Workforce Development (WfD) Ecosystem Assessment
Transcript of Workforce Development (WfD) Ecosystem Assessment
In designing the WfD ecosystem framework, RTI drew from global best practices,
empirical research, and system evaluation.
The WfD Ecosystem tool explains:
RTI’s WfD Ecosystem Framework is structured to be applicable in Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and lower middle-income countries, with radically different resource
bases, distributions of responsibility for workforce development, and levels of
formality in institutions.
The RTI WfD Tool provides a “scan” to assess the on-the ground WfD situation in
terms of four key employment-related outcomes (Figure 1).
It assesses the effectiveness of 22 defined core processes and identifies key
areas of strengths and weaknesses (Figure 2).
The results can be presented graphically to reflect the views of the youth verses the
key actors working within the ecosystem itself.
Both a comparison graph (Figure 3) and a radar graph (Figure 4) reflect
congruency (or incongruence) of stakeholders.
Another way to present the result is shown in Figure 5, in which each process is
assigned a Red/Yellow/Green “stoplight” color to provide a quick visual reference
as to which processes need further attention.
The conceptual framework underpinning the tool and the sets of questionnaires that
produce its data are structured to be applicable in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
and lower middle-income countries, with radically different resource bases,
distributions of responsibility for workforce development, and levels of formality in
institutions.
The rapid mapping process results in a series of heat maps and graphs that indicate
who is doing what, and where there is the greatest divergence of opinion among
stakeholders about those processes, particularly performance.
The tool could be used for donor program design and planning, as well as for more
routine government system mapping by policymakers.
Graphical interpretation of results
Workforce Development (WfD) Ecosystem Assessment
Conclusion
For More Information:
Julie Lostumbo
+1 202 728 1977, ext. 2197
RTI International
701 13th Street, NW, Suite 705
Washington, DC 20005
RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.
Methods & Analytical Framework
Design of the WfD Ecosystem Tool
The WfD Ecosystem tool is designed to be used:
one-on-one,
in focus-group or large-group meetings,
at facilitated meetings and planning processes/exercises.
The bare-bones assessment is structured as a series of “affirmative” statements
about the workforce development system with which respondents can agree or
disagree using a 1-5 Likert scale.
Sample Assessment:
To better understand current skill and employment issues, RTI has developed a
Workforce Development Ecosystem Assessment tool. The tool:
Systematically assesses the extremely complex and often
fragmented landscape of policy and practice
Allows for the planning of high-impact interventions that result in
improvements
Takes an intentionally “non-institutionalist” approach to define
and assess the core processes and functions from the
perspectives of key actors
The WfD Ecosystem Assessment Tool responds to the key challenges in
assessing workforce development:
Advancing a skilled and vibrant workforce in today’s market necessitates the
engagement of a growing number of stakeholders - public and private employers,
education institutions, training institutions, NGOs involved in training or intermediation,
government entities, private service providers, as well as the learners themselves.
Success depends upon the connections of programs and actors that otherwise
operate in isolation from each other
An effective workforce development system results in the
coordination of public and private sector policies and programs that
provides the individual with the opportunity for a sustainable
livelihood while helping employers and communities achieve
economic and social goals through a better skilled workforce.
Introduction
Objectives
Challenge RTI’s WfD Tool
No widely accepted systemic assessment to analyze WfD systems
Systematic, scalable, comparable
Existing biased towards assessing institutions rather than functions
Assess function, not institutions
Need assessment that recognizes non-governmental actors
Recognizes central role of NGOs and other
Who’s Doing What? –Helps identify and verify the landscape of providers and
participants in a territory’s WfD system using the process framework.
How well are they doing it, if at all? -Assesses the perceptions of each element
of the ecosystem from the perspective of youth and the key actors working within
the ecosystem.
Is this generating the right outcomes? – Sheds critical light on the WfD
ecosystem as a whole, resulting in a “heat map” of fertile areas for intervention
requiring further research and investigation.
Employer satisfaction
Job vacanciesUnemployment
Returns to skill accumulation
Figure 3
Figure 4
# Learners
1 Acquiring+education+and+skills
2 Responding+to+Market+and+cultural+signals
3 Investing+in+own+education+and+training
# Employers-(The-Economy) # WfD-System-(Information,-Communication,-Relationships) # E&T-Institutions-(Training-System)
Processes-Internal-to-the-Firm(s) Intermediation
18 Educating+students/+youth+for+basic+&+
foundational+skills+(basic+education)
4 Effectively+managing+business/sectors+for+growth+and+
upgrading+
10 Matching+job+seekers+with+jobs 19 Training+secondary+*+PS+students+for+(real)+jobs+
and+careers+USING-APPROPRIATE-PEDAGOGY
5 Maintaining+business+functions+to+define+positions+and+
pathways+(rewards)
11 Gathering,+Analyzing,+and+Communicating+Labor+Market+
Information
20 Training+and+retraining+adults+for+new+and+
upgraded+employment
Processes-of-Interface-with-WfD-System Policy/and/Governance
21 Incorporating+HARD-AND-SOFT-+skills+
requirements+into+education+and+training+
programs
6 Articulating+and+Communicating+Skill+Requirements 12 Aligning+WfD+strategy+[and+implementation]+with+economic+
and+development+goals
22 Tracking+employment+and+earning+outcomes+(of+
graduates/exits)
7 Providing+work\based+learning+opportunities 13 Regulating+the+system:+Accreditation,+Credentialing,+and+
Performance+Measurement
8 Hiring+and+retaining+people+(Sourcing+and+recruitign+
talent)
14 Measuring+and+improving+performance+by+collecting,+
analyzing,+and+interpreting+data
9 Upgrading+incumbent+workers'+skills+(training+workers) 15 Funding+and+Financing+WfD+activities
16 Encouraging+employer\based+training+through+soft+or+hard+
incentives
17 Ensuring+equity+of+access+and+(group\specific)+advancement+
through+policy+and+practice
Significant-Challenge
WFD-ECOSYSTEM-OUTCOMES Moderate-ChallengeEmployer+satisfaction+with+workforce,+esp+entry+level
Few+unfilled+job+vacancies,+especially+bottlenecks
Area-of-High-PerformanceHigh+rates+of+employment/entrepreneurship
Low+rates+of+unemployment/non\participation
Significant+returns+to+Education+&+Training*
Figure 5
Figure 6
WfD Ecosystem Tool Assessment
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
1 A
cq
uirin
g e
duca
tion
an
d s
kills
2 R
espo
nd
ing to
Mark
et a
nd
cu
ltura
l sig
nals
3 In
ve
stin
g in
ow
n e
duca
tion
an
d tra
inin
g
4 E
ffectiv
ely
ma
nag
ing
busin
ess/s
ecto
rs fo
r gro
wth
an
d u
pg
rad
ing
5 M
ain
tain
ing b
usin
ess fu
nctio
ns to
defin
e p
ositio
ns a
nd p
ath
ways (re
ward
s)
6 A
rticula
ting
and
Co
mm
un
ica
ting S
kill R
eq
uire
men
ts
7 P
rovid
ing
wo
rk-b
ase
d le
arn
ing
op
po
rtunitie
s
8 H
iring a
nd
reta
inin
g p
eop
le (S
ou
rcin
g a
nd
recru
itign
tale
nt)
9 U
pgra
din
g in
cu
mbe
nt w
ork
ers
' skills
(train
ing
wo
rkers
)
10
Ma
tch
ing jo
b s
eeke
rs w
ith jo
bs
11
Ga
the
ring
, An
aly
zin
g, a
nd
Com
mu
nic
atin
g L
ab
or M
ark
et In
form
atio
n
12
Alig
nin
g W
fD s
trate
gy [a
nd
imp
lem
en
tatio
n] w
ith e
co
no
mic
an
d d
eve
lop
me
nt g
oa
ls
13
Reg
ula
ting th
e s
yste
m: A
ccre
dita
tion
, Cre
de
ntia
ling
, and
Pe
rform
ance
Me
asu
rem
en
t
14
Me
asu
ring
and
imp
rovin
g p
erfo
rma
nce
by c
olle
ctin
g, a
naly
zin
g, a
nd in
terp
retin
g d
ata
15
Fu
ndin
g a
nd F
inan
cin
g W
fD a
ctiv
ities
16
En
cou
ragin
g e
mp
loye
r-ba
se
d tra
inin
g th
rou
gh
soft o
r ha
rd in
ce
ntiv
es
17
En
surin
g e
qu
ity o
f acce
ss a
nd
(gro
up
-sp
ecific
) ad
va
nce
me
nt th
roug
h p
olic
y a
nd
pra
ctic
e
18
Ed
uca
ting
stu
de
nts
/ yo
uth
for b
asic
& fo
un
da
tion
al s
kills
(ba
sic
ed
ucatio
n)
19
Tra
inin
g s
eco
nd
ary
* PS
stu
de
nts
for (re
al) jo
bs a
nd
ca
ree
rs
20
Tra
inin
g a
nd re
train
ing
ad
ults
for n
ew
an
d u
pg
rade
d e
mp
loym
ent
21
Inco
rpo
ratin
g s
kills
req
uire
men
ts in
to e
du
ca
tion
an
d tra
inin
g p
rog
ram
s
22
Tra
ckin
g e
mplo
ym
ent a
nd
ea
rnin
g o
utc
om
es (o
f gra
du
ate
s/e
xits
)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Employment-Related Outcomes
Core Processes