Welfare To Work

GAO could not assess the effectiveness of Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) programs run by Indian Tribes and Alaska Native groups or determine outcomes resulting from these programs because evaluation criteria, including well-defined program objectives, were lacking and insufficient, and reliable program data were unavailable. The economic environment in which many Indian tribes and Alaska Native organizations must operate may hinder the success of their Tribal JOBS programs. These programs are assisting participants prepare for and obtain employment at a time when few jobs are available, and unemployment on many reservations is high. In addition to poor economic conditions, tribal organizations mentioned several implementation problems, including a lack of transportation and child care for program participants.

GAO found that: (1) it was unable to assess the effectiveness of Tribal JOBS programs or determine the outcomes resulting from those programs, since the programs lacked established evaluation criteria and sufficient and reliable program data was unavailable; (2) in January 1992, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began requiring tribal programs to report quarterly on selected program information, including participants' educational achievements and job entries; (3) the economic environment in which many Indian tribes and Alaska Native organizations must operate may limit the success of tribal JOBS Programs; (4) high unemployment rates and limited economic development on reservations may also limit tribal JOBS results; (5) high unemployment rates ranged from 49 to 93 percent for the seven tribal JOBS Programs visited; (6) 85 percent of the tribal organizations surveyed reported that a lack of transportation made participation in JOBS difficult and 79 percent reported that a lack of child care also made participation difficult; and (7) tribal JOBS administrators reported that they would have liked more and earlier HHS assistance and guidance in establishing their programs.