Appraising Selected Manpower Training Programs in the Los Angeles Area

A summary of the principal theoretical and empirical findings of RAND studies for the Office of Economic Opportunity on manpower programs in the Los Angeles area with suggestions and recommendations for the design of future manpower programs. The emphasis is on the problems of devising a methodology for evaluating manpower programs. Future evaluation efforts should seek findings related to program decisions and should develop new methodologies, data systems, and criteria for future evaluation of alternatives. One of the five data systems examined, the "Extension Zero" system, appears to have potential for supporting local decisionmaking and, if widely used, national evaluative analysis. Some of the recommendations are to conduct a longitudinal study, to seek low-cost sources of follow-up data for evaluation, to consider computer-based information systems, to focus job development on promising firms, to develop standards for cost-benefit studies, and to examine youth program goals. In addition, the study suggests two demonstration projects: a computer-based, reactive data system similar to "Extension Zero" and an experimental manpower project using the experience gained to date. (See also RM-5739, RM-5740, RM-5741, RM-5745.)