In taking on new initiatives that serve the public, organizations need to break down how existing systems are navigated and translate that process into useable tools, information, and resources, so workers and jobseekers can focus on finding a good job rather than on figuring out a complex and confusing system of services. Organizations must be flexible enough to address user needs or partner or funder work styles that may deviate from the organization’s own regular practices or assumptions. It is essential that initiatives align or adapt their processes to the sometimes rigid, hierarchical, collaborative, or overly fluid work styles of funders or partner agencies. Adopting new processes will be necessary to create agile, responsive, and equitable workforce tools, processes, and systems. Two areas were of particular challenge for D4AD partners: 1) using a human-centered model for tool development and 2) procurement. Other states and organizations are likely to encounter challenges in these areas as well.

For the human-centered model for tool development, D4AD partners focused on user experience to inform tool design and development. This raised two issues. First, most grant-funded processes are not set up to accommodate this model. Funders often look for proposals that identify a problem and then clearly define how potential grantees will address that problem from start to finish. D4AD partners noted that a better model would be for funders to have a two-step process in which potential grantees identified a theory of change and were provided support to test that theory, gather information from users, and then refine a proposal for how they would move forward. Not only would this approach ensure that grantees are focused on tool development that will aid workers and jobseekers, it would also ensure better use of grant funding.

Second, existing processes were often not flexible enough to adapt to changes in the model based on user feedback. Most existing processes followed a linear “waterfall model” that flowed from project requirements to design to implementation, with little adjustments to the process once it was established. However, following rules of good practice for a human-centered model, projects regularly engaged with users and stakeholders, which led to alterations in design and, in some cases, even the need to restart various aspects of design and application of tools and resources. This also created accountability challenges to ensure stakeholders and partners could make timely adjustments throughout the process, which required D4AD partners to adopt new practices for project management.

Procurement and the complex contracting procedures involved with hiring partners who could assist with data management and tool development was the second challenge. Given that each partner was working within a state system, procurement processes were well established and unlikely to change in the near term, requiring the lead agency to significantly adapt its approach and plan for potential delays.

Planning is key to addressing these challenges. Developing agile, responsive, equitable workforce development and training tools, processes, and systems requires organizations to:

• Plan for and communicate the need for human-centered project management and create processes that allow for adaptation throughout the project.

• Create accountability with clear areas of management responsibility to ensure that all players are aware of progress and required changes.

• Factor in time for new processes to be adopted and organizational learning to occur, as well as for procurement to take longer than anticipated.