Redesign of State Vocational Rehabilitation Data Collection Forms

The redesign of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) forms project centered on revising the then-current reporting forms used by state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to report case performance and fiscal data to the federal RSA. The first step was to assess federal needs for performance reporting for accountability purposes, followed by assessing the needs and desires of the states to keep management costs and burden reasonable while still having useful and timely data for program management. The needs assessment also included researchers and agency personnel describing uses for improved data. Once the needs and best practices of stakeholders in the VR performance reporting process were assessed, needs information was synthesized within RSA’s regulatory framework. This framework included information about then-upcoming changes to regulations, as well as the realities of state VR and RSA operational capabilities. This synthesis was then used to redesign the three reporting forms specified in the contract and to revise training materials for both end users and personnel within the RSA. The project work also included the clearance package for the Office of Management and Budget.