New York State Department of Labor
Profiles of Promising Practices
HEMPSTEADWORKS QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM
HempsteadWorks (Town of Hempstead/City of Long Beach WIB)
July 2000 - Present

Purpose

• To electronically integrate the partners, vendors, and other workforce system stakeholders in order to continuously improve service quality, management strategies, and funding oversight.

How It Works

• HempsteadWorks Quality Assurance Program (HWQAP) uses a customized software program to collect, analyze, report, and share customer service data.
• Eight One-Stop partners, three vendors, and 100 staff members at 20 separate access points use the software, which can be amended daily.
• The WIB, Youth Council, and One-Stop partners use the customer service data to provide leadership and strategic planning to support continuous improvement efforts, which follow the Malcolm Baldridge model:
  • Leadership establishes mission and vision.
  • Strategic planning sets the implementation course.
  • Process management activities develop improvements or new products.
  • Results are measured.

Results

• HWQAP has profoundly affected the local workforce system’s ability to foster fact-based management and raise sensitivity to customer needs.
• System performance outcomes for PY 2000 (July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2001):
  • 89.5% employer customer satisfaction.
  • 93.5% job-seeker customer satisfaction.
  • 4,915 job seekers served at costs of $328.55 each.
  • $16.40 return-on-investment for each dollar invested in system.

How They Did It

• HempsteadWorks was already involved in several national initiatives in bringing continuous improvement and total quality management to the workforce investment system.
• This initiative emerged from continuous improvement meetings of the WIB, its Business Member Focus Group, the One-Stop operator, the Youth Council, and the One-Stop Partners Team.
• The project based its goals on key information from both business and job-seeker customers, including complaint data, surveys, and focus groups.
• A cross-functional team of WIB members and staff, partners, affiliates, and consultants designed and implemented the initiative.

Start-Up Costs

• $25,000 for consultant fees, computer software and hardware, telephone lines, Internet services and staff time.

Operating Costs

• Maintenance fees for the website, facility overhead costs, and staff time are $100,000 per year.
• 2 full time staff are dedicated to the project.

Funding

• In addition to WIA Mandated funding streams, costs have been allocated in accordance with the cost-sharing portion of the WIB’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
• Resources are pooled in the same manner as co-location and One-Stop integration arrangements. Partners share a variety of resources, such as office space, electricity, technical support, computer equipment, and staff.
• The WIB expects to continue funding via cost sharing, but is also committed to expanding the funding stream with new grants and entrepreneurial efforts, such as fee-for-service.

Lessons Learned

• Goals can be achieved by investing in continuous improvement and listening to one’s customers.