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Report to Congressional Committees:

United States Government Accountability Office: GAO:

September 2007:

Disabled Veterans' Employment:

Additional Planning, Monitoring, and Data Collection Efforts Would 
Improve Assistance:

Disabled Veterans' Employment:

GAO-07-1020:

GAO Highlights:

Highlights of GAO-07-1020, a report to congressional committees.

Why GAO Did This Study:

To better assist veterans with service-connected disabilities seeking 
employment, in 2005, the Departments of Labor (Labor) and Veterans 
Affairs (VA) signed an agreement to coordinate employment services for 
disabled veterans. Around the same time, VA rolled out a redesigned 
employment program for these veterans, known as the Five-Track program, 
which also established an employment coordinator position and job 
resource labs. To help Congress understand the status of these 
initiatives, GAO was asked to provide information on (1) the progress 
in implementing the 2005 agreement and challenges to implementation, 
(2) the status of implementation of VA’s Five-Track program and 
challenges posed by recently returning veterans, and (3) the role of 
employment coordinators and job resource labs in serving veterans. To 
obtain this information, GAO interviewed Labor and VA officials and 
national veterans’ service organizations, and conducted site visits in 
five states.

What GAO Found:

Labor and VA have implemented some elements of their agreement to 
coordinate efforts, but face challenges executing the agreement on the 
state level and lack a complete plan for implementing and assessing the 
progress of the agreement. Labor and VA have implemented one element of 
the agreement—establishing three joint work groups—but have only 
partially implemented or taken no action on the others. In addition, 
all five states we visited had implemented at least some elements of 
the agreement that need to be carried out on the state level, but faced 
challenges implementing others. Labor and VA have not developed an 
implementation plan that includes long-range time frames and benchmarks 
to measure progress. Further, Labor and VA have not fully assessed 
state actions to implement the agreement and may not have provided 
states with sufficient guidance.

While VA has mostly implemented its Five-Track employment program for 
disabled veterans, the employment needs of newly returning veterans may 
pose challenges. VA officials have completed a pilot study, trained 
staff, distributed orientation materials, and deployed employment 
coordinators, but other components remain in process. Some officials 
expressed concerns that employment programs for disabled 
veterans—including the Five-Track program—may not be prepared to meet 
the needs of participants returning from recent conflicts, who VA 
predicts will be more likely than previous returning veterans to have 
certain disabilities, such as those associated with traumatic brain 
injuries. VA has begun efforts to address these needs.

VA employment coordinators and job resource labs in the five states we 
visited provided employment assistance to a limited number of veterans 
and some of their functions were available elsewhere. Employment 
coordinators provided direct employment services for veterans and also 
performed job development and outreach activities. However, employment 
coordinators we met with provided limited services to veterans outside 
their local areas, and similar services were available elsewhere. Job 
resource labs provided some additional resources for veterans, but 
according to some staff, not many veterans are using the labs. Job 
resource labs also appeared to duplicate other available services.

Figure:

Pictures of VA Job Resource Labes: Detroit, Michigan, and Sioux Falls, 
South Dakota.

Source: GAO.

What GAO Recommends:

To ensure the implementation of their agreement and the efficient and 
effective use of resources, GAO recommends that Labor and VA develop a 
comprehensive plan to implement their agreement and undertake 
additional guidance and monitoring efforts, and that VA review the role 
of the employment coordinator, and assess the use of the job resource 
labs. The agencies agreed with our recommendations.

[Hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1020].

To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on 
the link above. For more information, contact Cynthia M. Fagnoni at 
(202) 512-7215 or fagnonic@gao.gov.

[End of section]

Contents:

Letter:

Results in Brief:

Background:

Labor and VA Have Implemented Some Elements of Their Agreement, but 
Data-Sharing Restrictions, Staffing Limitations, and Lack of a 
Comprehensive Plan Pose Challenges:

VA Has Mostly Implemented Its Five-Track Employment Program for 
Disabled Veterans, but the Types and Severity of Recent Veterans' 
Disabilities May Pose Challenges:

While Employment Coordinators and Job Resource Labs in the Five States 
We Visited Provided Employment Assistance to Some Veterans, Similar 
Services Were Available Elsewhere:

Conclusions:

Recommendations for Executive Action:

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology:

Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Labor:

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Veterans Affairs:

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:

Related GAO Products:

Tables:

Table 1: Key Elements of National Memorandum of Agreement between Labor 
and VA:

Table 2: Selected Labor and VA Initiatives Designed to Enhance Services 
for Program Participants Returning from Recent Conflicts:

Table 3: Examples of Services Provided by Employment Coordinators and 
Others in the Five States We Visited:

Table 4: Site Visit Locations and Key Selection Criteria:

Figures:

Figure 1: Five-Track Employment Model:

Figure 2: Implementation of Elements of Agreement between Labor and VA 
in the Five States We Visited:

Figure 3: Five-Track Program Implementation Components and Completion 
Status:

Figure 4: Photographs of VA Job Resource Labs:

Abbreviations:

DVOP: Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program: 
DVET: state VETS program director:
LVER: Local Veterans' Employment Representative: 
UI: unemployment insurance: 
VETS: Veterans' Employment and Training Service: 
VA: Department of Veterans Affairs 
VRE: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment:

United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:

September 12, 2007:

The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka: 
Chairman: 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: 
United States Senate:

The Honorable Bob Filner: 
Chairman: 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: 
House of Representatives:

In 2005, an estimated 55,000 of the 2.5 million veterans with service- 
connected disabilities were actively seeking employment, and current 
military operations in the Middle East may raise that number in the 
coming years. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) helps disabled 
veterans find employment through the Vocational Rehabilitation and 
Employment services (VRE), and the Department of Labor (Labor) does so 
through the Veterans' Employment and Training Service programs (VETS). 
The two agencies serve many of the same veterans, and as we have 
previously reported, an effective relationship between them is 
important in giving disabled veterans the best chance for successful 
outcomes.

In October 2005, Labor and VA signed a national memorandum of agreement 
to coordinate efforts in advancing the employment opportunities for 
disabled veterans. Although the agencies have historically had an 
agreement, this most recent one was aimed at further improving 
collaboration and coordination. While the national offices of Labor and 
VA have overall responsibility for implementing the agreement, many of 
the activities set out in the agreement take place on the regional, 
state, and local levels. Although the missions of Labor's and VA's 
employment programs to serve disabled veterans are similar, the 
organizational structure of each is somewhat different: VA administers 
its programs through 57 regional offices staffed by federal employees, 
while Labor administers its programs through grants to state workforce 
agencies.

Around the same time the agreement was signed, VA rolled out a 
redesigned employment program aimed at standardizing rehabilitation 
services for veterans with service-connected disabilities, known as the 
Five-Track program. The program is intended to serve any disabled 
veteran who meets the eligibility requirements. Both Labor and VA 
provide services to Five-Track program participants, and these services 
are covered by the agreement. As part of the Five-Track program, VA 
established the employment coordinator position to provide veterans 
with assistance preparing for and finding employment. The program also 
included provisions for each VA location to install a job resource lab 
with computers, Internet access, and other materials for veterans to 
use in their career exploration and job search.

You have asked us to study the progress Labor and VA are making toward 
implementing these initiatives. To address this request, we examined 
the following questions: (1) What progress has been made in 
implementing the agreement signed by Labor and VA in 2005 to coordinate 
efforts to serve disabled veterans, and what challenges are the 
agencies facing in implementing the agreement? (2) What is the status 
of the implementation of VA's redesigned employment program for 
veterans with service-connected disabilities, known as the Five-Track 
program, and what challenges are posed by recently returning veterans? 
(3) What role do employment coordinators and job resource labs have in 
the employment and training of disabled veterans, and how have they 
affected the job search experiences of these veterans, given other 
available resources?

To answer these questions, we conducted interviews with Labor and VA 
officials and representatives of national and local veterans' service 
organizations. We also conducted site visits to five states--Alabama, 
California (San Diego Region), Illinois, Michigan, and South Dakota-- 
where we met with VA and Labor staff, state workforce agency officials, 
and program participants, and toured job resource labs and one-stop 
career centers. We selected a mix of states based on the following 
criteria: (1) dispersion across the four VRE geographic areas (Eastern, 
Central, Southern, and Western), (2) both pilot and nonpilot sites for 
the Five-Track program, (3) states with large and small veteran 
populations, and (4) states with a history of greater and lesser 
coordination between VA and Labor at the state and local levels, which 
we determined based on input from Labor and VA officials, veterans' 
service organizations, and other sources. We conducted our work from 
November 2006 through September 2007 in accordance with generally 
accepted government auditing standards.

Results in Brief:

Labor and VA have carried out some aspects of their agreement signed in 
October 2005 to coordinate services, but difficulties in sharing 
information, staffing limitations, and the lack of a comprehensive plan 
for guiding and measuring the progress of the agreement pose challenges 
to full implementation. Of the elements that need to be implemented by 
the national offices, Labor and VA have fulfilled one, partially 
implemented four, and have not taken action on the others. National 
officials have established three joint work groups, and these groups 
have begun efforts on their designated tasks, including proposing a set 
of shared performance measures. In addition, each of the five states we 
visited had taken actions that would further the implementation of the 
national agreement. All five states had a mechanism for referring VA 
clients to Labor's VETS program, located within the state workforce 
agency, for employment services. All of these states had also entered 
into an agreement with Labor and VA concerning the provision of 
services to disabled veterans. However, some of these states faced 
challenges implementing certain elements of the agreement. For 
instance, the agreement calls for both parties to share unemployment 
insurance wage data, but we were told in one state that state law 
forbids the state workforce agency from sharing an individual's wage 
data with VA. In addition, the agreement provides for a state workforce 
agency staff member to be colocated at VA or provide itinerant coverage 
to VA clients, to the extent it is appropriate and feasible. However, 
we were told that not all state workforce agencies feel they have a 
sufficient number of veterans' representatives to implement this 
provision. To date, Labor and VA have not developed a complete plan for 
implementing the agreement that outlines long-term time frames and 
benchmarks by which progress at both the national and state levels 
could be gauged, nor have they made plans for taking action if states 
do not take steps to implement the elements of the agreement. As of 
July 2007, the agencies had not fully assessed the extent to which 
states have carried out activities in which they have a role, and it 
was unclear whether the agencies have provided states with sufficient 
direction on implementation.

VA has implemented most of its Five-Track employment program for 
disabled veterans, but the particular employment needs of newly 
returning veterans may pose challenges. In implementing the program, VA 
officials have completed a pilot study, trained regional staff on the 
Five-Track model, distributed orientation materials, and deployed 74 
employment coordinators nationally. However, some components of the 
program are still in process. Specifically, not every location has 
established a job resource lab, the official program manual has not 
been distributed, and some features of the related Web site are still 
in development. In addition, some staff expressed concerns about 
whether employment programs for disabled veterans--including both VA's 
Five-Track program and Labor's VETS programs--are prepared to meet the 
needs of participants returning from recent conflicts in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, who are surviving with serious injuries that may have been 
fatal in past conflicts, such as those associated with traumatic brain 
injuries. VA has made initial efforts to address these needs. For 
example, VA told us it has made training materials related to the needs 
of recently returning veterans available to VA staff and has appointed 
a liaison in each regional office to coordinate services for veterans 
in medical treatment facilities. Labor has made similar efforts.

While employment coordinators and job resource labs in the five states 
we visited provided veterans with employment assistance, they did not 
reach all eligible veterans and some of the functions they performed 
were duplicated elsewhere. Employment coordinators provided direct 
services to individual veterans, including assisting with job search 
activities and helping with employment plans, and also performed 
outreach to businesses and community organizations to market VA 
programs and disabled veterans. However, while the employment 
coordinator position description provides for an array of employment 
services for veterans across each VA region, employment coordinators we 
met with offered only limited services to veterans outside their local 
areas. Additionally, some of the responsibilities of the employment 
coordinators were similar to those of other workforce agencies' staff. 
For example, in some places both employment coordinators and workforce 
agency staff were available to provide labor market information and 
résumé writing assistance to veterans. Job resource labs provided some 
additional resources for veterans, such as increased opportunities for 
one-on-one job search assistance from VA staff, but according to staff 
in some of the states we visited, not many veterans were using the 
labs. As with employment coordinators, job resource labs appeared to 
duplicate other available services. For example, we were told that the 
computers and other materials in the job resource labs were readily 
available to many veterans elsewhere, such as one-stop career centers 
or public libraries.

To ensure the implementation of their agreement and the efficient and 
effective use of resources, GAO recommends that Labor and VA develop a 
comprehensive plan to implement their agreement and undertake 
additional guidance and monitoring efforts, and that VA review the role 
of the employment coordinator, and assess the use of the job resource 
labs. In their comments on GAO's draft report, Labor and VA agreed with 
our recommendations.

Background:

Labor and VA have had a long-standing relationship formalized by 
agreements acknowledging their mutual concern and responsibility for 
helping veterans with service-connected disabilities transition to the 
civilian workforce. Their past efforts to coordinate and collaborate 
have faced difficulties, however. In 2005, at the recommendation of a 
VA task force and encouragement of congressional staff, the two 
agencies forged a new memorandum of agreement. In this agreement, the 
agencies agreed to share information, including wage data, and 
establish and maintain management information systems to enable 
accurate yearly reporting. The agreement also called for three joint 
work groups to develop performance measures to assess partnership 
program results, design a training curriculum, and establish joint data 
collection, analysis, and reports. In addition, the agreement outlined 
means to promote cooperation and eliminate duplication of efforts 
between the agencies. These include developing an approach to serving 
veterans that involves both VA and state workforce agency staff from 
the early stages, advising all VA clients about the employment services 
offered by the state workforce agency, and establishing an effective 
process for referring VA clients who are seeking employment to the 
state workforce agency. While many of the specific elements of the 
agreement need to be implemented at a national level within Labor and 
VA, other activities, by their nature, would take place on the state or 
local level.[Footnote 1] The agreement provides for separate 
memorandums of agreement, containing common goals and measures, to be 
executed among Labor, VA, and the states. Table 1 summarizes the key 
elements of the national agreement, the specific actions to which Labor 
and VA agreed, and the level at which implementation generally would 
occur.

Table 1: Key Elements of National Memorandum of Agreement between Labor 
and VA:

Key elements of agreement: Joint work groups; 
Specific actions: Establish three joint work groups to address: (1) 
shared performance measures; (2) training curriculum design; (3) joint 
data collection, analysis, and reports; 
Level of implementation: National.

Key elements of agreement: Performance measures; 
Specific actions: Both parties agree to establish performance measures; 
Level of implementation: National. 

Key elements of agreement: Management information systems; 
Specific actions: Both parties agree to establish and maintain 
management information systems; 
Level of implementation: National.

Key elements of agreement: Yearly reporting; 
Specific actions: Both parties agree to accurate yearly reporting. 
Yearly reports will include number of VA program participants; number 
of VA participants referred to state workforce agency; and, of those 
referred, number registered for employment services, number entered 
suitable employment, and number maintained suitable employment for 180 
days or more; 
Level of implementation: National and State/local.

Key elements of agreement: Staff evaluations include partnership 
activities; 
Specific actions: In evaluating performance of their respective staff 
members, managers from both organizations will consider documented 
effectiveness of partnership activities between VA staff and state 
workforce agency staff; 
Level of implementation: National and State/local.

Key elements of agreement: State-level memorandums of agreements; 
Specific actions: Both parties will establish and monitor common goals 
and measures within each memorandum of agreement executed with state 
partners. Corrective action will be taken when goals are not met; 
Level of implementation: National and State/local.

Key elements of agreement: Information sharing; 
Specific actions: All information from interviews, counseling, testing, 
and assessment will be used by each agency with consent of participants 
and in accordance with applicable privacy laws; 
Level of implementation: National and State/local.

Key elements of agreement: Unemployment insurance (UI) wage data; 
Specific actions: Both parties will share information and data accessed 
from UI wage records and other administrative wage records, as may be 
available to each agency, in accordance with applicable privacy laws; 
Level of implementation: State/local.

Key elements of agreement: Team approach beginning early in the 
rehabilitation process;
Specific actions: Labor and VA agree to enable local representatives 
from both parties to take a team approach to job development and 
placement activities beginning as early as possible in the 
rehabilitation process; 
Level of implementation: State/local.

Key elements of agreement: Advise of state workforce agency benefits; 
Specific actions: All VA participants will be advised of the benefits 
of registering for employment assistance and will be encouraged to 
register with their state workforce agency; 
Level of implementation: State/local.

Key elements of agreement: Referral process; 
Specific actions: Participants and local representatives from both 
organizations are required to establish and maintain an effective 
mechanism for referral and service delivery; 
Level of implementation: State/local.

Key elements of agreement: Point of contact; 
Specific actions: Labor will appoint a point of contact for the 
provision of employment services who will work closely with the VA 
staff located in each VA regional office's service area; 
Level of implementation: State/local.

Key elements of agreement: State workforce agency staff colocated at 
least part-time in VA office; 
Specific actions: To the extent feasible and appropriate, a state 
workforce agency staff member or other designated individual will be 
colocated or otherwise provide itinerant coverage to VA participants; 
Level of implementation: State/local.

Source: GAO analysis.

Note: The state/local column includes actions taken by state or local 
VA or Labor offices and actions taken by state workforce agencies.

[End of table]

Around the same time the national agreement was signed, VA rolled out 
the Five-Track employment program aimed at standardizing rehabilitation 
services for veterans with service-connected disabilities and providing 
a greater focus on employment options early in the rehabilitation 
process. The five employment tracks from which veterans can select are 
reemployment with their previous employer, rapid access to employment 
through job readiness preparation and training opportunities, self- 
employment, employment through long-term services that include 
education programs and formal training leading to employment, and 
independent living services for those who are currently unable to work 
due to their disabilities. These tracks were available prior to the 
rollout, but the program changed the way they were presented to 
veterans. The Five-Track program was piloted in four regional offices 
starting in October 2004, and a national rollout began in November 
2005.[Footnote 2] Figure 1 describes the Five-Track model.

Figure 1: Five-Track Employment Model:

[See PDF for image]

[End of figure]

As part of the Five-Track program, VA established the employment 
coordinator position and drew up plans to install job resource labs. 
The position description for the employment coordinator contains duties 
aimed at providing veterans with assistance preparing for and finding 
employment. These duties include helping veterans make informed choices 
about their employment track, assessing veterans' readiness to seek 
employment, and assisting veterans with job networking, development, 
and placement. The position description also includes responsibilities 
for marketing the VA program to employers and developing partnerships 
with other agencies to assist veterans with employment services. Also 
as part of the Five-Track program, VA allocated funds for each location 
to install a job resource lab with computers, Internet access, and 
other materials for veterans to use in their career exploration and job 
search. VA made plans to have employment coordinators in most of its 57 
regions, and a job resource lab in each regional office and in every 
satellite location.

Although the missions of Labor's VETS and VA's VRE programs to provide 
employment assistance to disabled veterans are similar, the 
organizational structure of each is somewhat different. VA administers 
its VRE programs through regional offices--roughly one in each state, 
with multiple offices in larger states--and its staff are federal 
employees. The regional offices have some autonomy in deciding the 
operations of the office, including their working relationships with 
the Labor programs and the state workforce agency. Labor administers 
its programs through the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) and 
the Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER) program, which are 
funded by a grant from Labor to the state workforce agencies. DVOP 
specialists and LVER staff are employees of the state and are typically 
housed in state employment service offices. Although there is evidence 
LVER staff and DVOP specialists often perform similar duties,[Footnote 
3] the DVOP specialist's role was designed to provide intensive 
services to veterans with employment barriers, including those with 
disabilities, while the LVER staff role was designed to market veterans 
to employers. Labor provides oversight and monitoring of the state 
grants through a state VETS program director (DVET) in each state.

The Labor and VA programs serve similar clientele, but there are 
differences in eligibility requirements and the measure of successful 
completion. To participate in VA's VRE program, the veteran must have 
disabilities that affect a minimum percentage of daily activities, as 
determined by VA, and must have an employment handicap related to the 
disability. In addition, there is a time limit for receiving services, 
generally 12 years following the date the veteran was discharged or 
separated from the military or received a disability percentage rating 
from VA. The primary outcome measured by VA's VRE program is whether 
the veteran obtained and maintained suitable employment, that is, work 
that is within a veteran's emotional and physical capabilities and 
consistent with the veteran's abilities, aptitudes, and interests. By 
contrast, any veteran who was discharged because of a service-connected 
disability or who served more than 180 days and was not dishonorably 
discharged can receive services through Labor's programs. The primary 
outcome measured by Labor is whether or not the veteran entered 
employment, without requiring determination of suitability.

VA and the state workforce agencies--including DVOP specialists and 
LVER staff--work together on the local level. In many states, DVOP 
specialists work with veterans who have completed their VA training to 
help them find employment. The process by which these referrals are 
made is not determined nationally; it is left up to VA regional 
officials to develop local policies and procedures. In addition, some 
state workforce agencies provide VA staff with state unemployment 
insurance wage data to verify the employment status of their clients. 
Additionally, many VA regional offices have a DVOP specialist colocated 
in the office at least part of the time. However, cooperation between 
Labor and VA has historically been better in some states than in 
others, reportedly in part because of variation in the number and 
quality of services provided by DVOP specialists. As a result, VA's VRE 
Task Force concluded in its 2004 report that VRE should consider using 
DVOP specialist services as one of many options to help its clients, 
and not view the DVOP specialist as the sole provider of employment 
services.[Footnote 4]

Labor and VA Have Implemented Some Elements of Their Agreement, but 
Data-Sharing Restrictions, Staffing Limitations, and Lack of a 
Comprehensive Plan Pose Challenges:

Labor and VA have fulfilled some elements of their agreement to 
coordinate efforts, but the agencies face a variety of challenges to 
fully executing the agreement, including the lack of a comprehensive 
plan for implementing the agreement and measuring progress. The 
national offices of Labor and VA have implemented one of the elements 
of the agreement for which they are responsible, have begun to address 
four elements, and have not taken action on the others. All of the 
states we visited had taken action to implement some of the elements of 
the national agreement, but faced challenges implementing others due to 
state privacy laws, staffing limitations, and other obstacles. In 
addition, Labor and VA lack a long-term plan for implementing the 
agreement that includes timelines and benchmarks against which progress 
can be judged, as well as procedures for dealing with states that are 
not carrying out activities in which they have a role. Further, the 
agencies have provided states with limited guidance on implementation. 
As of July 2007, the extent of nationwide implementation was uncertain 
because the agencies had not thoroughly reviewed the implementation of 
the agreement at the state level.

Labor and VA Have Established Joint Work Groups and Taken Some Steps 
toward Implementing Other Elements of Their Agreement:

Labor and VA have fully implemented the element of their agreement that 
calls for the establishment of joint work groups composed of staff from 
both agencies. The agencies have formed three joint work groups to 
address issues related to shared performance measures, staff training, 
and joint data collection, with the goal of improving the quality of 
employment services and suitable job placements for veterans with 
disabilities. According to a Labor official, the implementation of the 
agencies' agreement revolves around the efforts of these work groups. 
The work groups met for the first time in April 2006, 6 months after 
the agreement was signed. In January 2007, they conducted a survey of 
Labor and VA field staff in 24 states to gather preliminary information 
about the working relationship between the agencies at the local level 
and identify areas needing improvement. On the basis of the survey 
results, the work groups plan to launch a pilot project in eight 
regional offices in August or September of 2007 to explore new 
strategies to improve the partnership between Labor and VA. Labor and 
VA officials expect to complete the pilot project in January 2008, and 
plan to make recommendations thereafter regarding the implementation of 
these strategies nationwide, but the work groups have not yet made 
definitive recommendations for program changes.

Four of the elements that Labor and VA are responsible for 
implementing--staff evaluations, yearly reporting, performance 
measures, and monitoring of state-level memorandums of agreement--are 
in process but not yet completed. The agreement between Labor and VA 
calls for agency managers to consider the effectiveness of partnership 
activities between VA and the state workforce agency when evaluating 
staff. Although Labor has implemented such standards for state VETS 
program directors, these provisions are not specifically outlined in 
the performance standards for other VETS program staff or for VA staff. 
The agreement also calls for the agencies to have yearly reports that 
include measures of the number of VA program participants referred to 
the VETS program who registered for state workforce agency services, 
the number of participants who entered suitable employment, and the 
number of participants who maintained suitable employment for 180 days 
or more. While the agencies are collecting data on most of these 
measures, they are not currently collecting data on the last 
measure.[Footnote 5] With regard to performance measures, one of the 
joint work groups has started to develop new shared measures to better 
assess partnership activities between the two agencies. For example, 
one proposed measure is the percentage of veterans referred from VA to 
VETS program DVOP specialists who receive an employment services 
assessment within 30 days. In addition, the agreement calls for the 
agencies to monitor common goals and measures within memorandums of 
agreement executed at the state level and stipulates that corrective 
action will be taken when such goals are not met. According to 
information provided by VA, the agency obtained copies of state-level 
agreements from all but one of its 57 regional offices in June 2007, 
but officials have not yet reviewed the agreements for common goals and 
measures.

Labor and VA have not yet acted on the other elements of their 
agreement related to information sharing and management information 
systems. The agreement calls for the agencies to share information 
about veterans, including all information from interviews, counseling, 
testing, and assessment. In addition, the agreement stipulates that the 
agencies will develop and maintain management information systems that 
enable accurate yearly reporting. Although Labor and VA officials told 
us they are considering the possibility of establishing national data- 
sharing practices and a joint management information system through 
which information could be shared, no action has been taken on the 
national level.

The Five States We Visited Had Implemented Some Elements of the 
Agreement, but Faced Challenges to Full Implementation, Including Data 
Sharing and Staffing Issues:

The 5 states we visited had all implemented a number of the elements of 
the agreement between Labor and VA, including advising veterans of the 
benefits of registering for state workforce agency services, 
establishing a referral process, establishing state-level memorandums 
of agreement, and appointing VETS points of contact for VA staff. All 5 
states had processes in place whereby VA advised program participants 
of the benefits of registering for employment services with the state 
workforce agency. All of the states we visited had also established a 
process for referring veterans from VA to the state workforce agency 
for employment services, although the process was not the same in every 
state. In addition, all 5 states we visited had a memorandum of 
agreement between the regional VA office serving the state, the state 
VETS program director, and the state workforce agency to coordinate 
their services for disabled veterans. All of the states had recently 
revised their state agreement or were in the process of doing 
so.[Footnote 6] All 5 states we visited had also appointed a VETS 
program contact person for VA staff, and a national Labor official told 
us that all 50 states have appointed such points of contact. Figure 2 
summarizes the implementation of the elements of the agreement in the 5 
states we visited.

Figure 2: Implementation of Elements of Agreement between Labor and VA 
in the Five States We Visited:

Key state-level elements of agreement: Advise of state workforce agency 
benefits;
Alabama: fully implemented;
California: fully implemented;
Illinois: fully implemented;
Michigan: fully implemented;
South Dakota: fully implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Referral process;
Alabama: fully implemented;
California: fully implemented;
Illinois: fully implemented;
Michigan: fully implemented;
South Dakota: fully implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: State-level agreement;
Alabama: fully implemented;
California: fully implemented;
Illinois: fully implemented;
Michigan: fully implemented;
South Dakota: fully implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Point of contact;
Alabama: fully implemented;
California: fully implemented;
Illinois: fully implemented;
Michigan: fully implemented;
South Dakota: fully implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Begin team approach early in 
process;
Alabama: fully implemented;
California: fully implemented;
Illinois: partially implemented;
Michigan: partially implemented;
South Dakota: fully implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Yearly reporting;
Alabama: partially implemented;
California: partially implemented;
Illinois: partially implemented;
Michigan: partially implemented;
South Dakota: partially implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Unemployment insurance wage data;
Alabama: fully implemented;
California: fully implemented;
Illinois: fully implemented;
Michigan: not implemented;
South Dakota: fully implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Workforce agency staff colocated 
at least part-time at VA;
Alabama: fully implemented;
California: fully implemented;
Illinois: fully implemented;
Michigan: not implemented;
South Dakota: fully implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Information sharing;
Alabama: partially implemented;
California: partially implemented;
Illinois: partially implemented;
Michigan: partially implemented;
South Dakota: partially implemented.

Key state-level elements of agreement: Staff evaluations include 
partnership activities;
Alabama: not implemented;
California: not implemented;
Illinois: not implemented;
Michigan: not implemented;
South Dakota: not implemented.

[See PDF for image]

Note: A Michigan state workforce agency official told us the agency 
plans to have a staff member colocated on a part-time basis at the VA 
regional office beginning in summer 2007.

[End of figure]

All five states included key VA and state workforce agency staff in the 
rehabilitation process, but not all states fully coordinated the Labor 
and VA programs by involving DVOP specialists early in the process as 
outlined in the agreement between Labor and VA. Typically, VA clients 
seeking employment would meet with a VA counselor, VA employment 
services staff, and a DVOP specialist from the state workforce agency. 
However, the states varied in terms of the point at which the DVOP 
specialist became involved. In three of the states we visited, DVOP 
specialists provided assistance to veterans soon after they entered the 
VA program, typically by presenting labor market information to 
veterans to incorporate into their vocational rehabilitation plans. In 
the two other states we visited, DVOP specialists did not typically 
meet with veterans until they had neared the end of their VA training 
programs or were otherwise prepared to seek employment. In one of these 
states, we were told that this was due to negative past experiences in 
providing veterans services from both VA and DVOP specialist staff at 
the same time.

The five states we visited were collecting data on all but one of the 
yearly reporting measures outlined in the agreement between Labor and 
VA, and staff identified challenges to implementing this remaining 
reporting measure. In all five states, agency staff told us that they 
were gathering data on the number of VA program participants referred 
to the VETS program, and of those referred, the number who registered 
for state workforce agency services and the number who entered suitable 
employment. In these states, VA staff said that they tracked program 
participants for 60 days after they obtained suitable employment, and 
we learned that state workforce agencies tracked veterans for varying 
lengths of time. However, none of the states were tracking the number 
of VA program participants who maintained suitable employment for 180 
days or more. In four states, some agency staff told us that they would 
face challenges implementing this additional reporting measure, and 
staff in three states said that this was because following up with 
veterans for 180 days would likely require additional staff time and 
resources.

In four states, workforce agencies were able to share UI wage data with 
VA, but in one state, they faced challenges sharing such data because 
of state laws. UI wage data are managed by the states.[Footnote 7] 
According to VA officials, if agency staff want to use this 
information--for example, to verify that a client is employed--they 
need to obtain the data from the state workforce agency. In Illinois, 
VA and the state workforce agency had signed a shared data agreement 
that allowed the workforce agency to provide VA with UI wage data. In 
Alabama, state workforce agency staff told us that they had given VA 
staff direct access to their database, which contained UI wage 
information. In California's San Diego region, VA and the state 
workforce agency had developed a centralized process in which VA sent 
UI wage data requests to the state workforce agency headquarters. And 
in South Dakota, workforce agency staff told us that they were able to 
share UI wage data with VA, but said that they rarely received requests 
for such data. However, in Michigan, we were told that they were unable 
to share UI wage information because state law prevents the workforce 
agency from sharing an individual's wage data with VA.

Staffing limitations prevented some states from having a full-time 
colocated DVOP specialist at the VA office, although most had at least 
part-time coverage from an itinerant DVOP specialist. The agreement 
states that to the extent feasible and appropriate, a DVOP specialist 
or other designated individual will be colocated at the VA office or 
will otherwise provide itinerant coverage to VA participants. Only one 
of the five states we visited had a full-time colocated DVOP specialist 
at the VA office. Three of the other states we visited had part-time 
colocated DVOP specialists, but one state had no coverage at the VA 
office at the time of our visit. VA staff in the states with a DVOP 
specialist on site part-time told us that such an arrangement was 
useful, and staff in two states said that they would like to increase 
the amount of colocation time per week. However, officials in three 
states told us that funding constraints limited the number of workforce 
agency staff and thus the workforce agency's ability to share a DVOP 
specialist with the VA office. National VA officials also told us that 
fluctuating state budgets made it challenging for states to commit to 
providing a colocated DVOP specialist from year to year.

None of the five states had fully implemented the information-sharing 
element of the national agreement between Labor and VA, and staff in 
all five states told us that some of this information sharing was 
unnecessary. The agreement states that both agencies will share all 
information about veterans gathered from interviews, counseling, 
testing, and assessment. VA staff in the five states we visited told us 
that they did not regularly share all of the information outlined in 
the agreement with the state workforce agency, and staff in all states 
said that it is not necessary to share all information about veterans 
in order to help them find employment. In all five states, VA staff 
shared a standardized, but limited, set of information with the state 
workforce agency when referring a veteran for employment services. For 
example, in one state, VA staff told us that this standardized set of 
information included the veteran's contact information, employment 
goal, and level of education, as well as general information related to 
the veteran's barriers to employment. However, VA staff in all five 
states told us that they did not regularly share specific information 
about veterans' disabilities with state workforce agency staff, and 
staff in two states said that this was a result of privacy concerns.

None of the five states we visited were using partnership activities 
specifically to evaluate staff, as outlined in the agreement between 
Labor and VA, and some officials said it would be impractical. In the 
three states that had a centralized referral process and thus had 
minimal contact between state workforce agency and VA staff, some local 
agency staff stated that it did not make sense to evaluate staff on the 
effectiveness of their partnership activities. In all five states, we 
were told that staff evaluations contained a general category related 
to teamwork or cooperation, but did not include specific performance 
measures to evaluate DVOP specialists and VA staff on the effectiveness 
of their partnership activities. In one state, workforce agency 
managers told us that they were considering implementing specific 
performance measures related to the effectiveness of partnership 
activities.

Labor and VA Have Not Developed a Comprehensive Plan to Guide 
Implementation, and Have Not Fully Assessed Data on Implementation:

Labor and VA lack a comprehensive plan for implementing their 
agreement, and have not set benchmarks or long-term time frames for 
implementation. While Labor and VA have designed a pilot project, 
agency officials have not developed a plan to guide the full 
implementation of the agreement. Although the joint work groups have 
set short-term time frames for the pilot project, and plan to make 
recommendations regarding pilot project expansion in May 2008, the 
pilot project plan does not include long-term time frames for the 
implementation of the agreement, and Labor and VA officials told us 
that they considered implementation to be a work in progress. In 
addition, the pilot project plan does not outline steps for taking 
action when states do not implement the agreement.

It is unclear whether national VA and Labor officials have provided 
sufficient direction to states on the implementation of the agreement. 
In one state, workforce agency staff told us that guidance from 
national officials on implementing the agreement was lacking. Both 
agencies sent letters to regional and state officials notifying them of 
the agreement, but have done very little to assist with implementation. 
A national VA official told us he has discussed implementation in 
conference calls with VA program managers and employment services 
staff, but a national Labor official told us his agency has not done 
any follow-up. In addition, the agreement calls for the agencies to 
take corrective action when common goals outlined in state-level 
memorandums of agreement are not met. However, both VA and Labor 
officials told us that they have not yet defined steps for corrective 
action. Labor also told us that it does not have much leverage to 
induce state workforce agencies to implement the agreement given its 
limited authority over such agencies.

Further, as of July 2007, Labor and VA had not yet fully assessed state 
actions to implement the agreement, so the extent to which the national 
agreement has been implemented across all states was unclear. The 
agencies collected some data on states' activities in the January 2007 
survey of agency field staff conducted by the joint work groups. VA 
officials told us that the survey identified several areas for improved 
collaboration between the agencies, including clarifying definitions of 
terms, increasing staff training, and facilitating communication among 
staff. However, the results cannot be used to understand the extent of 
nationwide implementation because the survey only included about half 
of the states and did not cover all aspects of the national agreement. 
In June 2007, VA conducted a second survey asking all of its 57 
regional offices to submit copies of their state-level memorandums of 
agreements to national VA officials, and received these agreements from 
all but one regional office. A VA official told us that the agency 
plans to review these agreements to assess their alignment with the 
national agreement and offer assistance to states that are having 
difficulties, but it had not done so as of July 2007.

VA Has Mostly Implemented Its Five-Track Employment Program for 
Disabled Veterans, but the Types and Severity of Recent Veterans' 
Disabilities May Pose Challenges:

Although VA has almost fully implemented the Five-Track employment 
program, the agency may face challenges serving the employment needs of 
recently returning veterans because of the types and severity of their 
disabilities. VA officials told us that they have fully implemented 
four of the seven components of the Five-Track employment program and 
the other three components are mostly complete. VA officials have noted 
that many recently returning veterans have serious injuries and they 
anticipate higher caseloads as increasing numbers of veterans apply for 
program benefits. In response to these challenges, VA has taken some 
initial steps to address the specific employment and training needs of 
these veterans, and Labor has made similar efforts.

VA Has Implemented Most of Its Five-Track Employment Program for 
Disabled Veterans, but Some Components Are Still in Process:

According to VA, officials have completed most of the seven components 
needed to implement the Five-Track program. While four components have 
been completed, three other components remain in process. Figure 3 
shows the seven components of the Five-Track program and their 
respective completion status.

Figure 3: Five-Track Program Implementation Components and Completion 
Status:

[See PDF for image]

[End of figure]

VA officials told us that three of the initial components of the new 
Five-Track employment program--the national distribution of orientation 
materials, the pilot study, and introductory staff training--have been 
fully implemented. According to VA, officials have also completed the 
distribution of Five-Track orientation materials nationally, including 
a new video and a booklet that describes program eligibility 
requirements. VA officials have also distributed information nationally 
on each of the five tracks to employment-- reemployment, rapid access 
to employment, self-employment, employment through long-term services, 
and independent living services. In October 2004, VA officials began a 
pilot study in four regional offices to test several proposed 
components of the Five-Track program. At the pilot study's completion 
in September 2005, VA issued a status report based on the study results 
and made some changes to the program before beginning the full launch a 
few months later. VA also completed introductory training for VRE staff 
members nationwide on the Five- Track program, between February and 
April of 2006. The VA staff who received this national training were 
expected to return to their local offices and train other staff on the 
program. According to VA, the training included simulated case 
management exercises and a review of the logistics and application of 
the new job resource labs.

VA has also hired and trained employment coordinators. This position 
was developed to revamp the existing employment specialist position and 
provide more direct assistance to veterans with job readiness and job- 
seeking skills, as well as helping them with job placement. Training 
for employment coordinators began in November 2005, and a few months 
later, 52 employment specialists were reclassified as employment 
coordinators. Since then, VA national officials have hired additional 
employment coordinators, and as of April 2007 there were 74 employment 
coordinators nationally.[Footnote 8] Qualifications for the employment 
coordinator position include knowledge of marketing concepts, thorough 
knowledge of the VRE program and its objectives, and diverse 
presentation skills. Of the 6 employment coordinators we spoke with, 3 
had prior experience providing employment assistance to veterans, 
either as a DVOP specialist or an employment specialist.

Information provided by VA shows that the agency has mostly completed 
the implementation of 160 job resource labs. The job resource labs were 
intended to be a supportive tool to help VA staff provide veterans with 
employment resources and job readiness assistance. As of April 2007, 
144 labs (90 percent) labs were operational, although some were 
utilizing borrowed computers.[Footnote 9] Sixteen of the labs (10 
percent) were further postponed due to construction issues, lack of 
appropriate space, difficulty securing Internet access, or 
complications obtaining computers. Before providing funding, VA 
conducted a survey of its field offices to assess existing resources. 
Then, between June and September 2006, VA provided field offices 
funding to purchase noncomputer items such as furniture and books. VA 
transferred $1.5 million to the VA Office of Information and Technology 
for procurement of 359 computers, but there were delays in obtaining 
them. VA officials told us the computers should be available in summer 
2007.

According to VA, officials have begun to implement a new employment 
resource Web site and a program manual, but they are not yet completed. 
VA launched the employment resource Web site, known as vetsuccess.gov, 
in 2005 to be a new supportive tool for veterans and VA staff. 
Currently, veterans may access the Web site via the Internet and can 
utilize the site to view program videos, employment resources, 
employment search links, and information about VA partner 
organizations. VA is planning to install additional interactive 
features on the Web site, including a log-in option that would allow 
veterans to post résumés and employers to search and view them. 
However, a VA official told us the installation has been delayed 
indefinitely until security concerns can be resolved. Additionally, as 
part of the Five-Track program implementation, VA officials plan to 
distribute a program manual to staff. However, a VA official told us 
the agency is postponing the release of the manual until the employment 
Web site features have been completed and can be included as part of 
the manual.

Agencies Have Taken Initial Steps to Address Challenges Posed by 
Employment Needs of Recent Veterans because of the Types and Severity 
of Their Disabilities:

Officials in some states we visited raised concerns about the ability 
of employment programs--including the Five-Track program--to address 
the needs of severely disabled program participants returning from 
recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to VA officials, 
many recently returning veterans have multiple and severe disabilities, 
such as speech, hearing, and visual impairments as well as loss of 
limbs and brain injuries, and behavioral issues due to the stress of 
combat. Additionally, veterans from recent conflicts are surviving with 
more of these serious injuries that would have been fatal in past 
conflicts, a fact that can present major challenges to providing 
training and securing appropriate job placements. For example, VA 
officials in one state told us that from their experiences assisting 
veterans with traumatic brain injuries, they have found that these 
veterans may find it difficult to filter their thoughts and actions and 
may act and speak inappropriately, making employment placement more 
difficult. In addition, VA officials anticipate increased caseloads 
because of expanded outreach efforts to veterans and service members 
separating from the military, and increasing disability claims from 
veterans of recent conflicts.

To address these challenges, VA told us that officials have developed 
programs to provide additional resources for recently returning 
veterans to receive employment services. VA officials have an early 
outreach program, Coming Home to Work, to provide civilian work 
experience to eligible service members pending medical separation from 
active duty at military treatment facilities. VA has also designated a 
particular individual in each VA regional office to coordinate 
vocational rehabilitation and employment case services for recently 
returning service members located in military treatment facilities.

According to VA, officials have also made training available to staff 
on the specific disabilities that may be more prevalent among recently 
returning veterans. The agency has developed training materials on 
traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and transferable work skills, 
which an official told us have been made available to VA counselors and 
employment coordinators through VA internal satellite broadcasts and 
other means. Additionally, VA plans to develop an online training 
curriculum that would include training specific to the needs of 
recently returning veterans that will be available to VA staff. In 
addition to training, a VA official told us the agency used internal 
staff meetings and conference calls to address the immediate concerns 
of VA staff related to recently returning veterans.

Labor has also taken some initial steps to address the challenges of 
serving severely disabled Five-Track program participants returning 
from recent conflicts, and we were told staff who work with these 
veterans have access to VA training. Labor has a program, called 
Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines (REALifelines), to provide 
individualized job preparation, counseling, and reemployment services 
to veterans seriously injured in recent conflicts. VETS program staff, 
including DVOP specialists and LVER staff, can also access the National 
Veterans' Training Institute VETS NET online newsletter, which often 
includes links to information on serving recently returning veterans. 
In addition, VA told us that state VETS program directors have access 
to training materials related to the needs of recently returning 
veterans such as traumatic brain injuries and amputations. Similarly, 
VA told us that state workforce agency staff will also have access to 
its planned online training curriculum, including courses specific to 
the employment needs of recently returning veterans. A list of selected 
VA and Labor initiatives related to addressing the employment needs of 
recently returning veterans is in table 2.

Table 2: Selected Labor and VA Initiatives Designed to Enhance Services 
for Program Participants Returning from Recent Conflicts:

Initiative: Programs; 
Description: Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines--Labor 
program providing individualized job training, counseling, and 
reemployment services to veterans seriously injured in recent conflicts.

Initiative: Programs; 
Description: Coming Home to Work--VA outreach program providing 
civilian work experience to VRE-eligible service members pending 
medical separation.

Initiative: Programs; 
Description: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Case 
Coordinators--coordinate VRE services for recently returning service 
members located in military treatment facilities.

Initiative: Staff training; 
Description: Recent VA staff training on amputation, traumatic brain 
injuries, and blast injuries.

Initiative: Staff training; 
Description: Distribution of training materials to VRE regional offices 
and state VETS program directors.

Initiative: Staff training; 
Description: VA planned development of online curriculum that will be 
available to VA and Labor staff.

Initiative: Staff resources; 
Description: National Veterans' Training Institute VETS NET online 
newsletter.

Initiative: Staff resources;
Description: Regular internal VA staff meetings and conference calls.

Source: GAO analysis.

[End of table]

While Employment Coordinators and Job Resource Labs in the Five States 
We Visited Provided Employment Assistance to Some Veterans, Similar 
Services Were Available Elsewhere:

Employment coordinators and job resource labs in the five states we 
visited provided employment services to veterans, but some of these 
services were available elsewhere. Employment coordinators generally 
provided direct employment services to veterans and performed job 
development activities and outreach to employers and the community. 
Despite the fact that the employment coordinator position description 
outlines a variety of services to be provided to veterans across each 
VA region, these activities were largely limited to their local areas. 
In addition, employment coordinators performed some services that 
duplicated other available resources. Although job resource labs 
afforded some additional opportunities for VA staff to assist veterans 
with employment activities, they generally were not used by many 
veterans. Job resource labs also provided some resources that veterans 
were able to access elsewhere.

Employment Coordinators Performed Direct Services, Job Development, and 
Outreach in Their Local Areas and Duplicated Some Other Available 
Resources:

The employment coordinators in the five states we visited provided some 
direct assistance to veterans. The services to veterans included 
helping with veteran employment plans, résumé preparation, interview 
preparation, and job search activities. In addition, employment 
coordinators with whom we spoke typically provided veterans and VA 
counselors with labor market information, which generally included 
average salary, to assist veterans in selecting potential career 
fields. Other duties varied by state and included managing the referral 
process to DVOP specialists, conducting follow-up with veterans after 
they have been placed in employment, arranging for the distribution of 
a stipend given to veterans during their employment search, and 
focusing on providing services to veterans who were having difficulty 
finding employment. One employment coordinator reported that she 
assisted employers with making workplace accommodations for disabled 
veteran employees who were participants in the VA program, while two 
others reported that they had not had the opportunity to provide such 
accommodations. In one case, the employment coordinator had carved out 
the specific role of assisting veterans with federal job applications.

Most of the employment coordinators we met with also performed some job 
development and outreach activities. These activities included 
promotion of VA programs, developing partnerships with businesses and 
other agencies, and marketing and providing VA employer incentives. For 
example, an employment coordinator in one state we visited told us she 
partners with other agencies to obtain employment leads for veterans 
and another employment coordinator told us that he markets an incentive 
program to employers through which VA pays half of the veteran's salary 
for the first 6 months of employment. Some employment coordinators also 
told us they conduct presentations about VA at community events.

Employment coordinators in the five states we visited primarily 
provided services to veterans in their local areas, even though VA 
originally intended that they provide a variety of employment services 
across each VA region. In the five states we visited, the employment 
coordinators seldom traveled to offices outside their local area, and 
when some did, they met with a much smaller number of veterans. VA 
staff in several locations told us the lack of face-to-face contact 
with an employment coordinator disadvantaged some veterans. For 
example, VA staff in one office without an employment coordinator on- 
site found communication via phone and e-mail to be less effective in 
providing employment services to veterans than in-person interactions. 
Similarly, an employment coordinator in another state told us that 
veterans outside her local area do not receive the same level of 
services from her as those located in her immediate area. VA 
acknowledged it was not aware of the extent to which employment 
coordinators were able to work with veterans outside their local areas. 
In addition, VA national officials acknowledged that the current number 
of employment coordinators is not enough to provide a full array of 
employment services to all program participants, as they had originally 
intended when they wrote the position description. They told us they 
tried to compensate for this deficiency by assigning employment 
coordinators to offices in the most populous areas and expected that 
state workforce agency staff would serve veterans in other locales. In 
one state, the employment coordinator was stationed over 200 miles away 
from the office we visited and was only able to provide services for 15 
of the approximately 300 veterans served in that office at the time of 
our interview. The employment coordinator, VA counselors, and some 
veterans in this state told us they considered local DVOP specialists 
to be the primary employment services providers for program 
participants.

According to veterans and VA staff in the five states we visited, 
employment coordinators provided some unique services to veterans in 
their local areas, but other services were also available from 
alternative sources. Employment coordinators provided some services 
that were not available elsewhere, such as marketing VA employer 
incentives, promoting the VA program through networking and ongoing 
contacts with employers, distributing veterans' employment search 
stipend, and assisting with employer accommodations. However, according 
to veterans and VA staff in the five states we visited, some of the 
direct services provided by employment coordinators were similar to 
those offered by others. For example, according to some VA staff and 
veterans, college career centers, DVOP specialists, and VA contractors 
all provide veterans assistance with résumé writing and interviewing 
techniques. Additionally, some veterans and VA staff told us that both 
employment coordinators and state workforce agency staff can assist 
veterans and VA counselors with labor market information. Similarly, in 
two states we visited employment coordinators were available to provide 
more services to veterans who were having difficulty finding 
employment, while DVOP specialists were also responsible for 
facilitating services for veterans with special employment needs. One 
veteran told us he met with the employment coordinator daily for 
assistance with résumé and interview preparation and obtaining 
employment leads while also working with a DVOP specialist weekly.

The outreach activities employment coordinators conducted were also 
sometimes performed by others. In some states we visited, both 
employment coordinators and DVOP specialists marketed to employers on 
behalf of disabled veterans in the VA program by identifying employer 
hiring contacts and obtaining information on job vacancies and hiring 
prerequisites. Similarly, in some states employment coordinators and 
DVOP specialists performed job development activities, such as 
fostering partnerships through participation in job fairs and 
networking with local businesses. VA staff in two states told us that 
state workforce agency staff often performed job development and 
outreach activities. Although Labor and VA national officials 
acknowledged some similarities between the employment services 
performed by employment coordinators and those available to program 
participants elsewhere, VA officials have not collected information on 
the full extent of the duplication nationally. A summary comparing the 
services provided by employment coordinators and employment services 
available elsewhere in the states we visited is in table 3.

Table 3: Examples of Services Provided by Employment Coordinators and 
Others in the Five States We Visited:

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Conduct follow-up with veterans after they have been placed in 
employment; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators,DVOP specialists; 

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Assist with résumé and interview preparation; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators, DVOP specialists, 
Contractors and school career centers.

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Provide general assistance with job search activities; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators, DVOP specialists, 
Contractors and school career centers.

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Provide labor market information; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators, DVOP specialists. 

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Provide employment assistance specifically to hard-to-place veterans; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators, DVOP specialists. 

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Coordinate distribution of employment search stipend; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators. 

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Assist veterans with employment plans; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators, DVOP specialists. 

Employment coordinator duties: Direct services provided to VA clients; 
Assist employers with providing accommodations for VA clients; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators. 

Employment coordinator duties: Job development and outreach; 
Promote VA program through networking and ongoing contacts with 
employers; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators. 

Employment coordinator duties: Job development and outreach;
Develop partnerships with businesses and state and federal agencies; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators, DVOP specialists. 

Employment coordinator duties: Job development and outreach;
Market VA incentives to employers, such as subsidized internships and 
wage subsidies; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators. 

Employment coordinator duties: Job development and outreach;
Establish contact with specific employers to be aware of job 
opportunities and job qualifications; 
Selected providers: Employment coordinators, DVOP specialists.

Source: GAO analysis.

Note: A checkmark indicates that services were provided in at least one 
of the states we visited. Employment coordinator activities were 
typically limited to those veterans in their local areas. The 
employment coordinators we interviewed in California were responsible 
only for the San Diego region, and the employment coordinator for Sioux 
Falls, South Dakota was stationed in Fargo, North Dakota.

[End of table]

Job Resource Labs Provided Additional Opportunities to Assist Veterans, 
but They Appeared to Play a Minor Role and Duplicated Resources 
Available Elsewhere:

Job resource labs provided equipment and materials that VA staff used 
to assist veterans with employment-related activities, but the labs 
were not typically staffed throughout the day. All of the labs in the 
five states we visited were equipped with computers that had Internet 
access, desks, printers, and employment resource libraries. The number 
of computers available for veterans' use in the labs ranged from one to 
four. All of the labs also had at least three additional resources such 
as copiers, fax machines, informational pamphlets, job postings, and 
televisions and DVD players located directly in the lab or available 
for use elsewhere in the office. According to the veterans and VA staff 
in the five states we visited, the job resource labs were used 
primarily to conduct Five-Track program orientation and to allow for 
veterans to engage individually in career exploration activities. In 
three of the states we visited, the labs were also used as a meeting 
space, for example, to host workshops and veteran employment networking 
groups. The labs sometimes also served as an office for the part-time 
colocated DVOP specialist or as an extra space to conduct activities 
such as mock interviews. We were told VA staff were available to assist 
veterans as needed, but only one of the labs we visited was staffed 
throughout the day. Although some veterans were able to use the labs 
with minimal guidance, others told us they needed the assistance 
provided by VA staff when they were first introduced to the labs. 
Figure 4 shows photographs of a sample of the job resource labs we 
visited.

Figure 4: Photographs of VA Job Resource Labs: Anaheim, California; 
Montgomeryy, Alabama; Huntsville, Alabama; Chicago, Illinois.

[See PDF for image]

[End of figure]

Veterans in the five states we visited did not typically use the labs 
for any activities other than those that were part of the program 
orientation. VA staff in the five states we visited told us the labs 
were not used by many veterans. Four of the labs we visited tracked 
usage informally, and a month of data from these labs showed as many as 
34 veterans using one lab and as few as 3 using another. Additionally, 
none of the veterans we spoke with used the labs regularly or more than 
a few times during the program. For example, 1 veteran said he only 
used the lab to occasionally look at his grades online and another 
veteran used printed resources in the lab once to prepare for an 
interview. Some of the low levels of usage may be explained by factors 
associated with the lab. In two of the states we visited, the labs had 
only been operational for 2 months or less. In three other sites, VA 
staff lamented that the labs were housed in buildings that were not 
conveniently located or required security searches to enter. While VA 
officials told us they plan to assess the usage and effectiveness of 
the job resource labs nationally, they have not done so yet because 
they are waiting for all labs to have permanent computers.

Veterans and VA officials told us that program participants have access 
to equipment and materials similar to those in the job resource labs at 
other locations. In the five states we visited, job resource labs 
provided veterans with some additional VA services, for example, one- 
on-one computer assistance from VA staff and the opportunity to network 
with other VA participants. However, according to veterans and VA 
counselors with whom we spoke, veterans typically had computer and 
Internet access available at home, school, the public library, or the 
local one-stop career center. Similarly, one veteran told us he used 
printed materials found in the job resource labs, such as résumé and 
interviewing technique books, at his local one-stop career center. 
While some veterans and veteran service organization representatives we 
spoke with found that having access to resources at multiple locations 
allows veterans more flexibility, some also told us the labs were 
duplicative of most of the basic resources available at local one- 
stops, such as computers, printers, faxes, printed materials, job 
postings, and brochures.

Conclusions:

VA staff and their counterparts in Labor are charged with the 
responsibility of helping veterans achieve the best possible employment 
outcomes--each in their own capacity but also in cooperation with each 
other. Given their similar missions and clientele, and to ensure the 
seamless delivery of services and efficient use of resources, it is 
critical that these agencies work together effectively. The October 
2005 agreement between Labor and VA stated that both parties commit 
themselves to active cooperation and coordination in meeting the goals 
of the agreement. However, without additional efforts--developing a 
comprehensive plan that outlines long-range time frames and benchmarks 
for its implementation, thoroughly reviewing implementation at the 
state level, providing guidance to states, and outlining plans for 
taking action if states do not implement the agreement--it is difficult 
to determine the extent to which the agreement has been implemented or 
what, if any, progress has been made toward its goals. In addition, VA 
officials were not fully aware of how the employment coordinator 
position was serving veterans outside of the employment coordinator's 
local area. As a result, VA may not be providing all veterans in a 
regional office's jurisdiction with equal access to the full array of 
services from an employment coordinator. Furthermore, Labor and VA have 
not collected systematic information on employment coordinators and job 
resource labs to help eliminate all duplication in the delivery of 
needed employment services and provide a seamless employment 
transition. Without this information, there may be unnecessary 
duplication of services, which is not in keeping with the agreement. 
Finally, VA has not examined the usage or effectiveness of the job 
resource labs nationwide, and as a result, VA may end up spending money 
to sustain a resource that few veterans are using.

Recommendations for Executive Action:

To ensure the complete and timely implementation of the agreement, we 
recommend that the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs direct VETS and VRE to take the following actions:

* develop a written plan for the full implementation of the agreement 
that includes long-term time frames, benchmarks by which to track 
implementation at the state level, and plans for taking action in 
instances when states are not fully implementing the agreement;

* provide additional direction to the states on implementing the 
agreement, including examples of promising practices from states, such 
as strategies for sharing information;

* provide technical assistance to states that are facing difficulties 
implementing the agreement; and:

* collect and assess complete information on the progress of the states 
in implementing the agreement using well-designed and appropriate 
methodology, such as a systematic review of state-level memorandums of 
agreements or a comprehensive survey of all locations.

To ensure the employment coordinator role is being used in the most 
effective and efficient way possible without duplication of other 
available services, we recommend that the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, direct VRE to 
take the following actions:

* determine how best to use the employment coordinator in serving 
veterans located outside the employment coordinator's local area;

* undertake additional efforts to review how the employment coordinator 
role has been carried out at the regional level, especially vis-à-vis 
staff of other workforce agencies;

* determine how this position could best be used in light of other 
services available to VA program participants; and:

* modify the national employment coordinator position description 
accordingly.

To ensure that resources spent on job resource labs are used 
efficiently and effectively, we recommend that the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs direct VRE to undertake additional efforts to:

* review the number of veterans using the job resource labs and ways in 
which veterans are using them;

* assess and offer regional offices direction on how the labs could be 
better used; and:

* determine whether there are additional opportunities to coordinate 
with other agencies and organizations, such as local one-stop career 
centers.

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:

We provided a draft of this report to Labor and VA for their review and 
comments. In their comments, the agencies agreed with our 
recommendations. The agencies said they would work together to develop 
a plan to fully implement the agreement that focuses on time frames and 
benchmarks and would implement a systematic review of state-level 
agreements. Both agencies also said they will continue to develop joint 
training for improving the coordination and delivery of employment 
services for veterans with disabilities. In an effort to provide 
technical assistance to states that are facing difficulties 
implementing the agreement, Labor said it would review possible ways of 
providing VA confirmation that a client is employed without actually 
providing personal wage data. In addition, VA said it will continue to 
evaluate the effectiveness of the employment coordinator position and 
develop methodology to assess how the job resource labs are used. The 
Department of Labor's comments are in appendix II and VA's comments are 
in appendix III.

We will send copies of this report to the Secretary of Labor, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, other relevant congressional committees, 
and other interested parties and will make copies available to others 
upon request. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on 
GAO's Web site at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov].

A list of related GAO products is included at the end of this report. 
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please 
contact me at (202) 512-7215. Contact points for our Offices of 
Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last 
page of this report. Staff acknowledgments are listed in appendix IV.

Signed by:

Cynthia M. Fagnoni, Managing Director:
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues:

[End of section]

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology:

Our overall research objectives were to describe the status of the 
implementation of the October 2005 memorandum of agreement between the 
Department of Labor (Labor) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
aimed at coordinating efforts to advance the employment opportunities 
for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and to describe the 
status of the implementation of VA's Five-Track employment program, 
with a particular emphasis on the role of employment coordinators and 
job resource labs. To address these objectives, we conducted interviews 
with national Labor and VA officials and national representatives of 
veterans' service organizations. We also visited five states, where we 
met with Labor, VA, and the state workforce agency officials and staff, 
and toured job resource labs and one-stop career centers. During our 
site visits, we spoke with veterans who were past or current 
participants in VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment services 
(VRE) and local representatives of veterans' service organizations. In 
addition, VA provided us with information on the number of job resource 
labs that were completed, the number still in process, and the reasons 
for the delays. Finally, we reviewed prior GAO reports and other 
relevant documentation. We conducted our work from November 2006 to 
September 2007 in accordance with generally accepted government 
auditing standards.

Interviews with National Labor and VA Officials:

We interviewed national Labor and VA officials to determine the status 
of implementation of the agreement, in particular, time frames for 
completion and any challenges to implementation. With VA officials, we 
also discussed the status of the implementation of the Five-Track 
program, including any implementation challenges that remain, and the 
roles of employment coordinators and job resource labs in the 
employment and training of disabled veterans.

Site Visits:

We conducted site visits in five states--Michigan, Alabama, Illinois, 
South Dakota, and California. California is divided into three VA 
regions; we visited only the San Diego region. We selected a mix of 
states based on the following criteria: (1) dispersion across the four 
VRE geographic areas (Eastern, Southern, Central, and Western), (2) 
both pilot and nonpilot sites for the Five-Track program, and (3) 
states with large and small veteran populations. Table 4 lists our 
selected site visit locations and summarizes these selection criteria 
for each state. In making our selections, we also factored in the 
states' reputation for coordination between Labor and VA at the state 
and local levels, which we determined based on input from national 
Labor and VA officials and other sources.

Table 4: Site Visit Locations and Key Selection Criteria:

State: Michigan; 
Locations visited: Detroit; 
VRE geographic area: Eastern; 
Was a Five-Track pilot site: yes; 
Has large veteran population (500,000 or more veterans in state): yes.

State: Alabama; Locations visited: Montgomery Huntsville; 
VRE geographic area: Southern; 
Was a Five-Track pilot site: yes; 
Has large veteran population (500,000 or more veterans in state): no.

State: Illinois; Locations visited: Chicago; 
VRE geographic area: Central; 
Was a Five-Track pilot site: no; 
Has large veteran population (500,000 or more veterans in state): yes.

State: South Dakota; Locations visited: Sioux Falls; 
VRE geographic area: Central; 
Was a Five-Track pilot site: no; 
Has large veteran population (500,000 or more veterans in state): no.

State: California (San Diego region); Locations visited: San Diego El 
Cajon Anaheim; 
VRE geographic area: Western; 
Was a Five-Track pilot site: no; 
Has large veteran population (500,000 or more veterans in state): yes.

Source: GAO.

Note: Veteran population of states is based on 2000 Census data.

[End of table]

In each state, we met with VA regional office staff and officials from 
Labor and the state workforce agency. At VA regional offices, we spoke 
with VA counselors, employment coordinators, and regional office 
management. We also toured the job resource labs. In each state, we 
also spoke with either the state VETS program director or assistant 
director assigned to the region. In addition, we met with staff and 
officials from the state workforce agency, including Disabled Veterans' 
Outreach Program specialists. We visited one-stop career centers in 
four states and met with local office managers in three of these. In 
some cases, we followed up on our interviews by phone, e-mail, or in 
person to collect additional information.

In two of the states, we visited locations that have satellite offices 
of the VA regional office. In California, we visited Anaheim, which is 
a satellite location of the San Diego VA regional office. There, we met 
with the VA vocational rehabilitation counselor and state workforce 
agency local office management and staff. We also observed the job 
resource lab. We chose Anaheim based on its proximity to San Diego, 
which was one of our site visit locations. In Alabama, we interviewed 
VA and state workforce agency staff in Huntsville, a satellite location 
of the Montgomery VA regional office, and also visited the job resource 
lab. We selected Huntsville based on the recommendation of a Montgomery 
VA official and its proximity to a GAO field office.

Interviews with Veterans and Veterans' Service Organizations:

To gain additional perspectives on the implementation of the agreement 
and the Five-Track program, on each of our site visits, we met with 
veterans who were currently participating in the Five-Track program or 
who had recently completed training through VA's Vocational 
Rehabilitation and Employment program. We also spoke with local 
representatives of veterans' service organizations. In addition, we 
conducted phone interviews with representatives of a number of 
veterans' service organizations who are based in the Washington, D.C. 
area.

Status of Job Resource Lab Implementation:

VA provided us with a list of the job resource labs and the status of 
their implementation. From this list, we calculated the total number of 
labs, the number of labs that were completed, and those that were still 
in process. We also categorized and sorted the reasons for delays in 
implementing the labs that were not yet complete. We assessed the 
reliability of the VA data and determined it was suitable for the 
purposes of this report. The information provided by VA was current as 
of May 2007.

[End of section]

Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Labor:

U.S. Department of Labor:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and 
Planning: 
Washington, D.C. 20210:

August 6, 2007:

Sigurd R. Nilsen, Director:
Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues: 
U.S. Government Accountability Office:
Washington, D.C. 20548:

Dear Mr. Nilsen:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the draft report titled 
"Disabled Veterans' Employment: Additional Planning, Monitoring and 
Data Collection Efforts Would Improve Assistance" (GAO-07-1020). The 
Department of Labor (DOL) generally concurs with the findings of this 
report. DOL is pleased that the report indicates that the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA) and DOL have made progress in improving 
coordination between the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment 
(VR&E) Program, carried out by the VA, and the Jobs for Veterans Grants 
to State Workforce Agencies, administered by the Veterans' Employment 
and Training Service (VETS).

Our comments are structured within the framework of the Recommendations 
for Executive Action included in the report. DOL is responding to the 
recommendations directed jointly to the Secretary of Labor and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as well as those recommendations 
directed to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in consultation with the 
Secretary of Labor. DOL is not responding to recommendations directed 
solely to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

1. GAO recommendation: Develop a written plan for the full 
implementation of the agreement that includes long-term time frames, 
benchmarks by which to track implementation at the state level, and 
plans for taking action in instances when states are not fully 
implementing the agreement.

VETS concurs with this recommendation. VETS staff will continue to work 
with the VR&E staff at the National level--with active involvement from 
our joint workgroups in the field--to develop an interagency plan to 
fully implement the action items contained in the 2005 Memorandum of 
Agreement (MOA). VETS and VR&E will focus on timeframes and benchmarks 
to track implementation of state level memorandums of agreement, and 
jointly develop technical training to ensure the delivery of 
coordinated quality employment services to veterans with disabilities. 
Our joint goal is to implement the online and computer-based training 
modules for VETS, VR&E, and state staff in FY2008.

2. Provide additional direction to the states on implementing the 
agreement, including examples of promising practices from states, such 
as strategies for sharing information.

VETS concurs with this recommendation. VETS, in cooperation and 
coordination with VR&E, will review the existing local MOAs and survey 
results to determine best practices as well as provide guidance to the 
states on how to best share infonnation to the extent practical and 
within existing provision of law. One area to be reviewed is the 
sharing of Unemployment insurance wage records. Since it is imperative 
that VR&E know of successful employment outcomes, VETS will coordinate 
with VR&E to review possible alternatives to the actual release of wage 
record data that may be prohibited from sharing by various state 
privacy laws. One 
possible example is the possibility of providing VR&E confirmation that 
a VR&E client is employed without actually providing personal wage 
record data. Additionally, in order for Disabled Veteran Outreach 
Program (DVOP) specialists to be able to assist veterans in obtaining 
suitable employment, it is imperative that VR&E provide as much 
information as possible regarding disability(ies), work restrictions, 
functional limitations and other pertinent information that will assist 
the DVOP in assuring, to the extent possible, suitable employment 
opportunities are pursued.

3. Provide technical assistance to states that are facing difficulties 
implementing the agreement.

VETS concurs with this recommendation. See response to 2 above.

4. Collect and assess complete information on the progress of the 
states in implementing the agreement using well-designed and 
appropriate methodology, such as a systematic review of state level 
memorandums of agreements or a comprehensive survey of all locations.

VETS concurs with this recommendation. VETS will work with VR&E to 
undertake a review of the surveys recently completed to determine best 
practices and provide technical assistance to those states where 
implementation of local MOAs has been problematic. We will ask our 
state directors to review and assure local MOAs are consistent with the 
National MOA to the extent feasible. This will be done on an annual 
basis or as needed predicated on staff or circumstance changes. Revised 
or amended MOAs will be required to be sent to the National Office of 
VETS.

5. Determine how best to use the employment coordinator in serving 
veterans located outside the employment coordinator's local area.

While this is a VR&E function, VETS will work with VR&E to identify the 
appropriate personnel, i.e. DVOP within the state or contiguous states 
as appropriate to assist with employment services.

We appreciate the opportunity to comment on this report.

Signed by:

Charles S. Ciccolella

[End of section]

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Veterans Affairs:

THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS:
WASHINGTON:

August 3, 2007:

Mr. Sigurd R. Nilsen:
Director:
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues :
U. S. Government Accountability Office:
441 G Street, NW:
Washington, DC 20548:

Dear Mr. Nilsen:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reviewed the Government 
Accountability Office's draft report, Disabled Veterans' Employment: 
Additional Planning, Monitoring, and Data Collection Efforts Would 
Improve Assistance (GAO-07-1020). We agree with your findings and 
concur with your recommendations.

The report provides specific recommendations in areas where VA is 
continuing to develop new strategies and effectiveness measures that 
will assist us in improving employment services to veterans with 
disabilities. The key provisions of the Memorandum of Agreement between 
the Departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs require ongoing 
coordination between the two agencies, and VA is actively pursuing them.

The enclosure provides detailed responses to your recommendations. VA 
appreciates the opportunity to comment on your draft report.

Sincerely yours,

Signed by:

R. James Nicholson

Enclosure

[End of section]

Enclosure:

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): 
Comments to Government Accountability Office (GAO) Draft Report,
Disabled Veterans' Employment: Additional Planning, Monitoring,
and Data Collection Efforts Would Improve Assistance;
(GAO-07-1020):

To ensure the complete and timely implementation of the agreement,
GAO recommends that the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs direct VETS and VRE to take the following actions:
* develop a written plan for the implementation of the agreement 
that includes long-term time frames, benchmarks by which to track 
implementation at the state level, and plans for taking action in 
instances when states are not fully implementing the agreement;
* provide additional direction to the states on implementing the 
agreement, including examples of promising practices from states, such 
as strategies for sharing information;
* provide technical assistance to states that are facing difficulties 
implementing the agreement; and
* collect and assess complete information on the progress of the states 
in implementing the agreement using well-designed and appropriate 
methodology, such as a systematic review of state level memorandums of 
agreements or a comprehensive survey of all locations.

Concur - The Department of Veterans Affairs will meet with the 
Department of Labor to review the existing Memorandum of Agreement 
(MOA), Pilot Project Plan, and recently completed field station survey 
of local agreements. VA will work with Labor on developing a national 
plan to implement fully the agreement, with specific attention to 
timeframes, benchmarks, technical training, and implementing a 
systematic review of State level MOAs. VA will continue to coordinate 
with Labor on the MOA Pilot Project, with anticipated completion in 
the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Concurrent with the Pilot Project, 
Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) and VA's 
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service (VR&E) will continue 
to develop joint online and computer-based training modules in fiscal 
2008 for improving the coordination and delivery of quality employment 
services for veterans with disabilities.

To ensure the employment coordinator role is being used in the most 
effective and efficient way possible without duplication of other 
available services, GAO recommends that the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, direct VRE to 
take the following actions:
* determine how best to use the employment coordinator in serving 
veterans located outside the employment coordinator's local area;
* undertake additional efforts to review how the employment coordinator 
role has been carried out at the regional level, especially vis-à-vis 
staff of other workforce agencies;
* determine how this position could best be used in light of other 
services available to VA program participants; and
* modify the national employment coordinator position description 
accordingly.

Concur - The employment coordinator is a new position developed to 
support the Five-Tracks to Employment Process service delivery system 
to all field stations. In addition to new hires, previous employment 
specialists on staff were converted to their new roles in February 
2006. Since the employment coordinator is a relatively new position, VA 
will continue to evaluate its effectiveness.

To ensure that resources spent on job resource labs are used 
efficiently and effectively, GAO recommends that the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs direct VRE to undertake additional efforts to:
* review the number of veterans using the job resource labs and ways in 
which veterans are using them;
* assess and offer regional offices direction on how the labs could be 
better used;
* determine whether there are additional opportunities to coordinate 
with other agencies and organizations such as local one-stop career 
centers.

Concur - As noted in the report, VR&E planned to issue a new 
implementation manual for the Job Resource Labs, but it was delayed 
pending the full delivery of computer desktops and the full 
customization of the new employment Web site, [hyperlink, 
http://www.vetsuccess.gov]. Based on the final delivery of the computer 
workstations, VR&E will issue a comprehensive Job Resource Lab manual 
in fiscal 2008. VR&E previously released to all field stations training 
materials and training videos (e.g., Introduction to the Job Resource 
Lab, and separately, Introduction to the Portable Job Resource Lab). 
VR&E is preparing for release in September 2007 an updated 
"Introduction to the Job Resource Lab," training video. VR&E 
will also develop a new data collection and effectiveness methodology 
for all Job Resource Lab locations in fiscal 2008 to assess how the 
labs are used and to avoid duplication of resources or joint agency 
efforts.

[End of section]

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:

GAO Contact:

Cynthia M. Fagnoni, (202) 512-7215 or fagnonic@gao.gov:

Staff Acknowledgments:

Sigurd R. Nilsen, Director:

Heather Hahn and Kathryn Larin, Assistant Directors:

Anne Welch, Analyst-in-Charge:

Caitlin Croake and Amber Yancey-Carroll also made significant 
contributions to this report in all facets of the work. In addition, 
Walter Vance assisted in the review of external data and in developing 
site visit selection criteria; Elizabeth Curda and Gregory Whitney lent 
subject matter expertise; Doreen Feldman and Jessica Botsford provided 
legal support; Letisha Jenkins and John Ortiz assisted with data 
collection; and Charles Willson provided writing assistance.

[End of section]

Related GAO Products:

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Labor Could Improve 
Information on Reemployment Services, Outcomes, and Program Impact. GAO-
07-594. Washington, D.C.: May 24, 2007.

Trade Adjustment Assistance: Labor Should Take Action to Ensure 
Performance Data Are Complete, Accurate, and Accessible. GAO-06-496. 
Washington, D.C.: April 25, 2006.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Greater Accountability and 
Other Labor Actions Needed to Better Serve Veterans. GAO-06-357T. 
Washington, D.C.: February 2, 2006.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Labor Actions Needed to 
Improve Accountability and Help States Implement Reforms to Veterans' 
Employment Services. GAO-06-176. Washington, D.C.: December 30, 2005.

Workforce Investment Act: Labor and States Have Taken Actions to 
Improve Data Quality, but Additional Steps Are Needed. GAO-06-82. 
Washington, D.C.: November 14, 2005.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Preliminary Observations on 
Changes to Veterans' Employment Programs. GAO-05-662T. Washington, 
D.C.: May 12, 2005.

Workforce Investment Act: States and Local Areas Have Developed 
Strategies to Assess Performance, but Labor Could Do More to Help. GAO- 
04-657. Washington, D.C.: June 1, 2004.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Flexibility and 
Accountability Needed to Improve Service to Veterans. GAO-01-928. 
Washington, D.C.: September 12, 2001.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Proposed Performance 
Measurement System Improved, but Further Changes Needed. GAO-01-580. 
Washington, D.C.: May 15, 2001.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Strategic and Performance 
Plans Lack Vision and Clarity. GAO/T-HEHS-99-177. Washington, D.C.: 
July 29, 1999.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service: Assessment of the Fiscal 
Year 1999 Performance Plan. GAO/HEHS-98-240R. Washington, D.C.: 
September 30, 1998.

Veterans' Employment and Training: Services Provided by Labor 
Department Programs. GAO/HEHS-98-7. Washington, D.C.: October 17, 1997.

Vocational Rehabilitation: Better VA Management Needed to Help Disabled 
Veterans Find Jobs. GAO/HRD-92-100. Washington, D.C.: September 4, 1992.

FOOTNOTES

[1] VA refers to its main VRE offices in the states as regional 
offices. For the purposes of this report, we discuss actions taken by 
VRE officials located in regional offices as taking place on the state 
level, unless otherwise noted.

[2] The four pilot sites were Detroit, Michigan; Montgomery, Alabama; 
Seattle, Washington; and St. Louis, Missouri.

[3] GAO, Veterans' Employment and Training Service. Labor Could Improve 
Information on Reemployment Services, Outcomes, and Program Impact, GAO-
07-594 (Washington, D.C.: May 24, 2007).

[4] VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Task Force, Report to 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: The Vocational Rehabilitation and 
Employment Program for the 21st Century Veteran (Washington, D.C.: 
2004).

[5] According to a 2006 VA report, the agency is developing targets for 
outcome measures on the percentage of program participants who are 
employed one quarter and three quarters after program exit.

[6] According to information provided by VA, all but one of the 
agency's regional offices have established formalized memorandums of 
agreement with VETS partners within their states, but only 40 of these 
agreements have been updated since Labor and VA signed the national 
memorandum of agreement in October 2005.

[7] Each state maintains UI wage records to support the process of 
providing unemployment compensation to unemployed workers. The records 
are compiled from records submitted to the state each quarter by 
employers and primarily include information on the total amount of 
income earned during that quarter by each of their employees.

[8] As of April 2007, 48 VA regional offices were staffed with at least 
one employment coordinator. The nine regional offices without 
employment coordinators were Wilmington, Delaware; Boise, Idaho; 
Wichita, Kansas; Togus, Maine; Jackson, Mississippi; Reno, Nevada; 
Manchester, New Hampshire; Manila; and White River Junction, Vermont. 
These offices had other staff providing employment services in addition 
to their assigned duties.

[9] Information provided by VA included one lab that was located in a 
state workforce agency one-stop center. VA data characterized the lab 
completion status as not applicable; therefore we did not include the 
lab as part of our analysis.

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