The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) focuses on programs associated with adult education and literacy, career and technical education, and community colleges. Within OCTAE, the Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL) directs its efforts towards managing initiatives designed to provide adults with the skills and support necessary to become productive workers, family members and citizens. DAEL administers the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Title II funding for adult education to states which in turn fund local service providers to carry out various initiatives and programs. OCTAE sought a partner to design and implement an overarching strategic plan to conduct research, evaluate the program’s effectiveness, and identify the impacts of adult education and literacy activities.
OCTAE chose Safal Partners because the team has extensive experience working with federally funded education and workforce development programs as well as deep expertise in research and evaluation. Safal’s responsibilities include:
- Compilation and analysis of statutory requirements for research and evaluation under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
- Identification of potential opportunities for collaboration and coordination across WIOA partner programs
- Convening of subject matter experts and federal agency partners to support development of research questions and methodological approaches
- Development of a strategic plan conceptualizing an overall framework and outlining the research agenda for adult education and literacy activities