includes all one-stop center(s) it oversees. This assessment requires annual updates to evaluate progress and identify improvement targets. A self-assessment tool is available as an attachment to the policy for use by LWIBs. 
3. If any local partner cannot fulfill the provisions of this policy, the matter will first be taken to the appropriate State partner(s).
   1. If a resolution is unsuccessful at that level, the local board will attempt to resolve the matter.
   2. If this is unsuccessful, relevant procedures established by the State Interagency Technical Assistance Team and/or State Leadership Team will be pursued, followed by consultation with the IWIB and Governor’s Office.
4. A complete One Stop Certification and self-assessment must be on file and must describe how the results were used to improve service integration efforts.

1. This policy disseminates the regional and local planning requirements. The planning requirements that are included in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and final regulations are outlined in this policy and the State of Illinois Regional and Local Planning Guide hereto referred to as the Planning Guide. (See the link on the References tab.)
2. Each local workforce innovation area in Illinois will submit a plan that includes the regional planning components (developed by the regional planning team) and local planning components (developed by the local workforce innovation area (LWIA)) as required by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education.
3. According to the WIOA final rule, a regional plan is required to meet the purpose of developing, aligning, and integrating service delivery strategies; supporting the state’s vision and strategic and operational goals; and to coordinate resources among multiple LWIAs in a region. This approach is intended to align resources between multiple local workforce innovation boards. WIOA requires the local workforce innovation board, in partnership with the chief elected official(s), to submit a local plan to the Governor.  
4. The local plan serves as a four (4)-year action plan to develop, align, and integrate service delivery strategies and to support the state’s vision and strategic and operational goals.
5. The Planning Guide and the information requirements are based on the latest regulatory information available at the time of publication. Additional information may be required based on any new federal or state regulations that are issued after the release of the Planning Guide.

1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires the state, regional and local workforce plans to be developed in concert with the core and required partners and stakeholders. Illinois’ planning process begins with the state’s vision and guiding principles as approved by the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) comprised of business, workforce, education, and state agency officials.
2. The State’s strategic vision and goals for developing its workforce and meeting employer needs to support economic growth and economic self-sufficiency are outlined in the Unified State Plan in addition to the Planning Guide.

1. The State of Illinois is committed to the integration of the core and required partner programs throughout the workforce system. The planning process must be informed by the service integration activities outlined in the Service Integration section of the policy manual. The policy defines service integration as a combination of strategies to align and simplify access to one‐stop center services and supports for employers, job seekers and system customers with the goal of providing the best experience possible. Service integration may occur across entities delivering specific services or programs, across time as customer needs change, or both.
2. The Planning Guide emphasizes that regions and local areas must demonstrate their commitment to service integration by providing specific plans and actions for working toward alignment, as well as any challenges to aligning the plans and activities within each region and local area. As the planning process evolves, regions and local areas must demonstrate the alignment with the strategic plans of other required partners and be sure to integrate other relevant parts when applicable. Local planning must also align with the community colleges’ Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Four (4)-Year Plan. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) and Adult Education providers are required to be consulted through the completion of the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment and the Perkins Local Application.

1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 106 requires the Governor to identify “planning regions” to align workforce development activities and resources with larger regional economic development areas. After an analysis of the labor market information and other data factors, the state has determined that the WIOA planning regions align with the existing ten Economic Development Regions (EDRs) which are identified in the Planning Guide.
2. In accordance with WIOA Section 106(a)(2), a single local workforce innovation area (LWIA) may not be split across two planning regions. Local areas must be contiguous to be a planning region and effectively align economic and workforce development activities and resources.
   1. There are three LWIAs in Illinois that are split across state planning regions. A waiver from this requirement was approved by the USDOL through June 30, 2024. Further discussion on the waiver can be found in the Unified State Plan in addition to the Planning Guide.
3. The State of Illinois recognizes that the realignment of an LWIA requires a significant amount of planning and effort at the state and local levels. Technical assistance is available to LWIAs that voluntarily choose to realign programs, consolidate activities and/or merge LWIAs.

1. All local workforce innovation areas (LWIAs) in Illinois must submit a plan that includes both the regional and local planning components outlined in the Planning Guide. For example, the Southern Illinois Plan will include the regional components (Chapters 1-3) and the local components (Chapters 4-6) from LWIA 25, and the local components (Chapters 4-6) from LWIA 26.
2. For purposes of regional and local plan compliance, it is expected that regional and local plans will follow the format of the Planning Guide beginning with the chapter headings and address each item of required content.
3. Regional Components
   1. Chapter 1 – Economic and Workforce Analysis
   2. Chapter 2 – Strategies for Service Integration
   3. Chapter 3 – Vision, Goals and Implementation Strategies
4. Local Components
   1. Chapter 4 – Operating Systems and Policies
   2. Chapter 5 – Performance Goals and Evaluation
   3. Chapter 6 – Technical Requirements and Assurances

The plan (including the regional and local components) must be made available for viewing and public comment for thirty (30) days before submission to the Governor per Section 679.550(b)(3). Any comments expressing disagreement with the plan must be included when the plan is submitted.

The regional and local components of the plan must follow the chapter format as laid out in the Planning Guide. The required items of content listed in the Planning Guide will be reviewed for quality and completeness to meet compliance requirements. Plans must be submitted as instructed in the Planning Guide.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) establishes core performance measures for Title IB, Title II, Title III, and Title IV. WIOA performance measures are designed to assess the effectiveness and continuous improvement of the One-Stop delivery systems in achieving positive outcomes for individuals served by those programs.

1. The following primary indicators of performance apply to the workforce services administered through the WIOA Title IB Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs, Employment Services authorized by the Wagner-Peyser (W-P) Act, the Adult Education activities carried out under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), and the Vocational Rehabilitation services authorized by Title I of the Rehabilitation Act.
   1. Employment Rate – Second (2nd) Quarter after Exit
      1. Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment Rate – Second (2nd) Quarter after Exit
      2. Title IB Youth Employment Rate, or Education or Training Rate – Second (2nd) Quarter after Exit
   2. Employment Rate – Fourth (4th) Quarter after Exit
      1. Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment Rate – Fourth (4th) Quarter after Exit
      2. Title IB Youth Employment Rate, or Education or Training Rate – Fourth (4th) Quarter after Exit
   3. Median Earnings – Second (2nd) Quarter after Exit
   4. Credential Attainment
   5. Measurable Skill Gains
   6. Effectiveness in Serving Employers
2. Each indicator is defined and methodology identified for calculating each measure along with operational parameters for determining the participant population(s) in the next sections of this policy.

1. Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment Rate – Second (2nd) Quarter After Exit
   1. Defined as the percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second (2nd) quarter after exit from the program.
   2. Methodology for calculating outcomes includes all program participants, except those participating in the Title IB Youth program, who are exited from the program.
      1. The number of participants who exited during the reporting period who are found to be employed, either through direct Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage record match, Federal or military employment records, or supplemental wage information, in the second (2nd) quarter after the exit quarter (the Numerator) DIVIDED by the number of participants who exited during the reporting period (the Denominator).
   3. Operational parameters for calculating levels of performance for this indicator; States must include all participants exiting the program except States must not include (in either the numerator or denominator) those participants who exit during the reporting period for any of the reasons listed in listed in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy.
2. Title IB Youth Employment or Education Rate - Second (2nd) Quarter after Exit
   1. Defined as the percentage of youth program participants who are in education or training activities, or in unsubsidized employment, during the second (2nd) quarter after exit from the program.
   2. Methodology for calculating outcomes includes all Youth program participants who exit from the program.
      1. The number of Youth program participants who exited during the reporting period who are found to be employed, either through direct UI wage record match, Federal or military employment records, or supplemental wage information, OR found to be enrolled in secondary education, postsecondary education, or occupational skills training (including advanced training) in the second (2nd) quarter after the exit quarter (the Numerator) DIVIDED by the number of youth program participants who exited the program during the reporting period (the Denominator).
   3. Operational parameters for calculating levels of performance for this indicator:
      1. States must include all Youth participants who exit the program, except States must not include (in either the numerator or denominator) those participants who exit during the reporting period for any of the reasons listed in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy.
      2. Title IB Youth who are in the AmeriCorps program or Job Corps program in the second (2nd) quarter after exit are counted as a success in the training portion of the indicator.

1. Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment Rate – Fourth (4th) Quarter After Exit
   1. Defined as the percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth (4th) quarter after exit from the program.
   2. Methodology for calculating outcomes includes all program participants, except those participating in the Title IB Youth program, who are exited from the program.
      1. The number of participants who exited during the reporting period who are found to be employed, either through direct Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage record match, Federal or military employment records, or supplemental wage information, in the fourth (4th) quarter after the exit quarter (the Numerator) DIVIDED by the number of participants who exited during the reporting period (the Denominator).
   3. Operational parameters for calculating levels of performance for this indicator, States must include all participants exiting the program except States must not include (in either the numerator or denominator) those participants who exit during the reporting period for any of the reasons listed in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy.
2. Title IB Youth Employment or Education Rate – Fourth (4th) Quarter after Exit
   1. Defined as the percentage of Youth program participants who are in education or training activities, or in unsubsidized employment, during the fourth (4th) quarter after exit from the program.
   2. Methodology for calculating outcomes includes all youth program participants who exit from the program.
      1. The number of youth program participants who exited during the reporting period who are found to be employed, either through direct UI wage record match, Federal or military employment records, or supplemental wage information, OR found to be enrolled in secondary education, postsecondary education, or occupational skills training (including advanced training) in the fourth (4th) quarter after the exit quarter (the Numerator) DIVIDED by the number of youth program participants who exited the program during the reporting period (the Denominator).
   3. Operational parameters for calculating levels of performance for this indicator:
      1. States must include all participants who exit the program, except States must not include (in either the numerator or denominator) those participants who exit during the reporting period for any of the reasons listed in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy.
      2. Title IB Youth who are in the AmeriCorps program or Job Corps program in the fourth (4th) quarter after exit are counted as a success in the training portion of the indicator.

1. Median Earnings – Second (2nd) Quarter after Exit for All Title IB Programs
   1. Defined as the median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second (2nd) quarter after exit from the program, as established through direct Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage record match, Federal or military employment records, or supplemental wage information.
   2. Methodology for calculating the median earnings for all participants employed in the second (2nd) quarter after exit is total quarterly earnings, for all participants employed in the second (2nd) quarter after exit, are collected by either direct wage record match or supplemental wage information.
      1. The collected quarterly wage information values are listed in order, from the lowest to the highest value. The value in the middle of this list is the median earnings value, where there is the same quantity of numbers above the median number as there is below the median number.
      2. If there are an even number of collected quarterly wage information values in the list, the middle two (2) values are added together and the resulting total divided by two to determine an average which is the median earnings value.
      3. The Wage Conversion Chart attachment is used to convert supplemental wage information values that do not represent the total amount a participant earned in the second (2nd) quarter after exit. When using the Wage Conversion Chart, it is important to distinguish between wage and earnings. Wage is a ratio of earnings over a specific period of time. The Wage Conversion Chart should be used only when the wage rate—and not the earnings information—is available.
   3. Operational Parameters for calculating levels of performance for this indicator exclude the following participants and any associated earnings figures from the calculation for median earnings:
      1. Participants who have exited and are not employed in the second (2nd) quarter after exit;
      2. Participants who have exited a program and for whom earnings information is not yet available;
         1. There is a two (2) quarter lag built into the reporting times for the wage- and employment-based indicators to allow time for reporting participant exit and conducting direct wage record match. After two (2) quarters, if the information is still not available, wages will be converted to $0 permanently.
         2. Wages reported as $0 will indicate that the participant was not employed in the second (2nd) quarter after exit, thereby counting as a negative outcome in the Employment Rate Second (2nd) Quarter After Exit indicator and excluding that participant from the Median Earnings Second (2nd) Quarter After Exit indicator.
      3. Participants who have exited from a program and have $0 income;
      4. Participants who have exited a program and are in subsidized employment; and
      5. Participants who have exited for any of the reasons listed in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy.

1. Credential Attainment for All Title IB Programs
   1. Defined as the percentage of those participants enrolled in an education or training program (excluding those in on-the-job training (OJT) and customized training only) who attain a recognized postsecondary credential or a secondary school diploma, or its recognized equivalent, during participation in or within one (1) year after exit from the program.
      1. This indicator measures attainment of two (2) types of credentials: either a recognized postsecondary credential, or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent which are further defined and detailed in the Recognized Postsecondary Credentials and the Secondary School or Recognized Equivalent sections of this policy.
      2. A participant who has attained a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent is included in the percentage of participants who have attained a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent only if the participant also is employed or is enrolled in an education or training program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential within one (1) year after exit from the program (See the “Special Rule”).
   2. The following are acceptable types of credentials that count toward the credential attainment indicator:
      1. Secondary School diploma or recognized equivalent;
      2. Associate’s degree;
      3. Bachelor’s degree;
      4. Occupational licensure;
      5. Occupational certificate, including Registered Apprenticeship and Career and Technical Education educational certificates;
      6. Occupational certification; and
      7. Other recognized certificates of industry/occupational skills completion sufficient to qualify for entry-level or advancement in employment.
   3. Graduate degrees are not included in the definition of a recognized postsecondary credential. Therefore, graduate degrees do not count towards credential attainment, except for the Title IV Vocational Rehabilitation programs, which are permitted to include graduate degrees as a type of recognized credential because of statutory and regulatory requirements specific to that program.
   4. The Special Rule Relating to Secondary School Diplomas and Recognized Equivalents in the Calculation of the Credential Attainment Measure is:
      1. Participants who obtain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent must also meet an additional condition before they are counted as a successful outcome (positive) and included in the numerator of the credential attainment indicator. These participants must be employed or enrolled in an education or training program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential within one year following exit.
      2. Post-Exit Outcomes that meet the criteria of the “Special Rule” are placement into unsubsidized employment and/or post-secondary training or education.
      3. For each core program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), a description of who is considered to be enrolled in an “education or training program”, and thus included in the credential attainment indicator, follows:
         1. Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker –
            1. All program participants who received training that was not OJT or Customized Training are included in the credential attainment indicator.
         2. Title IB Youth –
            1. In-School Youth (ISY) - All In-School-Youth are included in the measurable skill gains indicator since they are attending secondary or postsecondary school.
            2. Out-of-School Youth (OSY) - Only (Out-of-School Youth) OSY who are in one of the following are included in the indicator:
               1. the program element occupational skills training;
               2. secondary education during participation in the Title IB Youth program;
               3. postsecondary education during participation in the Title IB Youth program;
               4. Title II-funded adult education at or above the ninth (9th) grade level during participation in the Title IB Youth program;
               5. YouthBuild program during participation in the Title IB Youth program; or
               6. Job Corps during participation in the Title IB Youth program.
   5. Methodology for calculating the credential  attainment includes all participants who exited from a program and were in either a postsecondary education or training program (other than OJT and customized training) OR in a secondary education program at or above the ninth (9th) grade level without a secondary school diploma or its equivalent.
      1. The number of participants who exited during the reporting period who obtained a recognized postsecondary credential during the program or within one (1) year after exit OR those who were in a secondary education program and obtained a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent during the program or within one (1) year after exit and  were also employed, or in an education or training program  leading to a recognized postsecondary credential (See the “Special Rule”) within one (1) year after exit (the Numerator) DIVIDED by the number of participants enrolled in an education or training program (excluding those in OJT and customized training) who exited during the reporting period (the Denominator).
   6. Operational parameters for calculating levels of performance for this indicator, States must include all participants who exit and are in a postsecondary education or training program, or who are in a secondary education program (at or above the 9th grade level) without a secondary school diploma or equivalent, are included in the credential attainment indicator, subject to the “Special Rule”. 
      1. Participants enrolled in work-based OJT or customized training only are excluded from this indicator because such training does not typically lead to a credential.
      2. Additionally, participants who exit during the reporting period for any of the reasons listed in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy are excluded from this indicator.

1. A recognized postsecondary credential is defined as a credential consisting of an industry-recognized certificate or certification, a certificate of completion of an apprenticeship, a license recognized by Illinois or Federal government, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
   1. A recognized postsecondary credential is awarded in recognition of an individual’s attainment of measurable technical or industry/occupational skills necessary to obtain employment or advance within an industry/occupation.
      1. These technical or industry/occupational skills generally are based on standards developed or endorsed by employers or industry associations.
      2. Such certificates must recognize technical or industry/occupational skills for the specific industry/occupation rather than general skills.
      3. Recognized postsecondary credentials are an attestation of qualification or competence issued to an individual by a third (3rd) party (such as an educational institution or an industry or occupational certifying organization) with the relevant authority or expertise to issue such a credential.
      4. The terms most commonly used for educational credentials are: diploma, certificate, and degree.
   2. Several types of certificates are not accepted as recognized credentials including:
      1. Certificates awarded by local workforce innovation boards (LWIBs) and work readiness certificates are not included in this definition because neither type of certificate is recognized industry-wide, nor documents the measurable technical or industry/occupational skills necessary to gain employment or advancement within an occupation.
      2. Likewise, certificates related to safety, hygiene, etc., even if such general skills certificates are broadly required to qualify for entry-level employment or advancement in employment are not accepted.
   3. A variety of different public and private entities issue recognized postsecondary credentials. The following types of organizations and institutions award recognized postsecondary credentials, although not all credentials by these entities meet the definition of recognized postsecondary credential.
      1. A state educational agency or a state agency responsible for administering vocational and technical education within a state;
      2. An institution of higher education described in Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 USC sec. 1002) that is qualified to participate in the student financial assistance programs authorized by Title IV of that Act. This includes community colleges, proprietary schools, and all other institutions of higher education that are eligible to participate in Federal student financial aid programs;
      3. An institution of higher education that is formally controlled, or has been formally sanctioned or chartered, by the governing body of an Indian tribe or tribes;
      4. A professional, industry, or employer organization (e.g., National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence certification, National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc., Machining Level I credential) or product manufacturer or developer (e.g., recognized Microsoft Information Technology certificates, such as Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), Certified Novell Engineer, a Sun Certified Java Programmer, etc.) using a valid and reliable assessment of an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities;
      5. The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Apprenticeship or a recognized state Apprenticeship Agency;
      6. A public regulatory agency, which awards a credential upon an individual’s fulfillment of educational, work experience, or skill requirements that are legally necessary for an individual to use an occupational or professional title or to practice an occupation or profession (e.g., Federal Aviation Administration aviation mechanic license, or a state-licensed asbestos inspector);
      7. A program that has been approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer education benefits to veterans and other eligible persons; or
      8. Job Corps, which issues certificates for completing career training programs that are based on industry skills standards and certification requirements.
   4. There are four (4) characteristics of credentials that add value to individuals and businesses, they include:
      1. Industry-Recognized: An industry-recognized credential is either:
         1. developed and offered by, or endorsed by, a nationally- or regionally recognized industry association or organization representing a sizeable portion of the industry sector, or
         2. a credential that is sought or accepted by companies within the industry sector for purposes of hiring or recruitment, which may include credentials from vendors of certain products (e.g., Microsoft).
      2. Stackable: A credential is considered stackable when it is part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to build up an individual’s qualifications and help them to move along a career pathway or career ladder to different and potentially higher-paying jobs.
      3. Portable: A credential is considered portable when it is recognized and accepted as verifying the qualifications of an individual in other settings— such as other geographic areas across the country, other educational institutions, or other industries or businesses.
      4. Accredited: Accreditation by an independent, quality-review body is a valuable attribute and is often required for educational institutions or for specific educational programs in order for students to be eligible for Federal financial aid.
   5. Assistance should be provided to individuals to support the attainment of postsecondary educational credit for prior learning and work experience to help individuals earn credentials more quickly and reduce total tuition or training costs by potentially eliminating the requirement to take certain courses.
      1. Several resources on credit for prior learning are available to identify opportunities to gain credit for prior learning.
      2. Credit can be gained through the completion of examinations that recognize knowledge and experience gained through prior course work, on-the-job training (OJT) and work experience, professional development, or internships.
      3. Local experiential learning assessments, evaluations of local training and challenge exams can also provide opportunities to identify and verify prior knowledge and experience.

1. A recognized postsecondary credential is one (1) of two (2) types of credentials that are measured in the Credential Attainment performance indicator.
   1. For purposes of the credential attainment performance indicator, a secondary school diploma (or alternate diploma) (commonly referred to as high school diploma) is one that is recognized by a state and that is included for accountability purposes under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).A secondary school equivalency certification also known as a high school equivalency (HSE) certification signifies that a student has completed the requirements for a high school education.
      1. There are three (3) tests used to measure high school equivalency (HSE) skills.  Those are: the General Educational Development (GED), the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), and the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC).
      2. The types of recognized equivalents, for those not covered under ESEA, that would satisfy this performance indicator are those recognized by a state.
      3. Examples of secondary school diplomas, alternate diplomas, and recognized equivalents recognized by individual states include:
         1. Obtaining certification of attaining passing scores on an Illinois -recognized high school equivalency test;
         2. Earning a secondary school diploma or Illinois -recognized equivalent through a credit bearing secondary education program sanctioned by Illinois law, code, or regulation;
         3. Obtaining certification of passing an Illinois recognized competency-based assessment; and
         4. Completion of a specified number of college credits.

1. Measurable Skill Gains (MSG)
   1. Defined as the percentage of participants who, during a program year, are in education or training programs that lead to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment and who are achieving measurable skill gains, defined as documented academic, technical, occupational, or other forms of progress, towards such a credential or employment.
   2. The measurable skill gains indicator is used to measure interim progress of participants who are enrolled in education or training services for a specified reporting period. It is not an exit-based measure. Instead, it is intended to capture important progressions through educational or skill pathways that offer different services based on program purposes and participant needs. It can also help fulfill the vision for a workforce system that serves a diverse set of individuals with a range of services tailored to individual needs and goals. Depending upon the type of education or training program in which a participant is enrolled, documented progress is defined as one of the following:
      1. Educational Functioning Level (EFL): Documented achievement of at least one educational functioning (EFL) level of a participant who is receiving instruction below the postsecondary education level (includes three types of EFL measurements);
      2. Secondary School Diploma or Equivalent:  Documented attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
      3. Secondary/Postsecondary Transcripts or Report Card: Secondary or postsecondary transcript or report card for a sufficient number of credit hours that shows a participant is meeting the state unit’s academic standards;
      4. Training Milestone(s): Satisfactory or better progress report, towards established milestones or steps to successfully complete a training program such as completion of On-the-Job Training (OJT) or completion of one year of an apprenticeship program or similar milestones, from an employer or training provider who is providing training; or
      5. Skills Progression: Diploma/Certificate/Degree: Successful passage of an exam that is required for a particular occupation or progress in attaining technical or occupational skills as evidenced by trade-related benchmarks, such as knowledge-based exams.
   3. Documenting Progress for Types of Measurable Skill Gains occurs in the following ways:
      1. Educational Functioning Level (EFL)
         1. Documented achievement of at least one educational functioning level (EFL) of a participant who is receiving instruction below the postsecondary level.  Programs may measure educational functioning level gain in one of three ways:
            1. states may compare the participant’s initial educational functioning level, as measured by a pre-test, with the participant’s educational functioning level, as measured by a post-test following the requirements of the Basic Skills Deficiency Assessment Requirements section of the policy manual;
            2. states that offer adult high school programs that lead to a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent may measure and report educational gain through the awarding of credits or Carnegie units; or
            3. states may report an educational functioning level gain for participants who exit a program below the postsecondary level and enroll in postsecondary education and training during the program year. A program below the postsecondary level applies to participants enrolled in a basic education program.
      2. Secondary School Diploma or Equivalent
         1. Programs may document attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent if the participant obtains certification of attaining passing scores on all parts of a state-recognized high school equivalency test, or the participant obtains a diploma or state-recognized equivalent documenting satisfactory completion of secondary studies or an alternative diploma, including a high school or adult secondary school diploma.
            1. Secondary school diploma refers to a regular high school diploma, as defined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
            2. Alternative diploma must meet the requirements under ESSA.
      3. Secondary/Postsecondary Transcript or Report Card
         1. For secondary education, this gain may be documented through receipt of a secondary transcript or report card for one semester showing that the participant is achieving the state unit’s policies for academic standards. This applies only to youth attending High School.
         2. For postsecondary education, this gain must demonstrate a sufficient number of credit hours—which is at least twelve (12) hours per semester (or equivalent) or, for part-time students, a total of at least twelve (12) hours over the course of two (2) completed semesters (or equivalent) during a twelve (12) month period—that shows a participant is achieving the state unit’s academic standards (or the equivalent for other than credit hour programs).
            1. For example, if a postsecondary student completed four (4) hours in the spring semester and eight (8) more hours in the fall semester and those semesters crossed two (2) program years, this type of skill gain would not be reported in the first (1st) program year but it should be reported and will count as a skill gain in the second (2nd) program year, when the sufficient number of credit hours to meet the criteria is met.
            2. Secondary transcript is specific to youth attending high school.
         3. For gain type three, the Departments recommend that States and local areas develop policies suitable for the applicable academic system in use by the secondary or postsecondary institution in which the participant is enrolled including, but not limited to, semesters, trimesters, quarters, and clock hours for the calculation of credit hours (or their equivalent) when documenting progress towards Measurable Skill Gains.
      4. Training Milestone(s)
         1. Documentation for this gain may vary, as grantees should identify appropriate methodologies based upon the nature of services being provided.
         2. The gain may be documented by a satisfactory or better progress report from an employer or training provider.  Progress reports may include training reports on milestones completed as the individual masters the required job skills or takes steps to complete a training program. Documented increases in pay resulting from newly acquired skills or increased performance also can be used to demonstrate successful progress.
      5. Skills Progression - Diploma/Certificate/Credential/Degree
         1. Documentation for this gain may include passage of a component exam in a Registered Apprenticeship program, employer-required knowledge-based exam, satisfactory attainment of an element on an industry or occupational competency-based assessment, or other completion test necessary to obtain a credential.
   4. Methodology for calculating the outcomes includes all participants enrolled in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment.
      1. The number of program participants during the reporting period who are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment and are achieving measurable skill gains based on attainment of at least one type of gain (the Numerator) DIVIDED by the number of program participants, who, during the reporting period are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment (the Denominator).
   5. Operational parameters for calculating levels of performance for this indicator, States must include all participants who, during a program year, are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment are counted in the calculation of this indicator except States must not include (in either the numerator or denominator) those participants who exit during the reporting period for any of the reasons listed in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy.
      1. For the Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker program and the Title IB Youth program, a description of who is considered to be enrolled in an “education or training program”, and thus included in the measurable skill gains indicator, is provided below:
         1. Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker
            1. All participants who are in a Title IB Adult or Dislocated Worker funded training program are included in the measurable skill gains indicator (which includes funding a training program for a secondary school program equivalent). This includes all participants in work-based training.
         2. Title IB Youth
            1. In-School Youth (ISY) - All In-School-Youth are included in the measurable skill gains indicator since they are attending secondary or postsecondary school. 
            2. Out-of-School Youth (OSY) - Only (Out-of-School Youth) OSY who are in one of the following are included in the indicator:
               1. the program element occupational skills training;
               2. secondary education during participation in the Title IB Youth program;
               3. postsecondary education during participation in the Title IB Youth program;
               4. Title II-funded adult education at or above the ninth (9th) grade level during participation in the Title IB Youth program;
               5. YouthBuild program during participation in the Title IB Youth program; or
               6. Job Corps during participation in the Title IB Youth program.
      2. Unlike Credential Attainment, this includes all participants in OJT and customized training. There are no specific measurable skill gain types required for specific participants in each of these three Title IB core programs, except that for participants in the Title IB youth program, the type of skill gain must be based on the youth’s individual service strategy.

1. Additional operational parameters for the Measurable Skill Gains (MSG) performance indicator include:
   1. Participants are only included in the denominator one (1) time per reporting period (i.e., program year), regardless of how many skill gains they achieve in a given program year unless the individual has more than one (1) period of participation in a given program year. Likewise, participants are only included in the numerator one (1) time per reporting period (i.e., program year), regardless of how many skill gains they achieve in a given program year unless the individual has more than one (1) period of participation in a given program year;
   2. A participant who exits the program and re-enrolls in the program during the same program year and is in an education or training program will be in the indicator two (2) times for that particular program year; and
   3. The measurable skill gains indicator is different from the other indicators because it is not exit-based, meaning that a participant can achieve one (1) or more measurable skill gains while still participating in a program.
2. Programs must not delay enrollment or services to participants until a new program year even if programs believe there is insufficient time for the participant to make any type of measurable skill gain by the end of that program year.
3. For performance accountability purposes, the measurable skill gains indicator calculates the number of participants who attain at least one (1) type of gain during each period of participation within a given program year.
4. Since this indicator is not exit-based, each unique program entry date (not exit date) triggers inclusion in the calculation. Participants will achieve a successful outcome in the indicator as long as they attain one type of gain applicable to the program in which the participant is enrolled.
5. If a participant achieves more than one type of measurable skill gain in a reporting period, only the most recent gain of each skill gain type will be reported in the numerator.

1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education to establish a primary performance indicator for effectiveness in serving employers.
2. The effectiveness in serving employers indicator was initially implemented as a pilot program to test the feasibility and rigor of three proposed approaches. The Departments assessed the pilot outcomes through Program Year (PY) 2021. They published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) on September 14, 2022, to define the effectiveness of serving employers' performance in a single standardized way.
3. Retention with the same employer addresses the programs’ efforts to provide employers with skilled workers. This is useful in determining whether the core programs are serving employers effectively by improving the skills of their workforce and decreasing employee turnover.
   1. This approach captures the percentage of participants in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit and is employed with the same employer in the second (2^nd) and fourth (4^th) quarters after exit.
   2. States must use UI wage records, Federal or military employment records, or supplemental wage information to identify whether a participant’s employer wage record indicates a match of the same establishment identifier (such as a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or State tax ID) in both the second (2^nd) and fourth (4^th) quarters after exit.
      1. The methodology for calculating this measure is the number of participants who exit during the reporting period and are found to be employed by the same employer during the second quarter after exit and the fourth quarter after exit, either through direct UI wage record match, Federal or military employment records, or supplemental wage information DIVIDED by the number of participants who exited during the reporting period and were employed during the second quarter after exit.
4. When calculating levels of performance for this indicator, States must include all participants exiting the title I Adult, title I Dislocated Worker, title I Youth, title II AEFLA, title III Employment Service, and title IV VR programs who were employed in unsubsidized employment in the second quarter after exit; however, States must not include (in either the numerator or denominator) those participants who exit during the reporting period for any of the allowable exclusion reasons.
5. Unlike the other primary performance indicators, which are reported separately for each core program, the effectiveness in serving employers indicator is reported as a shared indicator—one value that combines the results for all the core programs in the State.
   1. To implement this indicator as a shared measure, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has been identified as the single agency for coordinating data collection and reporting.
   2. Illinois will report results in the WIOA annual report and make the results public in the WIOA Statewide Annual Performance Report Narrative.
6. The local workforce innovation boards must report on participants accurately and timely so that when the state core programs prepare their reports, all Title I participants who should be in the measure are captured appropriately.

(Pending)

(Pending)

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB participants may be excluded from primary indicators of performance for any of the following reasons that may preclude them from participating in services or entering employment.

1. These exclusions apply to all primary indicators of performance for all Title IB Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs, unless otherwise noted.
   1. Exclusions from performance are made for a WIOA Title IB participant that exits the program because of any of the following:
      1. becomes incarcerated in a correctional institution or has become a resident of an institution or facility providing twenty-four (24)-hour support such as a hospital or treatment center during the course of receiving services as a participant;
      2. receiving medical treatment and that treatment is expected to last longer than ninety (90) days and precludes entry into unsubsidized employment or continued participation in the program; and
      3. called to active duty for at least ninety (90) days as a member of the National Guard or other reserve military unit of the armed forces.
   2. All WIOA Title IB participants are excluded from performance if they are deceased during program participation or after exit during applicable reporting periods.
   3. A Title IB Youth participant is excluded from performance if they are in the foster care system and exit the program because the participant has moved from the local workforce innovation area as part of such a program or system.
2. If a participant is exited due to a medical or disability exclusion, care must be taken not to disclose the medical or disability-related information.
   1. Information shall be collected in a separate file and must not disclose in case notes the reason for exit.
3. For Title IB programs, eligibility is determined at the time an individual becomes a participant and such eligibility is not revisited during the individual’s participation in the program. As such, there are no exclusions from performance if it is later determined that they have not met the program’s eligibility criteria.
4. There is no prohibition against providing follow-up services after exit due to exclusionary reasons.
5. For additional exclusions within each primary indicators of performance, reference the definition, methodology, operational parameters and other information found in each performance indicator section of the policy.

1. A Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB program exit must occur when a participant has not received any active services funded by the program or a partner program for ninety (90) consecutive calendar days, has no gap in service, and is not scheduled for future services. To that end, the following must be considered:
   1. A participant may be exited sooner than ninety (90) days if it is known that they will not be receiving any additional active services funded by WIOA Title IB or a partner program.
      1. If an exit record has been entered in the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS) or other approved system of record and the participant receives a new active service funded by the program or a partner program within ninety (90) days of the previous service, then the exit record must be deleted from and the new service(s) added to the participant's existing application record.
         1. A written request must be made to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Employment and Training (OET) staff listed in the contacts tab to delete the exit in IWDS that includes, at a minimum, the name of the participant, the name of the participant’s career planner, the Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA) for which the participant’s record was entered, and the reason for deleting the exit.
   2. An individual shall not have a new WIOA Title IB participant application entered for them if they:
      1. Have received an active program service within ninety (90) days; or
      2. Have not had an exit record entered in the appropriate system of record (regardless of whether ninety (90) days have passed since the last receipt of service).
   3. An individual must have a new WIOA Title IB participant application entered for them if they:
      1. Have not received an active program service within ninety (90) days from the date of prior program exit.
2. The date of exit is applied retroactively from the current date to the last day on which the participant received an active program service funded by WIOA Title IB.
3. If a participant receives services from multiple programs and is co-enrolled, the most recent service end date will be the date of exit.  See the Co-Enrollment and Exit section of this policy.
4. Participants who have a planned gap in WIOA Title IB service of greater than ninety (90) days must not be considered as exited if the gap in service is due to one of the following circumstances:
   1. A delay before the beginning of training;
   2. A health/medical condition or providing care for a family member with a health/medical condition; or
   3. A temporary move from the area that prevents the individual from participating in services, including military service.
5. The planned gap in WIOA Title IB services may not last more than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive calendar days from the date of the most recent service. All planned gaps in service must be documented in IWDS and include the reason for the gap and the anticipated return date to complete program services.
6. Once a participant has no active WIOA Title IB services for ninety (90) consecutive calendar days, has no gap in service as outlined under 4 and 5 above, and is not scheduled for future WIOA Title IB services, then the exit record must be entered in the system of record.
   1. Prior to entering an exit record, the following information must be reviewed for accuracy, and any deficiencies identified must be corrected:
      1. Every service provided to the participant has been recorded and close any open services by adding the end date and completion status;
      2. All supporting documentation has been obtained and is physically located in the file and/or case notes are entered;
      3. Each credential (Diploma/Degree/Certification) achieved has been added to the credential record and appropriate credentials selected in the exit record;
      4. All types of Measurable Skill Gains (MSGs) achieved are recorded;
      5. The exit record includes one School Status at Exit and one Exit Reason; and
         1. If the exit reason is an exclusion from the performance indicators as outlined in the Exclusions from Performance section of this policy, supporting documentation/validation is included in the file.
      6. Note a separate exit reason is required for each co-enrolled program.
   2. Once all reviews are completed and documentation recorded as outlined above, the exit record must be recorded in the appropriate case management system.
7. Credentials and/or Employment (Job Records) must be recorded in the appropriate system of record within ten (10) days of learning of a participant’s credential attainment or employment status.
   1. Participants can receive credit for a credential earned up to one (1) year from exit. 
   2. Career planners must ensure they record any credentials attained during the follow-up period.
   3. A participant’s credentials and/or employment (job record(s)) may be recorded during participation on the respective screens, which are separate from the Exit record (Exit Control Panel screen in IWDS). 
   4. Follow-up services must occur as outlined in the Follow-Up Services section of the policy manual.
8. When selecting exit reasons Attained Credential/Diploma Certificate or Entered Unsubsidized Employment, at least one Credential and/or Employment record as applicable is required to be added on the exit record in the appropriate case management system before the exit can be submitted.
   1. The Career Planner must manually add a Credential(s) to the appropriate section(s) on the Exit record to count towards reporting for the Credential Attainment Rate measure. 
   2. In cases where the employment is supplemental, the record must also be manually added to the exit record.
   3. When the exit reason Entered Unsubsidized Employment is selected, the employment start date of the job record must align with the same quarter as the date of exit.
9. The exit record must be entered no more than one hundred twenty (120) days from the last date of active program service.
   1. A report Days Since Last Active Service is available in IWDS for each LWIA to monitor participants' last service date.
   2. Additionally, the Illinois Performance Accountability and Transparency System (IPATS) dashboards serve as a reporting and management dashboard for tracking program activity and outcomes.
   3. LWIA staff must ensure program exits occur timely by monitoring participant progress through IPATS and utilizing the reports available in IWDS to identify participants without an active program service record in IWDS for more than ninety (90) days.
   4. IWDS locks the ability for local career planners to enter exit records after this timeframe.
      1. Once the system has locked the ability for the local career planner to exit the participant, a request must be submitted to the OET staff listed in the Contacts tab to exit the participant from the system.
10. OET regularly reviews the reports and systems and will notify LWIA staff when they have identified instances where LWIAs fail to exit participants within the required timeframe.

1. A program service is a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB approved activity, and in some instances, supportive services, funded or supported by WIOA Title IB, Trade, or a partner program, not including follow-up services or other activities not considered a service as provided in paragraph 3 below.  See the Co-enrollment of Trade Program Participants section of this policy for more information on the blending of WIOA Title IB and Trade services.
2. A supportive service is considered a WIOA Title IB program service only if the expenditure is related to a current staff-assisted career service or training activity and paid by WIOA Title IB funds.
   1. Documentation of supportive services must be in the form of a service entry in the appropriate case management system and fiscal records showing payment for a service. Supportive services are only considered active program services for WIOA Adult and Dislocated Workers until the date of exit.
   2. Supportive services can be provided to youth participants during participation as Program Element Seven (7) (Supportive Services) or after exit as a component of Program Element Nine (9) (Follow-Up Services), though the former triggers and extends participation while the latter does not.
3. An active program service is a service provided to a participant that has taken place within the last ninety (90) consecutive days.
   1. Documentation of active program services, such as ongoing staff interaction and training activities, must initially be in the form of case management system service activities. Additional documentation of these active program activities must be in the form of Case Notes. The Case Note details must specify a two-way communication describing either what occurred or verifying attendance and training progress and how the service or activity moves the participant toward their objectives and goals outlined in the Individual Employment Plan (IEP) or Individual Service Strategy (ISS).
   2. It is a proven best practice and expectation that the review occurs, and a case note be entered at a minimum of once every thirty (30) days. The expectation is that the career planner must contact the participant during that timeframe to address any problems, challenges, or difficulties the participant may have.
   3. Documentation of same-day service requires that a service activity episode be entered in the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS) each time the service is provided. See the WIOA Title IB Service Matrix attachment of the Career Planning policy in the policy manual for a further description and list of same-day services.
      1. Documentation in the form of a case note without an update to the IWDS same-day service activity record will not cause the service to be treated as active and, therefore, will not impact exit date determination.
      2. IWDS entry of same-day services
         1. After an initial same-day service is entered in IWDS, career planners can use a one-click process to indicate additional episodes of this same service.
         2. To accomplish this, the career planner must select the initial same-day service from the service list screen. That service information (with any update) will appear as usual on the Edit Services screen. For same-day services, this screen will also contain an ‘Add Additional Episode’ button.
         3. Clicking the Add Additional Episode button will display fields to enter an additional service date(s) and a text box to describe that day's activity. Once this data is added and saved, the text will be stored as part of the participant’s Case Notes for the additional activity date.
4. Non-active program services must be ended in the case management system, and the career planner must record whether the service was successfully or unsuccessfully completed.  Successfully completed means having completed a task with success or receiving a grade for the course that the institution recognizes as a passing grade.  Unsuccessfully completed means having not completed the task or receiving a grade for the course that the institution does not recognize as a passing grade.
5. The term active program service does not include:
   1. Determination of eligibility to participate in the program;
   2. Self-directed job search that does not result in a referral to a job;
   3. Services and activities specifically provided as follow-up services such as regular contact with the participant or employer only to obtain information regarding their employment status, educational progress, need for additional services, or income support payments (except for trade readjustment allowances and other needs-related payments funded through the Trade program, Dislocated Worker program, or Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) program); or
   4. Case notes or fiscal records showing payment for support services.

1. Compliance with the exit requirement will be enforced through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Employment and Training (OET) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB monitoring process, and the periodic review of OET WIOA Title IB reports.
2. Participants not properly exited will be documented during monitoring and a finding will be issued.
3. Local Workforce Innovation Areas (LWIAs) will be expected to take corrective action to comply with the requirements on program exits.

1. Under Illinois’ Unified State Plan, partners are committed to developing and implementing co-enrollment strategies to support program alignment and career pathways. Co-enrollment:
   1. Supports coordination across core programs, including planning, reporting, and service delivery;
   2. Supports a customer-centric design that allows programs to leverage resources for participants who are eligible for, and need, multiple services that cross-program lines; and
   3. Allows tracking career pathway participants whose service happens not within one particular Federal program and funding stream but across multiple programs.
2. Co-enrollment in Youth and Adult Programs
   1. Local area Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB staff must identify and track the funding streams that pay the costs of services provided to individuals participating in Youth and Adult programs concurrently and ensure no duplication of services.
3. Co-enrollment of Trade Program Participants
   1. States must co-enroll all trade-affected workers who are otherwise eligible for WIOA).  Career planners must co-enroll Trade customers in the WIOA Title IB Dislocated Worker program.  However, as appropriate, customers may also be co-enrolled in the Title IB Adult, Youth, or other partner programs.
   2. Trade includes activities and services available through any of the Trade programs: Trade Adjustment Assistance Under the Trade Act of 1974, As Amended including Trade Reform Act of 2002 (2002 amendments) – Trade, the Trade Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 – TGAAA, the Trade Adjustment Assistance (Trade) for Workers Final Rule (20 CFR 618), and any subsequent changes or reversions.
   3. WIOA and Trade program funds must be managed in a coordinated manner. Duplication of payment of training costs is not permitted. Under certain circumstances, the WIOA Title IB and Trade programs may share the costs of training.
   4. The Trade program must be the primary source of assistance to Trade program participants. If a Trade program participant requires assistance or services not authorized under the Trade program or Trade program funds are unavailable or insufficient, assistance must be made available through WIOA Title IB.
   5. Under limited circumstances, Trade program participants may receive WIOA-funded training that would otherwise be provided under the Trade program. The most common occurrence is when a Trade petition has been filed by or on behalf of a group of workers, but a determination of group eligibility is pending. In this case, WIOA Title IB funds must be used for training in the short-term, until the Trade program determines the worker's individual eligibility and approves the training. (If a negative decision is rendered and the petition is denied, the worker may continue as a WIOA Title IB participant.) Training may be modified by the Trade program to allow a worker additional training under the Trade program to meet retraining needs as indicated in an individual reemployment plan. The Trade program participant must remain co-enrolled in WIOA Title IB and the Trade Program if the individual needs continued career and supportive services through WIOA.
   6. WIOA Title IB allows up to seventy-five (75) percent reimbursement to employers for on-the-job training (OJT). In contrast, the Trade program allows reimbursement up to fifty (50) percent of the wage rate, the cost of providing the training, and additional supervision related to the training. For approved OJT for a co-enrolled Trade program participant, the Trade program may reimburse employers up to fifty (50) percent, and WIOA Title IB may reimburse employers up to an additional twenty-five (25) percent, to bring the total reimbursement to the employer up to seventy-five (75) percent, provided that local area’s WIOA Title IB OJT policy offers for a seventy-five (75) percent reimbursement rate.
      1. The state has a waiver from DOL to allow for a sliding reimbursement scale to the employer for an OJT based on its size and capability.  Under this waiver, employers with fifty (50) or less employees would be reimbursed up to ninety percent (90%), those with between 51 and 250 employees up to seventy-five (75%) reimbursement, and all other employers up to the statutory limit of 50%.
      2. Under this waiver for an approved OJT for a co-enrolled Trade program participant, the Trade program may reimburse employers up to fifty (50) percent, and WIOA Title IB may reimburse employers up to an additional forty (40) percent, to bring the total reimbursement to the employer up to ninety (90) percent, provided that local area’s WIOA Title IB OJT policy provides for a ninety (90) percent reimbursement rate.
4. Co-enrolled exit occurs when a participant, enrolled in multiple WIOA Title IB programs or Trade, has:
   1. Not received services from any of those programs for at least ninety (90) days; and
   2. No future services are planned.
   3. Example: Participant Joe is a worker covered by a Trade Certification and is co-enrolled in the Dislocated Worker program. Joe’s last date of service under the Dislocated Worker program is September 15th. Joe’s last date of service under the Trade program is October 1st. Joe receives no additional services from the Trade and Dislocated Worker programs. Joe's co-enrolled exit date is October 1st.
5. Co-enrolled participants shall only be exited when all the criteria for exit are met for the programs in which they are co-enrolled applies.
6. When adding an exit in Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS), the WIOA Title IB and/or Trade programs in which the participant is co-enrolled will be exited with the same exit date.  The system will not allow an exit to be entered for one program and not the other(s).
7. The procedures in Career Connect are the same except for situations in which a participant is co-enrolled in local (LWIA 7) and statewide (LWIA 90) grants.  The Career Connect Help Desk site provides guidance on this topic at the link found in the Resources tab.

Each Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) and Chief Elected Official(s)(CEO) in each of Illinois’ Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA)s are required to utilize a local negotiation process to come to an agreement on negotiated levels of performance under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

1. The LWIB and CEO are required to reach an agreement with the state on negotiated levels of performance for the first two (2) years and the third (3^rd) and fourth (4^th) years of the Unified State Plan.
2. The local negotiation process with the state will be in accordance with the process and timeline outlined in a WIOA Notice and will include the Expected and Negotiated Levels of Performance.
3. The negotiation process includes the following:

1. Expected Levels of Performance:
   1. The LWIB and CEO must submit proposed performance goals (or expected levels of performance) to the state for each of the primary indicators of performance for the first two (2) years and for years three (3) and four (4) of the local planning cycle.
   2. Expected levels of performance must be stated to the nearest tenth of a percent (0.1%), or to the nearest whole dollar for median earnings.
2. Negotiated Levels of Performance:
   1. Agreement on levels of performance occurs through negotiations between the LWIB and CEO, and the state to reach an agreement on negotiated levels of performance.
      1. After submission of the local plan, for years one (1) and two (2) of the plan, and
      2. After submission of the modification to the local plans, for years three (3) and four (4) of the plan.
      3. All negotiated levels of performance must be published as a modification to the local plan upon completion of the negotiation process and published on any public-facing website of the LWIB.
   2. Negotiation Factors to be utilized by the LWIB and CEO, and the state during negotiations include: 
      1. An account of how the levels involved compare with the negotiated levels of performance established by other LWIAs;
      2. Utilization of a Local Negotiation Tool that predicts simulated levels of performance using an objective Statistical Adjustment Model (SAM) provided by the State;
      3. An account of the extent to which the levels involved promote continuous improvement in performance accountability measures by the LWIA and ensure optimal return on investment of Federal and state funds; and
      4. An account of the extent to which the levels involved will assist the state in meeting performance goals established by the Secretaries of Education and Labor.
      5. LWIBs may use other verifiable and replicable data, historical performance information, tools, and resources.
      6. There is no specified weight on any specific negotiation factor.
3. Negotiations of levels of performance are for two (2) program years at a time.
   1. Unless otherwise noted in a revision to this policy or as identified in a WIOA Notice, no renegotiation of levels of performance will occur.
4. LWIBs and CEOs from each LWIA must appoint up to five (5) members of a local negotiating team which will be provided authority to negotiate and agree with the state on behalf of the LWIB and CEO on the levels at which each required performance goal under Title IB will be set.
   1. LWIB members and CEOs are strongly encouraged to be directly involved in these negotiations.
5. All local negotiated levels of performance will be provided to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Region 5 office upon completion of negotiations.
6. Adjusted levels of performance will be determined at the end of each program year utilizing a SAM to reflect the actual economic conditions experienced in the local area and characteristics of the actual individuals served.

A statistical adjustment model (SAM) is an objective regression model used to estimate levels of performance under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

A SAM is utilized during local negotiations and at the end of a program year (PY) to minimize the negative effects of serving those individuals with multiple barriers to employment which might otherwise be viewed as disincentivizing serving those with greater barriers. The SAM accommodates and recognizes those local areas serving a significant number of individuals with barriers to employment who need higher levels of service to achieve positive outcomes.

1. States are provided a state SAM by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) prior to states entering negotiations with the USDOL.
2. States are to utilize the state SAM provided by the USDOL as the framework to develop a local SAM for use in local negotiations.
3. The local SAM will be shared with the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB)s prior to entering negotiations with the state.
   1. Before each two (2) year negotiation process, the State estimates levels of performance based on participant characteristics and economic conditions using an objective SAM.
   2. After each PY, the State will re-estimate the local area’s performance using the same objective model coefficients updated to reflect the actual characteristics of participants served and the actual economic conditions experienced to determine an adjustment factor.
   3. Future local SAM modeling is contingent on past capturing of actual characteristics of participants served and actual economic conditions, so it is imperative that all characteristics, such as barriers to employment, for all participants are documented.
4. The local SAM is also used to determine adjusted levels of performance after the completion of each PY.
   1. Using the local SAM model, the adjustment factor is identified as a positive or negative difference that is added to the negotiated level of performance to determine the adjusted level of performance of participants who exited from the program(s) during the PY.
   2. The adjustment factor is the difference between the estimated levels of performance predicted by the local SAM prior to the local negotiations and the levels of performance re-estimated by the local SAM at the completion of the PY.
5. The SAM will continue to be refined with each set of data collected from reporting on the WIOA primary indicators of performance and the Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL) in addition to factoring into capture participant characteristics and economic conditions.

Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB)s are required to achieve positive outcomes in each of the applicable indicators of performance and other defined performance measures, as determined through local negotiations and the result of applying the Statistical Adjustment Model (SAM).

1. Local negotiations provide LWIBs with performance goals as targets.
2. Local negotiated levels of performance or performance goals provide benchmarks (or targets) at the beginning of each program year (PY) taking into account the expected economic conditions and expected characteristics of participants.
   1. These negotiated levels of performance provide an opportunity to build a workforce system that is continuously improving and allows for appropriate regional and local planning implementation.
3. Adjusted levels of performance will be determined at the end of each PY utilizing a SAM to reflect the actual economic conditions experienced in the local area and actual characteristics of the individuals served.
   1. The adjustment factors of the SAM will be applied to the negotiated levels of performance to determine the adjusted levels of performance.
   2. Actual performance outcomes will be compared to the adjusted levels of performance to calculate an indicator score for each Title IB program indicator of performance.
   3. The indicator score will determine performance status.
4. Assessment of LWIBs is conducted using the same framework as Illinois is evaluated, by assessing local performance on the following three criteria:
   1. Individual Indicator Score – actual performance outcome for each indicator of performance divided by the adjusted level of performance for each Title IB program (Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth);
   2. Overall Program Score – the average of all individual indicator scores being assessed for each Title IB Program; and
   3. Overall Indicator Score – the average of all individual scores for each indicator of performance across all Title IB Programs.
5. Beginning in PY 2021 each LWIB will be considered to have performed successfully if they achieve the following after the completion of each PY:
   1. All single Individual Indicator Scores are at least seventy percent (70%) of the adjusted level of performance;
   2. The Overall Program Score is at least ninety percent (90%) for all Title IB programs; and
   3. The Overall Indicator Score is at least ninety percent (90%) for all Title IB indicators of performance.

See Notice 21-NOT-01, Change 1 in Chapter 3.6.

To be determined.

To be determined.

To be determined.

To be determined.

The One-Stop Delivery System is a shared responsibility of States, LWIBs, chief elected officials (CEOs), core and required one-stop partners, one-stop operators, and service providers. In Illinois, the one-stop delivery system includes six (6) core and ten (10) required programs as well as additional partners identified in WIOA under Section 121(b). 

Under WIOA, one-stop centers and their partners:

1. provide job seekers with the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment with family-sustaining wages;
    
2. provide access and opportunities to all job seekers, including individuals with barriers to employment, such as individuals with disabilities, to prepare for, obtain, retain, and advance in high-quality jobs and high-demand careers;
    
3. enable businesses and employers to easily identify and hire skilled workers and access other supports, including education and training for their current workforce;
    
4. participate in rigorous evaluations that support continuous improvement of one-stop centers by identifying which strategies work better for different populations; and
    
5. ensure that high-quality integrated data inform decisions made by policymakers, employers, and job seekers.

1. In Illinois, each Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) must ensure their local comprehensive one-stop centers dual branded as Illinois workNet^® Centers and American Job Center includes the following programs (partners):
   1. Title I of WIOA including:
      1. Adults;
      2. Dislocated Workers;
      3. Youth;
      4. Job Corps (if the program is administered in the LWIA);
      5. Native American programs (if the program is administered in the LWIA);
      6. Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker programs (if the program is administered in the LWIA); and
      7. Veterans Workforce programs.
   2. Wagner-Peyser programs (WIOA Title III);
   3. Adult education and literacy activities (WIOA Title II);
   4. Programs authorized under parts A and B of Title I of the Rehabilitation Act (other than section 112);
   5. Senior community service employment activities (Older Americans Act Title V);
   6. Career and Technical Education programs at the postsecondary level authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act;
   7. Trade adjustment assistance under the Trade Act;
   8. Veterans’ employment representatives and disabled veterans outreach programs;
   9. Employment and training activities under the Community Services Block Grant program;
   10. Employment and training activities under the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
   11. Unemployment compensation programs;
   12. Programs under section 212 of the Second Chance Act; and
   13. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) authorized under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act.
2. LWIBs may also include, in the local comprehensive One-Stop, the following entities that carry out a workforce development program:
   1. Employment and training programs administered by the Social Security Administration, including the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program established under section 1148 of the Social Security Act;
   2. Employment and training programs carried out by the Small Business Administration;
   3. Work programs authorized under the Food and Nutrition Act;
   4. Client Assistance Program authorized under section 112 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
   5. Programs authorized under the National and Community Service Act; and
   6. Other appropriate federal, state, or local programs, including employment, education, and training programs provided by public libraries or in the private sector.

1. All required partners must:
   1. Provide access to its programs and activities through the one-stop delivery system.
   2. Use a portion of funds made available to the partner's program, to the extent not inconsistent with the Federal law authorizing the partner's program, to:
      1. Provide applicable career services; and
      2. Establish and maintain the one-stop delivery system by working collaboratively with the state and local workforce innovation board.
         1. This includes jointly funding the one-stop infrastructure through partner contributions that are based upon:
            1. A reasonable cost allocation methodology by which infrastructure costs are charged to each partner based on proportionate use and relative benefit received;
            2. Federal cost principles; and
            3. Any local administrative cost requirements in the Federal law authorizing the partner’s program.
   3. Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB) relating to the operation of the one-stop delivery system that meets the requirements of WIOA and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) section of the policy manual which includes the Governor’s Guidelines to State and Local Program Partners Negotiating Costs and Services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014.
   4. Participate in the operation of the one-stop delivery system consistent with the terms of the MOU and requirements of authorizing laws; the Federal cost principles, and all other applicable legal requirements; and
   5. Provide representation on the LWIB as required by the board’s Membership Requirements and the LWIB Certification and Recertification Requirements sections of the policy manual.

1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) authorizes basic career services, individualized career services, and follow-up services.
   1. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) must ensure that coordination between partner programs providing basic and individualized career services:
      1. Is described in the Memorandum of Understanding as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) section of the policy manual which includes the Governor’s Guidelines (See the Governor’s Guidelines to State and Local Program Partners Negotiating Costs and Services Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 link on the References tab.);
         1. The list of career services required to be provided at the Illinois workNet Centers by partner program is included in the Governor’s Guidelines.
      2. Follows the guidance found in the One-Stop Delivery System Under WIOA section of the policy manual; and
      3. Strives to reach integration as outlined in the Service Integration section of the policy manual.
   2. Funds under the Title III Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Services program must be used to provide basic career services and may be used to provide individualized career services consistent with the Wagner-Peyser Act.   Basic career services provided by the Title III Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Services program are available to anyone who is legally entitled to work in the United States regardless of age or employment.
   3. Although WIOA distinguishes levels of service, this distinction is not intended to imply that there is a sequence of services between basic and individualized career services or training. These services can be provided in any order which allows the flexibility to target services to the needs of the customer.
   4. Career services under this approach provide local areas and service providers with the flexibility to target services that meet the needs of the customer, while still allowing for tracking of outcomes for reporting purposes.
2. Basic Career Services
   1. Basic career services are universally accessible and must be made available to all individuals seeking employment and training services in at least one comprehensive Illinois workNet Center per local area. Generally, these services involve less staff time and involvement. These services must be provided by both the Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker programs, as well as the Title III Wagner-Peyser Employment Service program per 20 CFR 652.206.
   2. Basic career services include:
      1. Determinations of whether the individuals are eligible to receive assistance under WIOA Title IB;
      2. The information and other services available through the local Illinois workNet Center through:
         1. Outreach;
         2. Intake (which may include worker profiling); and
         3. Orientation.
      3. Initial assessment of the following:
         1. Skill levels;
         2. Aptitudes;
         3. Abilities; and
         4. Supportive service needs.
      4. Employment assistance including:
         1. Job search;
         2. Placement assistance; and
         3. Where appropriate, career counseling.
      5. Provision of referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services, including programs and services within the one-stop delivery system;
      6. Provision of accurate employment statistics information relating to the local, regional, and national labor market areas, including:
         1. Job vacancy listings in such labor market areas;
         2. Information on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed; and
         3. Information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings and skill requirements for such occupations.
      7. Provision of performance information and program cost information for the following:
         1. Eligible providers of training services;
         2. Eligible providers of youth activities;
         3. Providers of adult education described in Title II;
         4. Providers of postsecondary vocational education activities and vocational education activities available to school dropouts; and
         5. Providers of vocational rehabilitation program activities.
      8. Provision of information regarding how the local area is performing on the local performance measures and any additional performance information concerning the one-stop delivery system.
      9. Provision of accurate information relating to the availability of and referral to supportive services, including (but not limited to):
         1. Childcare; and
         2. Transportation.
      10. Provision of information and meaningful assistance to individuals seeking assistance in filing a claim for unemployment compensation.
      11. Assistance in establishing eligibility for Programs of financial aid assistance for training and education programs that are not funded under WIOA and are available in the local area.
3. Individualized Career Services
   1. Individualized career services to Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker participants can only be provided after Illinois workNet Center staff determine that such services are required to retain or obtain employment, consistent with any applicable statutory priorities.
   2. The provision of individualized career services by the WIOA Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker programs must be based on the employment needs of the individual as determined jointly by the individual and the career planner and must be identified through an individual employment plan (IEP).
   3. Generally, individualized career services involve significant staff time since they must be customized to each individual’s needs.
   4. Individualized career services include:
      1. Comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers, which may include:
         1. Diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools; and
         2. In-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals;
      2. Development of an individual employment plan, to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve his or her employment goals, including the list of, and information about, the eligible training providers;
      3. Group counseling;
      4. Individual counseling;
      5. Career planning;
      6. Short-term pre-vocational services including development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct services to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training;
      7. Internships and work experiences that are linked to careers;
      8. Workforce preparation activities;
      9. Financial literacy services;
      10. Out-of-area job search assistance and relocation assistance; and
      11. English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs.
4. Follow-up Services
   1. Adults and dislocated worker participants who are placed in unsubsidized employment, must receive follow-up services for up to 12 months after the first day of employment. The state’s policy on follow-up services is detailed in the Follow-Up section of the policy manual. 
   2. LWIBs must establish a Follow-up Services policy that aligns with the state’s policy and defines what are considered to be appropriate follow-up services, as well as policies for identifying when to provide follow-up services to participants.

1. The Illinois General Assembly passed Public Act 093-0639, which amends The Department of Employment Security Law of the Civil Administration Code of Illinois. This law requires that the state agency responsible for oversight of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) prepare a report for the Governor and the General Assembly regarding the progress of the Illinois workNet Centers in serving individuals with disabilities.
2. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) have responsibility for oversight of the Illinois workNet system. LWIBs should assist in coordinating data collection among the local partners located in the Illinois workNet Centers.
   1. Initial Report
      1. The initial report will be a baseline to which the local areas will be compared in the future. The report must include, but is not limited to:
         1. The number of individuals referred to the Illinois workNet Centers by the Department of Human Services/Division of Rehabilitation Services (DHS/DRS);
         2. The total number of individuals with disabilities served by the Illinois workNet Centers;
         3. The number of individuals with disabilities served in federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act employment and training programs;
         4. The number of individuals with disabilities annually placed in jobs by the Illinois  workNet Centers; and
         5. The number of individuals with disabilities referred by the Illinois workNet Centers to DHS/DRS.
   2. This report, based on the previous state program year of July 1 through June 30, is due annually to the General Assembly no later than December 31.
   3. The Department is working in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Employment Security and the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Rehabilitation Services (DHS/DRS) to collect data from their reporting systems to assist with the reporting requirements. WIOA Title IB data to be used in the preparation of this report will be extracted annually from the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS) on September 1. Data extracted from reports such as the Target Population report will be compiled and used for items (ii), (iii), and (iv) of Public Act 093-0639. Item (v) of Public Act 093-0639 will be extracted from referral records from the LWIAs to DHS (or recorded on IWDS).

Career planning is a customer-centered approach in delivering services to prepare and coordinate comprehensive career (employment) plans for participants that ensures access to workforce activities and supportive services during program participation and continuing for one (1) year after job placement. Career planning is a continual service provided to adults, dislocated workers, and youth to ensure their success in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) services.

Successful career planning is a collaborative and ongoing process rather than a one-time activity.  The process is individualized to the job seeker and prepares them to obtain employment leading to self‐sufficiency and placing them on a lifelong learning path.  Effective career planning includes assessment, career readiness activities, preparation, and training, along with appropriate job matching and placement ending with one (1) year of follow-up.  Providing supportive services and conducting follow-up are essential to the success of the jobseeker.

Key components of career planning include building rapport, effectively communicating, identifying appropriate services, convening key service providers, connecting participants with services, creating a strong employment plan, motivating and encouraging, following up after an appointment(s), monitoring services, and follow-up after exit.  Additionally, keeping accurate, timely, and descriptive records of career planning efforts through appropriate case management is essential.

1. Engaging customers via the Illinois workNet Center or designated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB service provider can occur through self-service or staff-assisted activities.  Minimally, customer engagement must be through:
   1. Program staff physically present at the center; or
   2. Direct linkage via technology as defined within the Governor’s Guidelines (See the Governor’s Guidelines to State and Local Program Partners Negotiating Costs and Services Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 link on the References tab.)
2. One-Stop Operators must ensure that staff, regardless of program, request identifying information to ensure tracking of WIOA self-service or informational services/activities.
   1. Local methods for tracking the number of reportable individuals and activities can include a swipe card, Resource Room Sign-In Form, or other local check-in procedure.
      1. Local policy should indicate the information necessary to conduct the tracking of services.
      2. All Personally Identifiable Information (PII) must be protected following procedures outlined in the Personally Identifiable Information section of the policy manual.
   2. Customers receiving self-service or informational services either in the resource room, virtually, or through partner referral are Reportable Individuals.  WIOA Title IB self-service basic career services, also known as Local Services, received by Reportable Individuals are to be recorded in the appropriate case management system.
   3. In the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS), these services must be captured under Local Services.  Local Administrators are responsible for populating the list of services displayed on the Add Local Services screen. 
   4. It is imperative that local areas are accurately capturing in IWDS the local services being provided so that all services provided through the local Illinois workNet centers are being reported to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL).
   5. It is also important to note they are not included in the performance measure calculations.
3. Once the services require staff assistance (defined as individualized career services for WIOA Title IB), the individual is required to be registered as a participant.
   1. The individual must apply for services and be determined eligible as outlined in the Application for Services and Eligibility Determination section of this policy to register for the program.
   2. WIOA Title IB Adults and Dislocated Worker reportable individuals who are determined eligible and receive staff-assisted career services would be considered participants and thus, be included in performance calculations.
   3. WIOA Title IB Youth reportable individuals who are determined eligible, receive an assessment, and receive a program element (a staff-assisted individualized career service) would be considered participants and, thus, be included in performance calculations.
4. For further information regarding information collection for reportable individuals, see the General Eligibility Requirements section of the policy manual.
5. One-Stop Operators must ensure coordination of services, and therefore may  consider creating an operation manual that outlines career planning best practices towards that requirement.

1. Individuals seeking Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB services beyond self-service that require registration into the program must complete a WIOA application.
2. The career planner:
   1. Enters the application information into the appropriate case management system.
   2. Determines eligibility for WIOA Title IB following the applicable Eligibility section of the policy manual using the appropriate case management system, which takes the responses put into the application and displays all titles for which the applicant might be eligible.
      1. The eligibility determination date must be within thirty (30) days of the application date.
   3. Must securely collect the required documentation to support answers given to the application’s questions and certify the applicant in any title (Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth).
      1. The list of acceptable documentation to support eligibility for each title is provided in the Eligibility section of the policy manual.
      2. Career Planners must document information to determine priority of service under WIOA as outlined in the Service Priorities section of the policy manual.
   4. Must certify the applicant as eligible under WIOA Title IB before enrolling an individual in various activities and services within the appropriate case management system.
      1. An individual is still considered to be an applicant after having their eligibility certified until they have been enrolled in a WIOA Title IB service.
      2. The applicant must be enrolled in a WIOA Title IB service within forty-five (45) days from the date their eligibility was certified. 
         1. If more than forty-five (45) days have elapsed, the application will be locked and the career planners will have to establish a new eligibility certification date.
      3. Once an individual is enrolled in a WIOA Title IB service, they are considered to be a registrant.
3. An individual could meet WIOA Title IB Eligibility criteria under several different WIOA titles (Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth) but would only be required to have the eligibility certified under the title(s) that the client will be enrolled in services.
   1. The applicant’s eligibility certification date must be within thirty (30) days of the application date.
      1. If more than thirty (30) days have passed, career planners will have to update the application with current information and establish a new application date.

1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) establishes a priority of service to provide individualized career services, training services, or both, to recipients of public assistance, other low-income individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient.
2. The Basic Skills Screening Tool (screening tool) found in the Basic Skills Screening Tool for Priority of Service and Referrals section of the policy manual was developed to provide another mechanism for determining basic skills deficiency by identifying youth or adults who are unable to compute or solve problems, or read, write, or speak English, at a level necessary to function on the job which meets the second part of the WIOA definition of basic skills deficient.
3. The screening tool will help identify if an individual is basic skills deficient for the purposes of priority of service for Adults, referrals for Adults or Dislocated Workers, and eligibility for Youth. If a participant is referred to Title IB from Title II and already has Adult Basic Education (ABE) or English Language Learners (ELL) scores within six (6) months, then the Basic Skills Screening Tool would not be required with validated assessments.
   1. The screening tool is to be given prior to conducting any assessment test;
   2. The screening tool is not an assessment included as part of a career service for Adults or Dislocated Workers or a component of the objective assessment for Youth and may not be used as the sole method for assessing customer needs to achieve education and employment goals;
   3. Adults and Dislocated Workers who answer “No” to the question regarding having a high school diploma, General Education Development (GED) certificate, or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) should automatically be referred to adult basic education services through Title II; and
   4. If the screening tool identifies an individual as basic skills deficient, career planners as appropriate are to do one or more of the following:
      1. Provide Adults with priority of service;
      2. Document this as a basic skills deficiency for the purposes of eligibility for Youth;
      3. Refer Adults and Dislocated Workers to adult basic education services through Title II; or
      4. Facilitate referrals for participants with identified barriers to the appropriate WIOA partner or program within the community for service.
4. Basic skills deficiency assessments as outlined in the Assessment Process for Basic Skills Deficiency section of this policy are then completed to meet the portion of the legislatively mandated Youth assessment which includes an assessment of basic skills and to support an Adult and Dislocated Worker participant’s ability to do the level of work required for the training program they are attempting to enter. 

1. A thorough assessment is the foundation for understanding the participant’s employment goals, existing skills, career readiness, and determining all appropriate barriers to education or employment that may exist.  It is not a one-time activity.  Nor is it a one-size-fits all approach.  Assessment is an ongoing extension of the intake process and guides the career planner’s development of the Individual Employment Plan (IEP) for Adults and Dislocated Workers or the Individual Service Strategy (ISS) for Youth.
   1. For the Adult and Dislocated Worker programs, the assessment process is two (2) phases.
      1. During intake, the assessment will determine a customer’s interests, skills, and needs.  This initial assessment provides preliminary information about the individual’s skill levels, aptitudes, abilities and supportive service needs.  It forms the basis for determining suitability as part of informed customer choice and the development of the IEP.  At a minimum the following areas must be addressed:
         1. Interest and skills inventory;
         2. Essential employability skills;
         3. Digital literacy assessment;
         4. Financial literacy assessment;
         5. Basic skills deficiency;
         6. Barriers to employment;
         7. Determination of referrals; and
         8. Supportive services.
      2. After enrollment, the assessment builds off information gathered at intake and assists with informing the IEP development.  As with the assessment during intake, career planners must address informed customer choice when determining suitability for training in a particular career pathway.  At a minimum, the continuation of the assessment must address the following areas:
         1. Employment goals;
         2. Suitability for employment and/or training program;
         3. Review of training options including work-based learning and/or traditional training through an Individual Training Account (ITA) by a training provider that is on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) if training is needed to meet employment goals;
            1. The training service must align with the participant's existing skills and career readiness using the results from the interest and skills inventory.
            2. The career planner must facilitate a process that provides the particpant with an informed choice of training options.
         4. Barriers to employment for the chosen career pathway (e.g., criminal history, substance abuse);
         5. Determination of referrals (coordination with partner programs or community organizations that provide training and education resources);
         6. Supportive services (as supportive service needs may change if attending training);
         7. Progress Reporting; and
         8. Follow‐up.
   2. For the Youth program, career planners must follow a comprehensive and objective assessment process during intake that considers the youth’s skills, interests, and service needs.  Note that the assessment of the youth participant occurs prior to the certification of eligibility. At a minimum, the following areas must be covered as part of the comprehensive and objective assessment:
      1. Interest and skills inventory;
      2. Prior work experience;
      3. Essential employability skills;
      4. Digital literacy assessment;
      5. Financial literacy assessment;
      6. Basic skills deficiency;
      7. Developmental needs;
      8. Career goals;
      9. Suitability for employment and/or training program;
      10. Review of training options that align with interest and skills inventory;
      11. Barriers to education or employment;
      12. Determination of referrals;
      13. Supportive services;
      14. Progress Reporting; and
      15. Follow‐up.
2. When conducting the assessment, the Career Planners must use the assessment tool(s) appropriate for the participant.  For example, when assessing interests, what is suitable for adults may not be suitable for youth.
   1. Several assessment types may be given, including interests, aptitudes, skills, assessing barriers, and others in addition to the required basic skills reading and math assessments to attend training.
      1. Career Planners must use an Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) approved assessment test appropriate for the participant to determine a potential need for remediation or if the reading, math, or language levels meet the enrollment requirements of a training program.
   2. Local programs must provide reasonable accommodation in the assessment process, if necessary, for individuals with disabilities. 
3. Assessments must evaluate and identify suitability of the participant when developing the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and the needed combination of services to address barriers. Suitability includes working with the participant on:
   1. Aligning career goals to interests, skills, and abilities;
   2. Reviewing occupational profiles and employment outlooks for the selected occupation.  This not only includes wage information and training needed but also includes what employees actually do in the job;
   3. Researching the career services that are needed to achieve the participants' employment goals;
   4. Researching the training services that are needed to achieve the participants’ employment goal that includes, but is not limited to: 
      1. Evaluating the participant’s preferred training delivery method (traditional classroom, virtual, hands-on);
      2. Assessing the cost and the length of the training program; and
      3. Considering work-based learning opportunities including, but not limited to, Registered Apprenticeships, On-the-Job Training, Transitional Job, and/or work experience.
   5. Researching the supportive services that are needed to achieve the participants' employment goals.
4. Discussions with the participant should always be grounded in informed customer choice to ensure sound career decisions and supporting the best use of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds.  Career Planning staff must assist participants in making informed career decisions based on accurate information and knowledge and ensure they are prepared with the skills needed to fill hiring opportunities in in-demand sectors and career pathways in high wage occupations. 
5. Formal assessments that occurred within the last six (6) months, provided by the participant or a WIOA partner program, are acceptable to use.  However, they must address a review of basic skills, occupational skills, prior work experience, employability, interests, aptitudes, supportive service needs, and developmental needs.

1. Like the assessment, the Career Plan (Individual Employment Plan (IEP) or the Individual Service Strategy (ISS)) is a living document that identifies employment and education goals as part of a career pathway, objectives, and the appropriate combination of services for the participant to reach the goals.  It is to be developed collaboratively between the career planner and the participant with mutually established goals.
2. The IEP or ISS must be developed after an objective assessment and reflect the expressed interests and needs of the participant.  Once developed, it must be signed by the participant and properly documented in the approved case management systems.  A copy should be provided to the participant, and a hard copy placed in the file. The development of the IEP must follow this policy as well as the Training section of the policy manual where applicable.
3. All active participants must have an IEP/ISS with at least one (1) open goal with at least one (1) open objective.  The IEP/ISS should be written with a S.M.A.R.T.E.R objective:

   Specific	Identify specific short/long-term goals.  Specific objectives are the action steps that outline exactly what the participant should do to achieve their goal(s).
   Measurable	Define how progress will be tracked. Goals are measurable by the completion of objectives.  Measurable goals have benchmarks allowing the participant to see the progress towards successfully achieving goals.
   Attainable	Goals and objectives are attainable if the participant can be realistically expected to complete the goal within the timeframe agreed upon.
   Relevant	Goals and objectives must be relevant to what the participant is trying to achieve.  An appropriate objective will be an action step toward completing the goal.  The use of the comprehensive and specialized assessments will guide with creating relevant goals and objectives.
   Time-Driven	There should be a target date of progress and completion.  A goal without a commitment to a schedule or target dates tends to be forgotten or neglected.  This will keep the participant on track and both parties accountable.  Goals and defined as short, intermediate, or long-term.
   Evaluate	Goals, objectives, activities/services, and case notes should be reviewed to assess the success or failure in achieving a participant’s IEP/ISS completion.
   Reflection and Adjustment	Reflection is a great way for a participant to increase confidence and be more proactive and excited to complete their plan.  If any goal changes occur, the plan must be adjusted and mutually agreed upon with the participant.

4. The IEP, which is an individualized career service, is required to be one of the first services provided to a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB Adult or Dislocated Worker participant since it describes the ongoing strategy for the participant to achieve their goals.
5. At a minimum, the IEP must identify and document:
   1. Goals and Objectives:
      1. Short-term (training or employment) goal(s);
      2. Long-term (employment) goal(s) that:
         1. clearly documents the career pathway to attain the career objectives; and
         2. includes a review of the demand occupations list.
      3. Intermediate objectives will be required to meet the goals listed and required training components (remedial, pre-requisites, skills, work-based training, etc.).
   2. Justification as to why the short-term and long-term goals are appropriate for the participant and must be:
      1. Based on assessment information, an interview with the participant, and skills obtained from previous employment;
      2. Include an explanation of the skills gap that the IEP is designed to overcome. A skills gap is the significant gap between the skills required by the employer and the current capabilities of the applicant; and
      3. Include barriers to employment and/or participant needs, if applicable.
   3. The appropriate sequence and mix of services to address the unique strengths, challenges, and needs of the participant to obtain the training or employment goal(s);
   4. For participants that require training services, the IEP or ISS must include information on the eligible training programs and training providers that are researched on the State of Illinois Eligible Training Provider List to determine the training programs that are the most suitable to the participant’s needs.
      1. The IEP and case notes must document the conversations between the career planner and the participant that assisted the participant in making an informed choice in selecting a training program if appropriate.  Conversations must include discussions on local labor market conditions, including but not limited to the unemployment rate, local employer skill demands, hiring pre-requisites, and in-demand occupations in the area.  Considerations must include if the training is suitable for the participant and if the targeted occupation and industry will lead to sustainable employment.
   5. Identification of all barriers and/or needs that may prevent the participant from obtaining employment or participating in training. The IEP must document the services that are provided to address the participant’s barriers including, but not limited to  Career Service, Supportive Services, Needs-Related Payments, and referrals to partner agencies for additional assistance such as childcare, counseling, or other applicable programs;
   6. The direct link to one or more of the performance indicators (e.g., unsubsidized employment, median earnings, credential attainment – postsecondary training for youth, or measurable skills gain); and
   7. A method for tracking progress and identifying next steps including, but not limited to follow-up on open goals, objectives, and services.
6. The ISS is required to be completed after the objective assessment prior to youth being enrolled in WIOA Title IB.  It must be the first service recorded in the appropriate case management system.  The ISS must document and address the following:
   1. A summary of all goals and objectives established with additional information focusing on activities and tools used for achievement;
   2. Identify an appropriate career pathway;
   3. Documentation of the services provided to the participant including, but not limited to the fourteen (14) required WIOA Title IB Youth elements;
   4. A summary of action steps to eliminate or minimize any barriers including, referrals to partner agencies for assistance with childcare, transportation, counseling, etc.;
   5. The direct link to one or more of the WIOA Title IB performance indicators; and
   6. A method for tracking progress and identifying next steps including, but not limited to follow-up on open goals, objectives, and services.
7. The IEP or the ISS is an ongoing process requiring routine review and updates as additional needs are identified or goals are achieved.
   1. A review of the IEP/ISS must occur on a regular basis, at least once every ninety (90) days, unless the IEP/ISS is updated sooner as a result of regular thirty (30) day contact;
   2. Career planners must conduct two-way communication with the participant that can include phone, email, text, or other methods to address any successes such as the completion of a goal ahead of the established timeline as well as any problems, challenges, or difficulties the participant may be facing that would warrant changes to the IEP or ISS;
   3. All evaluation and revisions to the IEP or ISS shall be made collaboratively with the participant's consent. Significant changes include such things as changing type of training, employment goal, or change in supportive service needs;
   4. The development and subsequent changes of the IEP or ISS must be documented in services according to the same-day services portion of the Service Documentation (Case Management) section of this policy under the applicable service of either Development of an IEP or Development of an ISS.  Any associated case notes must be recorded in Case Notes as outlined in the Case Note section of this policy.
8. A copy of the completed (or updated) and signed IEP or ISS shall be provided to the participant, recorded in case notes, and updated on the hard copy in the participant file.

1. Career Planners must maintain regular contact with participants to provide timely services to address the participant’s specific needs to support the goals outlined in the IEP or ISS.  For most participants and situations, regular contact is defined as two-way communication that occurs every thirty (30) days.
2. Participants should see the same Career Planner for check‐ins and return visits/appointments until the participant exits the system.  The participant should be notified if the Career Planner changes and should be offered an opportunity for an introductory meeting with the new career planner as soon as mutually convenient.
3. The career planner must utilize the WIOA Title IB Services Matrix with Definitions attachment that defines the WIOA Title IB services that should be tailored to address the participant’s unique strengths, challenges, and needs.
4. Three pre-enrollment activities are required prior to “registering” WIOA Youth. 

   1. These activities must occur between staff and youth and be documented and entered in IWDS.

   2. The following activities must be entered into IWDS before a Youth program element can be recorded:

      1. Youth Career Planning (Case Management)

      2. Youth Comprehensive and Specialized Assessments

      3. Development of an Individual Service Strategy (ISS)

   3. No specific sequence or order is required.

   4. Youth will not be a “Registrant” (“Participant”) until all three pre-enrollment activities and at least one of the 14 program elements is provided.

   5. The first enrolling Youth program element in IWDS must be:

      1. Completed within 45 days of the WIOA Youth eligibility certification date; and

      2. Dated on or after the end date of the latest of the three non-enrolling Youth activities.

5. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment and Training (OET) created same-day services in the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS) to more efficiently capture some of the applicable services.
   1. The services considered same-day services are listed as such in the WIOA Title IB Service Matrix with Definitions attached to this policy.
   2. Those services are only to be recorded when first received.  Any subsequent service provision is to be captured by adding an Additional Service Episode to the original service record with supporting case notes.
      1. Example: A participant receives job search services from the Career Planner on April 6, and the Career Planner records the service in IWDS the same day.  The next time job search services are provided to the participant; it would be recorded as an Additional Service Episode with supporting case notes of the original service.  In this example, the participant received additional job search services on April 10, and the Career Planner added an Additional Service Episode to the original Job Search service along with case notes with an April 10 date.  This then changes the end date of the original Job Search service to April 10. 
   3. Adding an Additional Service Episode will update the participant’s last service date even if no other services are provided.  So, this mechanism should NOT be used when a participant is no longer actively participating in WIOA services.
6. Documentation of any completed assessment must follow policy, be recorded in the career planning system (IWDS or Career Connect), and documented on the IEP/ISS forms.
   1. The Narrative tools on the Assessment Summary in IWDS must be utilized to record information gleaned from the Career Planner related to the different assessment cateogories.  The narrative  should incorporate what the assessment results mean, not just documentation of the test outcomes.
   2. The Employment Goals portion of the Assessment Summary provides an area to record items such as the participant’s wage goal, ability to work different shifts, distance willing to travel, and other information from conversations between the participant and the Career Planner. 
   3. The Income and Expenses section is designed to assist the participant and Career Planner in evaluating the participant’s ability to support him or herself and their family while they are in the WIOA funded training program. 
7. All WIOA Title IB services provided to a participant must be entered into the appropriate case management system within ten (10) calendar days of the service delivery.
   1. The entry of services should be combined with case notes (whether a standard case note or a case note attached to an episode of a same-day service) to describe each service and provide any other notable information as detailed as outlined in the Case Notes section of the policy.
   2. Services can only be recorded on or after the certification date.  Therefore if any services such as an initial assessment for Adults or Dislocated Workers are provided prior to the certification date, they must be entered as being provided on the certification date under the Comprehensive and Specialized Assessment service, and a case note must be added to record the actual date of the service.
   3. The service screen must reflect all of the services that have been or are currently being provided to the participant.
   4. Service records must be closed/ended with an indication of completion status (successful or unsuccessful) within ten (10) days of learning of the completion of the service.
   5. Outcomes of education and training services such as credentials and/or Measurable Skill Gains attained must be entered within ten (10) days of learning of the attainment.
   6. For Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership providers that use Career Connect as a case management system, guidance on data entry specific to Career Connect can be found at the link in the Resources tab.
      1. All data entry time requirements addressed in this policy must also be followed by career planners using Career Connect.
8. All documentation must be contained in the participant’s physical case file and be available for review, as requested during compliance monitoring.
   1. Career planners are to upload all relevant documentation contained in the participant’s physical case file into the appropriate case management system as directed by OET monitoring staff for remote monitoring and data validation purposes by the State and the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL).

1. Case notes and file maintenance are vital to quality service and reporting.  They reflect the results of continuous career planning in detail so that the participant’s status is easily determined.
2. The case notes for an open active service must document ongoing two-way communication between the career planner and participant that describes how the service (career, training, supportive) or activity moves the participant toward their goals.
   1. Case notes must be entered into the appropriate case management system within ten (10) calendar days of the service delivery and the regular contact (typically thirty (30) days).
3. Case notes should also indicate cross-program coordination of services and contacts with staff in other programs.
   1. Career Planners must identify the partner programs from which the participant receives  services on the Concurrent Programs screen in the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS).
4. Case notes and file maintenance are to reflect the results of continuous career planning in detail so that the participant’s status is easily determined.  The quality of the case notes is imperative to assist in monitoring efforts.
5. In addition to the case notes that are entered to describe the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) services and regular contact, the participant case note history must reflect the following information as appropriate:
   1. Introduction: A complete description of the status of the individual at participation including an explanation of their overall need for services.  This case note will elaborate on eligibility, intake, and assessment results to give a clear picture of the individual, their barriers, strengths and skills, training preferences, and possible support service needs.
   2. Determination of Training Need: The career planner must document the suitability of the training/retraining program with participant’s needs.  In cases where training/retraining is required for a participant to enter or re‐enter the workforce successfully, the training selected must be directly linked to employment opportunities in the local area or the planning region or in an area to which a participant is willing to commute or relocate.
   3. Training Begin Date (if applicable): A case note must be entered when the participant enters training and is to include the date the training began, training program, training provider/school, approximate cost, and planned end date.
   4. Training End Date (if applicable): A case note must be entered to reflect that the participant’s training has ended and include the following – date training ended, the name of the program, whether the participant completed the training, and credential/license status.
   5. Service Closure/Exit: A full description of the participant’s status at exit must be case noted and include employment/non‐employment, employer name, hire date, hours, and wage.  Any exclusion must also be described; and
   6. Follow-up: A full description of the follow-up services and information provided to WIOA Title IB participants.
6. In instances when a participant is no longer actively participating in WIOA Title IB services, case notes should be documented as standard case notes and NOT documented within a same-day service as an Additional Service Episode in IWDS so as not to extend participation in WIOA Title IB and/or the Exit date.
   1. Similarly, participants that are only receiving Disaster Relief Employment Services through a National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG) and do not receive traditional career or training services must have case notes recorded as a standard  case note since they can not be recorded under the Career Planning service due to it being a career service.
   2. Career planners are advised to work with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment and Training (OET) program and grant managers regarding the documentation of services that are associated with the administration of non-formula WIOA grants.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires states and local areas to set policies on twelve (12)-month follow-up services.  This section of the policy manual addresses the types of follow-up services and the timetables for when they occur for individuals in the WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs.

1. Follow-up services:
   1. Are defined as two-way exchanges between the WIOA Title I service provider and the individual (or the individual’s advocate or employer) and are designed to provide support and guidance to ensure sustained employment, earning of post-secondary credentials, wage increases, and advancement of career goals;
   2. Are those services above and beyond the act of contacting individuals for securing performance reporting documentation; and
      1. Verifying information, such as ensuring an individual is still employed, is not considered follow-up.
   3. Can occur by telephone conversation, in person, or via email (or other social media).
      1. While sending a letter or leaving a voicemail might be communication, neither is acceptable if no interaction or provision of service took place.
2. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) must establish and implement local follow-up services policies following this guidance. 
3. The availability of follow-up services should be discussed with the participant at the beginning of an individual’s interaction with the career planner to set the expectation for seamless communication throughout their participation in the program.
4. Evaluation to determine the need and level of intensity for follow-up services to meet the needs of the individual should be ongoing during participation and the follow-up period.
   1. In the Adult and Dislocated Worker program, these services are a way to determine if adults or dislocated workers need support for retaining employment, earning wages, or advancing in the workplace.
   2. For youth, these services are critical to ensuring they are successful in a job or postsecondary education and training.
5. Follow-up should be as often as necessary throughout the required twelve (12) months.
   1. At a minimum, it should occur at least every thirty (30) days for the first three (3) months and then must occur once a quarter for the remainder of the twelve (12)-month period.  This aligns with quarterly post-exit reporting requirements.
   2. Documentation must be entered as a case note in the appropriate case management system each time throughout the twelve (12) months the career planner contacts the participant.
6. Follow-up services do not delay program exit.

1. Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 19-16 requires that follow-up services must be provided for up to twelve (12) months after the first date of employment for adults and dislocated workers who are placed in unsubsidized employment.
   1. For participants in work-based learning opportunities that result in unsubsidized employment, such as On-the-Job Training (OJT), this would be the first day after the OJT is no longer subsidized by local area funds.
2. Follow-up services are tied to the first date of unsubsidized employment and are not tied to the date of program exit for adults and dislocated workers who have been placed in unsubsidized employment.
3. Follow-up services are not allowed under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) when an adult or dislocated worker does not obtain unsubsidized employment.
4. Follow-up services are provided in support of unsubsidized employment, whereas career and training services support the participant's ability to enter unsubsidized employment.
5. At the point adults and dislocated workers are placed in unsubsidized employment during program participation, the career planner must transition the participant into follow-up services when the last service has been received, and no future services are planned.
   1. This allows the career planner to provide follow-up services during the ninety (90) day program exit clock so that if the participant needs additional assistance, it can be provided even though they already started follow-up since they are still a participant.
      1. If the participant needs services within the ninety (90) day timeframe, the follow-up can count as career planner contacts.
6. When an adult or dislocated worker participant obtains unsubsidized employment while still receiving an active, open WIOA service, currently, the appropriate case management system does not allow a Follow-Up Service to be opened; however, follow-up must be provided. 
   1. In this instance, documenting the follow-up in case notes should be included and recorded during the routine, two-way communication between the Career Planner and the participant.              
      1. Career Planners should enter case notes along the lines of “transitioned to follow-up services today, as the participant is done receiving services” or “closed this case administratively (not an exit) and am moving into follow-up because the participant needs no more services.”
   2. Only when the individual completes career, training, and supportive services planned and outlined in the Individual Employment Plan (IEP) and the services are closed can a career planner open a follow-up service and enter a case note of the action in the appropriate case management system.
   3. Career planners must understand program exit, which is ninety (90) days after the last enrolling service has been closed, is separate from providing follow-up services for adults and dislocated workers.
7. Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) must establish policies that define what are appropriate follow-up services, as well as policies for identifying when to provide follow-up services to adult and dislocated worker participants. 
8. Follow-up services must be provided as appropriate.
   1. Participants with multiple employment barriers and limited work histories may need more significant follow-up services.
   2. Additionally, this helps to identify an area of weakness that will affect their ability to progress further in their occupation or in retaining employment.
   3. A variety of follow-up services may meet the needs of the participant.  Below is a list of activities, but is not limited to the following:
      1. Counseling individuals about the workplace;
      2. Contacting individuals or employers to help secure better-paying jobs, additional career planning, and counseling for the individual;
      3. Assisting individuals and employers in resolving work-related problems;
      4. Connecting individuals to peer support groups;
      5. Providing individuals with information about additional educational or employment opportunities; and
      6. Providing individuals with referrals to other community resources.
9. The documentation addressing the need and type of the activities provided in follow-up must be entered into general case notes.
   1. Case notes are not to be added to the Individual Employment Plan (IEP) or any other enrolling service such as Career Planning and will alter the true last day of services and, therefore, the exit date.
10. Supportive services cannot be provided in association with follow-up services for WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker participants.
    1. However, a participant could receive supportive services associated with an active enrolling career and/or training service if they are concurrently receiving Follow-up Services following the first date of unsubsidized employment.
11. After ninety (90) days following exit, if a former participant is not responsive, cannot be located, or refuses to provide information, the career planner may close follow-up services.
    1. The case notes must document the unresponsiveness of the former participant as the thirty (30) day contact requirements outlined in the Case Notes section of this policy manual as the reason for discontinuation.
12. Upon completing all follow-up services, the service must be closed, and the end date populated in the appropriate case management system.