Located in:
- III. Operational Planning Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in section II Strategic Elements. This includes—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 2. The State policies that will support the implementation of the State’s strategies (e.g., co-enrollment policies and universal intake processes where appropriate). In addition, provide the State’s guidelines for State-administered one-stop partner programs’ contributions to a one-stop delivery system
Current Narrative:
(2) The State policies that will support the implementation of the State’s strategies (e.g., co-enrollment policies and universal intake processes where appropriate). In addition, describe the State’s process for developing guidelines for State-administered AJC partner programs’ contributions to a AJC delivery system, including benchmarks, and its guidance to assist local boards, chief elected officials, and local AJC partners in determining equitable and stable methods of funding infrastructure in accordance with sec. 121(h)(1)(B). Beginning with the state plan modification in 2018 and for subsequent state plans and state plan modifications, the State must also include such guidelines.
WIOA Policy Work
The GWDB sets forth public policy guidance for the workforce system. This includes, but is not limited to, the promotion of sector strategies and the development and growth of industry-led partnerships for workforce training delivery. The GWDB plays the critical role of finding ways to promote Maryland’s workforce system to businesses and jobseekers alike. GWDB also provides needed insight into the needs of Maryland’s businesses and will be apprised of operational policy needs.
Maryland is committed to a collaborative approach to operational policymaking and will continue to encourage participation from State and local partners across the WIOA system. The WIOA Partners will develop WIOA policies using DWDAL’s eight step process for policy development (http://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/mpi/):
Maryland’s 8-Step Process for WIOA Policy Development
- Determine policy need
- Policy Session with Subject Matter Experts
- Policy drafting
- Review & Comment Period
- Updates to draft
- Final approvals
- Policy dissemination
- Policy modification (when applicable)
The WIOA Partners have a robust and collaborative operational policy plan in place to guide the state’s workforce system. Maryland is committed to implementing WIOA with a true systems approach, and therefore, MD Labor, DORS, DHS, and DHCD are committed to jointly issuing policies, memos, and guidance documents for the WIOA system, in line with the direction of the GWDB, and as appropriate. Jointly issuing operational policies is Maryland’s way of ensuring all staff and system partners, regardless of which agency or organization they represent, will have the same expectations, training, and understanding of how to interact with customers and each other.
By taking a collaborative, thoughtful approach, which allows for subject matter experts across the system to weigh in, the WIOA Policy Work Group, in coordination with the WIOA Alignment Group and the GWDB, successfully works to provide policy guidance on a variety of topics that are key to WIOA implementation. The USDOL has touted Maryland’s approach to policymaking as a national best practice and Maryland often provides technical assistance on the development of policies to other states via webinars and conference call.
All of Maryland’s policy guidance is provided on MD Labor’s website to ensure ease of access for staff and the general public, alike (http://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/mpi/). To help identify specific WIOA policy needs, the WIOA Policy Work Group solicits feedback from the State’s other WIOA Workgroups to ensure policy needs were documented and subject matter experts from relevant State and local organizations were appropriately identified and engaged. Additionally, MD Labor reviewed its existing policies and identified areas that could benefit from improvement and/or alignment with other WIOA programs.
The WIOA Policy Work Group, in consultation with the other WIOA Work Groups, thus identified a variety of policy needs and work is ongoing to fully develop strong policies that align with the State Plan’s vision. The Policy Work Group has strategically solicited the expertise of a wide-range of subject matter experts, ranging from directors to front-line staff, which represent many different organizations and will continue to work systematically to issue policy guidance as necessary for effective and efficient system operations.
These collaborative, comprehensive policy efforts build on and leverage state policies that promote a systems approach to implementing WIOA. Maryland has intentionally developed policies that align with the State’s strategies under WIOA. For example, in order to have a comprehensive system that serves customer needs, Maryland has issued policies related to co-enrollment. This is evident in recent issuances about the State’s career pathways project that encourages co-enrollment between Title I and Title II and a 2019 TAA policy issuance and outlines co-enrollment in TAA and WIOA Title I, as well as how TAA and UI coordinate. These issuances are available at the link above. One-Stop partner contributions are outlined in various policy issuances and representatives from partner organizations participate in MD Labor’s policy development process. For example, the State has recently issued policies on topics related to privacy of shared customer data, coordinated performance goals, and NRS-approved assessments for the WIOA system.
In terms of outlining One-Stop partner contributions, MD Labor has an MOU/RSA policy, and with the assistance of USDOL, developed a fiscal tool that was distributed to all partners in January 2020. DWDAL’s Fiscal Administration Sub-Recipient Financial Handbook outlines the guidelines for partners in terms of sub-awards, monitoring, and system standards.