COUNTY 0F SANTA BARBARA

Santa Barbara. California 93101

Honorable Frank Ochoa, Presiding Judge

Santa Barbara Superior Court

1100 Anacapa Street

P.O. Box 21107

Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107

SUBJECT: Response to the 1998-99 Grand Jury Report Entitled Santa Barbara County

Workforce Employment System

Dear Judge Ochoa:

Sincerely,

Michael Brown, County Administrator

Attachments

Response to Santa Barbara County Workforce Employment System Page2

Response to Finding #1: Disagree. The County Administrator's office assumed leadership and the One-Stop Consortium in 1997 and continues that responsibility with assistance of a Project Manager under contract.

In addition, as the deadline for the enactment of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) approaches, the County Administrator has assigned John Diego as the Project Manager (effective July 1, 1999) to work exclusively on the specific implementation of the Workforce Investment Act. Mr. Diego's project will ensure the County's compliance with WIA and create a smooth transition from our current JTPA programs to WIA programs. Key members of the project team include staff from the Department of Social Services, County Personnel Department and the County Administrator's Office.

Finally, the Consortium's Workforce Investment Board (WIB) Nominations Subcommittee has actively been recruiting WIB members, and expects to enable the Board of Supervisors to appoint the WEB by the end of 1999. Upon the appointment of the WIB, the Consortium and the County Administrator's Office will be prepared to assist the WIB in immediately appointment a One-Stop Operator as required by law.

Response to Finding #2: Disagree. Please see responses to Recommendations #1 and #2.

Response to Recommendation #2: The recommendation will be implemented. The Consortium and the County Administrator's Office has given a high priority to recruiting and convening a local Workforce Investment Board (WIB). Once created, the WIB with agreement of the Board of Supervisors, will designate the One-Stop Operator per Section

Response to Santa Barbara County Workforce Employment System Page 3

121 (d) of the Workforce Investment Act. The Act allows for the Consortium of One-Stop Partners to serve as the Operator. Because of its long-standing collaborative work on this project. the existing consortium has recommended itself as the One-Stop Operator. This recommendation has already been endorsed by the Board of Supervisors, and will be presented to the WIB for its adoption. A permanent One-Stop Director will be hired to carry out the operational duties of the Operator.

A transition team led by Mr. Diego, and consisting of members of the County Administrator's Office, Department of Social Services, County Personnel. Job Training Network, and the One Stop Project Manager is working to create the One-Stop Director classification. County Personnel will then open a formal county recruitment process to fill the position. It is anticipated that the position will be filled by January 2000, at which time the implementation of the local Workforce Plan adopted by the Workforce Investment Board can begin in earnest.

Response to Finding #3: Agree

Response to Recommendation #3: The recommendation will be implemented and is underway. Private employer and community input in the development of the One-Stop System is essential. While numerous attempts have been made over the past few years to involve private employers and community representatives in the developmental phases of this effort, for various reasons these attempts have met with little success. Nevertheless, outreach efforts to local business groups and individual private sector employers continue. The current emphasis of the outreach is focused on the creation of a local WIB. A nominating committee of the One-Stop Consortium has been recruiting private sector participants and receiving applications to serve on the WIB. This recruitment process will continue through September 1999.

Response to Finding 94: Disagree. Please see timetable in response to Recommendation #4.

Response to Recommendation #4: The recommendation has been implemented. With the Governor's appointment of the State's Workforce Investment Board, and the passage of impending legislation, which is being monitored by the Administrator's office, local areas can expect increased guidance toward WIA implementation. However, based on current known dates the following timeline has been developed.

Anticipated

Completion Date

Governance structure adopted by One-Stop Consortium April 20, 1999

Inform State of interest in Area Designation June 7, 1999

Appointment of Workforce Transition Project Manager July 1, 1999

Interact and coordinate transition with local Union Representatives July 12. 1999

(Ongoing)

Quarterly meetings of the Consortium Employer Services Committee July 99-Mar 2000

On-going meetings of the Consortium Tracking/Registration Committee July-Dec 1999

for employers and job seekers

Establishment of Workforce Investment Board:

Recruit Workforce Investment Board May-Sept 1999

Complete WIB nomination/recruitment process Oct. 1, 1999

Board of Supervisor appointment of WIB Oct. 19. 1999

First convening of Workforce Investment Board Oct. 27, 1999

WIB WIA Training, Nov. 10. 1999

Appoint WIB Youth Council & determine level of authority Dec. 8. 1999

Youth Council training January 2000

Submit application for Area Designation* August 1999

Start development of 5 Year Local Plan* August 1999

Define Workforce Resource staffing needs Aug. 20, 1999

Develop and classify Workforce Resource Director position .Aug. 20. 1999

Identify function of Planning & Eval.. Unit and requisite positions Sept. 1, 1999

Recruitment of Workforce Resource Center/One-Stop Director Oct.-Dec. 1999

Establish MOU's for One-Stop Partners:

Initial Facilities MOU*s Oct. 1, 1999

BOS/WIB MOU March 2000

Presentation of Governance Structure to BOS Oct. 19, 1999

Complete draft local 5 Year Plan with WIB review and comment Oct.-Nov. 1999

Opening of One Stop Centers (North and South) Nov. 1, 1999

Designate One-Stop Operator with WIB concur-concurrence Nov. 1, 1999

Hire and appoint Work-force Resource/One-Stop Director December 1999

Local 5 Year Plan public comment period Mid December

1999

Resource Director begins assignment January 2000

Workforce Resource Centers community open house January 2000

Submit Local 5 Year Plan to State with BOS/WIB approval* January 2000

Summer Element Activities:

WIB/Youth Council procurement of WIA Summer Element Jan/Feb 2000

Awarding of Summer Element contract(s) March 2000

Summer Element participant recruitment and outreach April 2000

Summer Element begins June 2000

Inventory current local JTPA capital assets* Nov-Jan 2000

Review current year JTPA facility lease agreements Sept-Jan 2000

BOS approval of Local WIA Budget* February 2000

Create Local Performance Measurement System* Jan-Mar 21000

Develop a Local Individual Training Account (ITA) System* Jan-Mar 2000

Transition staff to DSS and Workforce Resource Center Services Sept-June 2000

Transfer JTPA inventory to new facilities per State guldelines* July 2000

Response to Santa Barbara County Workforce Employment System Page 6

Complete final reports for State One-Stop Implementation Grant* May 2000

JTPA Closeout Activities* June 2001

Dependent upon State action/notification/guidance

The following summarizes progress to date on specific issues identified by the Grand Jury:

Recruitment and development of the Workforce Investment Board: Activities relating to the recruitment, appointment, convening and training are now well under way. As noted in the Transition Timeline, this process including the appointment of the Youth Council is anticipated to be completed by January 2000.

Immediate involvement of the private sector at all levels of program development: With the establishment of the Consortium's "Employer Services Committee." which is meeting on a quarterly basis, the private sector will provide input towards all phases of program development. Business and labor will be called upon to identify what skills are in demand. what jobs are available. what career fields are expanding and what programs are needed to best meet the needs of local employers

Selection of strong leadership to carry the existing activities through the transitional year: With the appointment of John Diego as Project Manager and the development of a Project Transition Team consisting of members of the County Administrator's Office, Department of Social Services. County Personnel. Job Training Network, and the One Stop Project Manager, the County has compiled a team of experts responsible for creating a smooth transition to the Workforce Investment System. This team is working diligently to ensure the County's compliance with WTA mandates and timeframes related to this transition.

Clarification of agency - v relationships and governance structure.- As indicated in the

Timeline the County Administrator*s office has met with the One Stop consortium and

has adopted a governance Structure for the local Workforce Development system.

Additional clarification of agency relationships is being incorporated within the interim programmatic and initial facilities Memorandums of Understanding (MOU's).

Selection of a recordkeeping mechanism, preferably electronic, that is acceptable to all partners: The Consortium has developed a "Tracking/Registration*’conunittee who is tasked with identifying common data requirements of all partners and making recommendations on the development or purchase of electronic software for this purpose. The system will track a universal population served by all partners within the One Stop system.

responsibilities by partner agencies for providing services to clients: Again as noted in

the Timeline, the One-Stop Project Manager is working closely with all partners to ensure

Response to Santa Barbara County Workforce Employment System Page 7

completion of MOU's outlining all issues pertaining to program services. funding and facility needs. All partner MOU's are to be completed as of October 1. 1999.

Marketing of One-Stop services to the client/Marketing of One-Stop services to the employer community: A Marketing Committee has been meeting since July 1999 with a focus on developing marketing strategies for services to both job seekers and employers. The Job Training Network's marketing focus is now shifting to an emphasis of employment and training services through collaboration with the Workforce Resource Centers which will open in November 1999. One-Stop semce information is now available to job seekers and employers in Santa Barbara County through the use of Workforce Resource touch-screen kiosks.

Development of a strategic five-year planfor the One-Stop: The State will require the submission of a local five-year plan. It is anticipated that submittal will be required no later than January 2000. State guidance on the development of the plan is still forthcoming.