Describe the program's most important achievements and lessons learned:
Achievements
Since 2005, ODEP has exceeded its Federal (GPRA) targets for the development of policy products, effective practices and formal agreements with other government agencies and private organizations. Independent evaluations have documented the extent to which ODEP’s policies and promising practices have been adapted and implemented by ODEP stakeholders. Data has also documented ODEP’s Customized Employment and Youth Transition initiatives as promising practices. ODEP has also identified employer perspectives and promising practices in the employment of people with disabilities.
Lessons
ODEP has learned that systems change encompasses the following elements: capacity building, coordination, customization, evaluation and dissemination of promising practices, and sustainability.
Describe the challenges of the program:
Evaluations have revealed that ODEP needed to improve its performance measures and measurement reporting system.
Specify if the program has any internal and external evaluations, if applicable, include key findings:
Internal Evaluations: Yes.
Brief description
See ODEP’s website for information on our internal evaluations: www.dol.gov/odep/research
External Evaluations: Yes.
Brief description
In June 2010 an independent evaluation recommended that ODEP should: • Adopt Systemic Approaches to Knowledge Transfer • Conduct Comparative Effectiveness Research to identify Disability Employment Interventions that have a Positive Impact on People with Disabilities. • Collaborate Across ODEP’s Technical Assistance Centers • Engage in Systemic Social Marketing