WIOA Implementation Study: Technical Appendix

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed into law in 2014, was designed to modernize the public workforce system to improve the quality and outcomes of workforce services. In order to understand how states and local areas responded to the new law, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office contracted with Mathematica (with Social Policy Research Associates as a subcontractor) to conduct an implementation study. The study focused on the core workforce programs authorized under WIOA Title I (Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Services) and Title III (Employment Services) and examined integration with programs under Titles II (Adult Education and Family Literacy) and IV (Vocational Rehabilitation), and other partners.

The goals of the study were to (1) examine the variation in the approaches used to implement key WIOA provisions, (2) assess implementation progress, and (3) identify needs for further guidance or technical assistance. This technical appendix provides information on key aspects of the study design and data collection, such as the research questions, topic areas explored, the conceptual framework, data sources, and types of respondents.