National Transitional Jobs Network ASSESSMENT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS Date: ____________ Name: ________________________________ Agency: __________________________________________ Address:

____________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________________ Email: _______________________________ Website: ____________________________ Regardless of the stage of your TJ program, this assessment will assist in identifying the strengths of your program, pinpointing opportunities for growth, and planning for the future. It will also assist the National Transitional Jobs Network (NTJN) in developing technical assistance services to fit your programs needs.
Directions: Please answer each question by placing an X in the Yes or No Box. Then rate your progress on a scale of 1-5 by circling the number that reflects your efforts to date. Rating scale: 1= have not initiated implementation. 2= in progress but need assistance with implementation. 3= completed, but do not feel proficient, recognize the need to explore other approaches in the future. 4= completed, feel somewhat proficient, but open to explore alternative approaches in the future. 5= completed, feel completely proficient.

CAPACITY AREA #1 Partner Recruitment

Have you identified your TJ service population? If so, who is it? People with criminal records People who are homeless People transitioning from welfare to work Refugees & Asylees Youth (16-24 year olds) Please explain service populations:

YES

NO

RATING 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Have you made the case for a TJ Program? e.g., researched trends, compiled statistics, produced community or outreach materials Have you approached state or municipal leaders for support? Have you identified your community partners? If so, who are they? Banking/Lending Institution Business

1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5

Case management Specialist Childcare Provider Job placement Specialist Local school, community college or GED Provider Municipal Transit Authority Probation & Parole Treatment Provider Please explain other community partners:

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Have you scheduled an initial meeting with identified community partners? Do you hold regular meetings or maintain other communication channels with your local government and community partners? Have you achieved consensus among your community partners around the mission and scope of your TJ Program? Have you received Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) from each community partner?

1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5

CAPACITY AREA #2 Program Development & Management

Have you developed a program plan? Has your TJ Program adopted measurable objectives? e.g., increase work experiences, acquire work related skills, establish work records, generate or employer references Does your TJ Program include the following design elements: Client outreach strategies Plans for client orientation Tools to assess clients Curriculum to build job readiness & life skills Client incentives to move from TJ to unsubsidized work Provision of case management Client career planning Transitional job placements & employees Unsubsidized job placements Retention strategies Linkages to additional training or education Additional client support services e.g., transportation, work clothes, or emergency food

YES

NO

RATING 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

NTJN TA Needs Assessment

Does your TJ Program plan include projected performance measures? Does your TJ Program plan include projected outcome measures? Have you designated staff (either internally or hired externally) to recruit clients & manage the program? Have you designated staff (internally or externally) or through another agency to provide case management & other client support services? Please explain what supportive services will be provided:

1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5

Have you identified Transitional Jobs and unsubsidized job employees? Have you developed a budget for your TJ Program? Have you updated your agencys accounting system to incorporate your TJ Program? Have you identified a fiscal manager for your TJ Program? Have you developed an evaluation tool to track your performance and outcome measures? Are you tracking your performance and outcome measures? What outcome measures are you tracking? # of participants initially recruited # of participants placed in a TJ # of participants that obtain unsubsidized work Length of time in unsubsidized jobs Decrease in TANF amount received Increase in earnings Please explain other outcome measures:

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

NTJN TA Needs Assessment

CAPACITY AREA #3 Funding

Have you approached the following entities for funding: Private Foundations State Agencies Local/Municipal Government Have you projected the number of funding proposals you would like to submit each calendar year? Have you explored the following ways to solicit funding: Individual donor mailing Special event In-kind solicitation for client incentives & other supplies Have you approached community partners and explored ways to leverage existing resources e.g., include: sharing staff, becoming a line item in another agencys budget, incorporating TJ activities in another organization, or using interns. Have you developed a logic model of your TJ Program for funding proposals? Do you have stable funding streams?

YES

NO

RATING 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

CAPACITY AREA #4 Sustainability

Have you developed a plan for program development over a 3-5 year period? Have you developed a 3-5 year funding plan? Have you developed a plan to respond to TJ staff changes or turnover? Has your client recruitment and retention strategies been adapted to account for any changes in the demographics or needs of your service population? Have you identified TJ graduates and trained them on being champions for your program?

YES

NO

RATING 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5

If you are still in the conceptualization or implementation stage, what key opportunities can be used to build your TJ Program?

NTJN TA Needs Assessment

If you have completed the implementation stage, how will you expand and better coordinate existing TJ programs?

For TJ Programs at all stages, what funding opportunities are in place or are currently being explored?

Please designate the top three areas where NTJN can offer technical assistance to strengthen your TJ Program: 1.

2.

NTJN TA Needs Assessment

3.

National Transitional Jobs Network Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights 4411 North Ravenswood Chicago, IL 60640 T: 773.336.6086 E: ntjn@heartlandalliance.org F: 773.506.6649

NTJN TA Needs Assessment