Driving Federal, State, and Local Workforce Funds Toward Evidence-Based Strategies
Results for America partners with federal, state, and local leaders to ensure public workforce funding delivers measurable results for job seekers and employers. We help the public workforce system use data and evidence to prioritize high-impact workforce strategies, strengthen program accountability, and shift resources toward workforce approaches with demonstrated effectiveness. Our goal is to make proven approaches easier to implement, easier to fund, and easier to scale—so more dollars flow to workforce development solutions with evidence behind them.
We partner with state and local governments to implement what works in workforce development, at no cost
Access to quality employment is vital for healthy economies, families, and communities. The public workforce system plays a central role in connecting people to jobs that provide stability, fair wages, and opportunity and helping employers address their talent needs.
Since 2019, we’ve partnered with 85+ jurisdictions and hundreds of state and local workforce leaders in nearly 30 states to strengthen how workforce dollars are spent—and to scale programs that improve employment outcomes for workers.
Support implementing evidence-based workforce solutions at the state and local level
We help state and local workforce development boards, state workforce agencies, and workforce system partners adopt and scale evidence-based workforce programs and practices through structured, time-bound engagements through RFA’s Solutions Sprints model that moves workforce leaders from interest to implementation of evidence-based workforce strategies.
Solutions Sprints are 6- to 12-week virtual learning opportunities that provide cohorts of government leaders and community partners with time efficient, intensive and content-specific workshops to learn from subject matter experts and peers to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based solutions that advance economic mobility. RFA’s Workforce Development Team is also available to support and provide individual assistance to state and local workforce partners to implement evidence-based workforce programs.
Shifting state and local dollars to evidence-based workforce programs
RFA’s Shifting Dollars Technical Assistance helps governments drive public funds to solutions that deliver real, measurable improvements in people’s lives.
We help workforce agencies and partners align funding decisions with evidence—influencing how resources are allocated, prioritized, and sustained so that more funding supports programs that improve outcomes. The goal is to shift public workforce development dollars toward what works—and make those shifts durable through policy, procurement, and performance management.
RFA’s Workforce Evidence-Based Spending Guide is designed to help state and local government workforce development professionals build and use evidence to achieve better, more equitable outcomes through their grantmaking, purchasing and procurement. The Guide details six strategies workforce professionals can use to improve their contracting, purchasing and grantmaking, move beyond compliance as the primary measure of procurement success, and support their funded partners in achieving quality outcomes while implementing better systems to foster opportunities for all.
RFA’s Workforce Development Team can support your state or local workforce agency in embedding evidence in your grantmaking and procurement processes.
Federal Policy Recommendations
Results for America has developed a slate of resources that highlight key policy proposals to advance evidence and data in federal workforce policy. This site will be regularly updated to include fresh insights and analysis of evidence use in the workforce system.
Policy Briefs & Blogs
- Recommendations for WIOA Reauthorization
- Setting the Right Standard: The Need for a Stronger Definition of “Evidence-Based” in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. [PDF]
- Promoting Innovation in Workforce Development. [PDF]
- Read the Moneyball for Workforce Development Report
- Blog: The Next WIOA Reauthorization Should Prioritize Long-Term Outcomes
- Additional RFA Workforce Development Issue Briefs
- RFA Support Letter on A Stronger Workforce for America Act
Work with us
Interested in adopting an evidence-based program, strengthening how your agency funds what works, or exploring a Solutions Sprint? Contact us at [email protected].