In designing the WfD ecosystem framework, RTI drew from global best practices,

empirical research, and system evaluation.

The WfD Ecosystem tool explains:

RTI’s WfD Ecosystem Framework is structured to be applicable in Least Developed

Countries (LDCs) and lower middle-income countries, with radically different resource

bases, distributions of responsibility for workforce development, and levels of

formality in institutions.

The RTI WfD Tool provides a “scan” to assess the on-the ground WfD situation in

terms of four key employment-related outcomes (Figure 1).

It assesses the effectiveness of 22 defined core processes and identifies key

areas of strengths and weaknesses (Figure 2).

The results can be presented graphically to reflect the views of the youth verses the

key actors working within the ecosystem itself.

Both a comparison graph (Figure 3) and a radar graph (Figure 4) reflect

congruency (or incongruence) of stakeholders.

Another way to present the result is shown in Figure 5, in which each process is

assigned a Red/Yellow/Green “stoplight” color to provide a quick visual reference

as to which processes need further attention.

The conceptual framework underpinning the tool and the sets of questionnaires that

produce its data are structured to be applicable in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

and lower middle-income countries, with radically different resource bases,

distributions of responsibility for workforce development, and levels of formality in

institutions.

The rapid mapping process results in a series of heat maps and graphs that indicate

who is doing what, and where there is the greatest divergence of opinion among

stakeholders about those processes, particularly performance.

The tool could be used for donor program design and planning, as well as for more

routine government system mapping by policymakers.

Graphical interpretation of results

Workforce Development (WfD) Ecosystem Assessment

Conclusion

For More Information:

Julie Lostumbo

+1 202 728 1977, ext. 2197

jlostumbo@rti.org

RTI International

701 13th Street, NW, Suite 705

Washington, DC 20005

RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.

Methods & Analytical Framework

Design of the WfD Ecosystem Tool

The WfD Ecosystem tool is designed to be used:

one-on-one,

in focus-group or large-group meetings,

at facilitated meetings and planning processes/exercises.

The bare-bones assessment is structured as a series of “affirmative” statements

about the workforce development system with which respondents can agree or

disagree using a 1-5 Likert scale.

Sample Assessment:

To better understand current skill and employment issues, RTI has developed a

Workforce Development Ecosystem Assessment tool. The tool:

Systematically assesses the extremely complex and often

fragmented landscape of policy and practice

Allows for the planning of high-impact interventions that result in

improvements

Takes an intentionally “non-institutionalist” approach to define

and assess the core processes and functions from the

perspectives of key actors

The WfD Ecosystem Assessment Tool responds to the key challenges in

assessing workforce development:

Advancing a skilled and vibrant workforce in today’s market necessitates the

engagement of a growing number of stakeholders - public and private employers,

education institutions, training institutions, NGOs involved in training or intermediation,

government entities, private service providers, as well as the learners themselves.

Success depends upon the connections of programs and actors that otherwise

operate in isolation from each other

An effective workforce development system results in the

coordination of public and private sector policies and programs that

provides the individual with the opportunity for a sustainable

livelihood while helping employers and communities achieve

economic and social goals through a better skilled workforce.

Introduction

Objectives

Challenge RTI’s WfD Tool

No widely accepted systemic assessment to analyze WfD systems

Systematic, scalable, comparable

Existing biased towards assessing institutions rather than functions

Assess function, not institutions

Need assessment that recognizes non-governmental actors

Recognizes central role of NGOs and other

Who’s Doing What? –Helps identify and verify the landscape of providers and

participants in a territory’s WfD system using the process framework.

How well are they doing it, if at all? -Assesses the perceptions of each element

of the ecosystem from the perspective of youth and the key actors working within

the ecosystem.

Is this generating the right outcomes? – Sheds critical light on the WfD

ecosystem as a whole, resulting in a “heat map” of fertile areas for intervention

requiring further research and investigation.

Employer satisfaction

Job vacanciesUnemployment

Returns to skill accumulation

Figure 3

Figure 4

# Learners

1 Acquiring+education+and+skills

2 Responding+to+Market+and+cultural+signals

3 Investing+in+own+education+and+training

# Employers-(The-Economy) # WfD-System-(Information,-Communication,-Relationships) # E&T-Institutions-(Training-System)

Processes-Internal-to-the-Firm(s) Intermediation

18 Educating+students/+youth+for+basic+&+

foundational+skills+(basic+education)

4 Effectively+managing+business/sectors+for+growth+and+

upgrading+

10 Matching+job+seekers+with+jobs 19 Training+secondary+*+PS+students+for+(real)+jobs+

and+careers+USING-APPROPRIATE-PEDAGOGY

5 Maintaining+business+functions+to+define+positions+and+

pathways+(rewards)

11 Gathering,+Analyzing,+and+Communicating+Labor+Market+

Information

20 Training+and+retraining+adults+for+new+and+

upgraded+employment

Processes-of-Interface-with-WfD-System Policy/and/Governance

21 Incorporating+HARD-AND-SOFT-+skills+

requirements+into+education+and+training+

programs

6 Articulating+and+Communicating+Skill+Requirements 12 Aligning+WfD+strategy+[and+implementation]+with+economic+

and+development+goals

22 Tracking+employment+and+earning+outcomes+(of+

graduates/exits)

7 Providing+work\based+learning+opportunities 13 Regulating+the+system:+Accreditation,+Credentialing,+and+

Performance+Measurement

8 Hiring+and+retaining+people+(Sourcing+and+recruitign+

talent)

14 Measuring+and+improving+performance+by+collecting,+

analyzing,+and+interpreting+data

9 Upgrading+incumbent+workers'+skills+(training+workers) 15 Funding+and+Financing+WfD+activities

16 Encouraging+employer\based+training+through+soft+or+hard+

incentives

17 Ensuring+equity+of+access+and+(group\specific)+advancement+

through+policy+and+practice

Significant-Challenge

WFD-ECOSYSTEM-OUTCOMES Moderate-ChallengeEmployer+satisfaction+with+workforce,+esp+entry+level

Few+unfilled+job+vacancies,+especially+bottlenecks

Area-of-High-PerformanceHigh+rates+of+employment/entrepreneurship

Low+rates+of+unemployment/non\participation

Significant+returns+to+Education+&+Training*

Figure 5

Figure 6

WfD Ecosystem Tool Assessment

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 A

cq

uirin

g e

duca

tion

an

d s

kills

2 R

espo

nd

ing to

Mark

et a

nd

cu

ltura

l sig

nals

3 In

ve

stin

g in

ow

n e

duca

tion

an

d tra

inin

g

4 E

ffectiv

ely

ma

nag

ing

busin

ess/s

ecto

rs fo

r gro

wth

an

d u

pg

rad

ing

5 M

ain

tain

ing b

usin

ess fu

nctio

ns to

defin

e p

ositio

ns a

nd p

ath

ways (re

ward

s)

6 A

rticula

ting

and

Co

mm

un

ica

ting S

kill R

eq

uire

men

ts

7 P

rovid

ing

wo

rk-b

ase

d le

arn

ing

op

po

rtunitie

s

8 H

iring a

nd

reta

inin

g p

eop

le (S

ou

rcin

g a

nd

recru

itign

tale

nt)

9 U

pgra

din

g in

cu

mbe

nt w

ork

ers

' skills

(train

ing

wo

rkers

)

10

Ma

tch

ing jo

b s

eeke

rs w

ith jo

bs

11

Ga

the

ring

, An

aly

zin

g, a

nd

Com

mu

nic

atin

g L

ab

or M

ark

et In

form

atio

n

12

Alig

nin

g W

fD s

trate

gy [a

nd

imp

lem

en

tatio

n] w

ith e

co

no

mic

an

d d

eve

lop

me

nt g

oa

ls

13

Reg

ula

ting th

e s

yste

m: A

ccre

dita

tion

, Cre

de

ntia

ling

, and

Pe

rform

ance

Me

asu

rem

en

t

14

Me

asu

ring

and

imp

rovin

g p

erfo

rma

nce

by c

olle

ctin

g, a

naly

zin

g, a

nd in

terp

retin

g d

ata

15

Fu

ndin

g a

nd F

inan

cin

g W

fD a

ctiv

ities

16

En

cou

ragin

g e

mp

loye

r-ba

se

d tra

inin

g th

rou

gh

soft o

r ha

rd in

ce

ntiv

es

17

En

surin

g e

qu

ity o

f acce

ss a

nd

(gro

up

-sp

ecific

) ad

va

nce

me

nt th

roug

h p

olic

y a

nd

pra

ctic

e

18

Ed

uca

ting

stu

de

nts

/ yo

uth

for b

asic

& fo

un

da

tion

al s

kills

(ba

sic

ed

ucatio

n)

19

Tra

inin

g s

eco

nd

ary

* PS

stu

de

nts

for (re

al) jo

bs a

nd

ca

ree

rs

20

Tra

inin

g a

nd re

train

ing

ad

ults

for n

ew

an

d u

pg

rade

d e

mp

loym

ent

21

Inco

rpo

ratin

g s

kills

req

uire

men

ts in

to e

du

ca

tion

an

d tra

inin

g p

rog

ram

s

22

Tra

ckin

g e

mplo

ym

ent a

nd

ea

rnin

g o

utc

om

es (o

f gra

du

ate

s/e

xits

)

Figure 1

Figure 2

Employment-Related Outcomes

Core Processes