12.8.1 Overview
Effective date: August 1, 2024
Automated System Support for Employment and Training (ASSET) is the designated Management Information System (MIS)
for the WIOA Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, and National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG) programs.1 This means that ASSET hosts the official electronic records of WIOA program applicants and participants in the state of Wisconsin.
This policy outlines the requirements for properly recording services in ASSET for all three WIOA Title I programs and NDWGs. The information in ASSET is used, among other things,
to help inform program staff on how to best serve participants, make decisions on resource allocation, generate federal performance reports, conduct
monitoring and data validation activities,
and evaluate outcomes for program participants.2 This policy does not provide guidance on the appropriate delivery of participant services, but rather serves as a guide for correctly documenting the services provided to ensure that ASSET is an accurate and reliable source of information.
12.8.2 Use of Planned vs Actual Service Dates
Effective date: August 1, 2024
Career planners must enter services in ASSET to accurately reflect the activities and services provided to each participant, and the timing and outcomes of those services and activities. Accurate recording of services allows ASSET to assign correct participation and exit dates, which, in turn, affects how and when performance outcomes are measured.
Each ASSET service entry allows the career planner to establish Planned Open and Close dates and Actual Open and Close dates. DWD-DET requires career planners to enter all known services with Planned Open and Close dates when working with a participant to develop an Individualized Employment Plan (IEP) or Individual Service Strategy (ISS). Services that are entered with planned dates must be modified to better reflect accuracy as planned dates change. When a service is actually entered, the planned service must be updated and assigned Actual Open and Close dates to correspond with the dates of service delivery. 1 Actual Open and Close dates are used to determine cohorts for performance outcomes.
NOTE: ASSET allows career planners to retroactively date a service Planned and/or Actual Open Date back to, but not prior to, the program registration date.2 DWD-DET requires that, at a minimum, WDBs update participant information monthly to ensure monthly dashboards reflect accurate information. Career planners must not backdate services as a regular practice; however, if extenuating circumstances occur, file documentation must identify the actual dates the participant received the service and include a case note explaining why the service entry was delayed.
During previous monitoring and data validation activities, DWD-DET has observed the following unallowable service management practices:
- Services recorded with Actual Open Dates before they were actually provided to participants; and
- Services recorded with Planned Close Dates several weeks/months/years in the future from the Actual Open Date that do not correspond with reasonable planned service timelines based on the type of service at issue.
These practices are not allowed because they may cause incorrect participation and/or exit dates; may incorrectly trigger or not trigger performance accountability measures for a participant; and may contribute to the reporting of inaccurate outcomes as part of federal performance reporting. See examples below for acceptable and unacceptable uses of Planned Close Dates.
DWD-DET does not permit career planners to arbitrarily establish Planned Close Dates that may inappropriately prevent participants from exiting. This includes, but is not limited to, cases where successful performance outcomes cannot be verified due to loss of contact with the participant and/or cases where the career planner expects to, but has not yet, received proof of training completion. Below are some examples of acceptable and unacceptable uses of Planned Close Dates:
Acceptable
- Planned Close Date for an occupational classroom training service matches the duration of the training program. See Detailed Example below.
- Planned Close Date for a job search assistance service is extended monthly. The career planner and participant acknowledge progress through emails, phone call, or text about job prospects with proper file documentation and/or case notes. When the participant obtains employment, the Actual Close Date of the service corresponds with the participant's first day of work at the new employer.
Unacceptable
- Planned Close Date for an occupational classroom training service is left open for any time period after the training is concluded because the career planner is waiting for documentation of completion.
- Planned Close Date for a Career Planning service is arbitrarily set for six months from the Actual Open Date.
Detailed Example: The participant's career planner adds an Occupational Classroom training service in ASSET an Actual Open Date of September 4, 2022, and a Planned Close Date of May 20, 2024, the anticipated duration of the training program. The career planner and participant periodically exchange emails, phone calls, or text messages discussing current classes, potential future course enrollment, semester exam schedules, posting of grades, etc. In spring 2024, the final semester, the participant notifies the career planner of a final exam date and grades posting on May 15, 2024. The career planner must record an Actual Close Date of May 15, 2024.
12.8.3 Managing Career Services or Program Elements in ASSET
Effective date: August 1, 2024
For each career service or Youth program element that is provided to a participant, career planners must enter a corresponding service in ASSET and assign an Actual Open Date and an Actual Close Date. These dates must align with the first and last date the service is provided to the participant and must correspond with the required supporting documentation for Adult/DW and supporting documentation for Youth.1
Example: After meeting with a participant on July 1 to assist with their résumé, the career planner enters the Résumé Development service. The career planner and participant exchange emails related to the participant's résumé, including drafts with edits. On July 15, the career planner informs the participant that the résumé revision is completed and provides it to the participant. The Résumé Development service should have an Actual Open Date of July 1 and an Actual Close Date of July 15.
In many cases, this will result in service entries having Actual Open and Actual Close dates on the same day because provision of these services is not of an ongoing nature. A new service should be entered for each instance a service is provided. There is no limitation on the number of times a single participant may receive the same type of service as long as related documentation, which may include ASSET case notes, is available to substantiate the service delivery.
12.8.4 Managing Training Services in ASSET
Effective date: August 1, 2024
For each training service that is provided to a participant, career planners must enter a corresponding service in ASSET and assign an Actual Open date and an Actual Close date. In most cases, training services must remain open for the duration of the training program. A single training service can remain open during scheduled breaks (e.g., breaks between semesters, summer break, spring break, legal holidays, etc.) and across multiple program years. DWD-DET recognizes that certain events may cause the need for a training service to be closed, followed by the opening of a second entry of the same training service, such as when:
- Completion of the training is delayed for a period of time longer than a scheduled break in training. Training services with breaks that are not scheduled must be closed and a subsequent service with a future open date be entered prior to the last date of training.
- A training service is supported by multiple funding sources during the participant's enrollment. The training service must be closed following the end of the class/session. At the start of the new class/session a new training service with a new funding source is to be opened.
Example: A participant is enrolled in a nursing program with an Occupational Classroom service entered in ASSET. The participant has completed all required core classes for the nursing program. However, the participant cannot start the clinical component of the training for four months. The initial training service must be closed. A subsequent service must be entered with a Planned Open date following the four month break to reflect the planned completion of the clinical component of the training. When the participant begins the clinical component of the training program the Planned service must be updated with an Actual Open date.
Example: A participant is enrolled in a training program and has an open training service in ASSET. The first semester of the training program is fully funded by the Wisconsin Works/W-2 program and the funding source recorded in the service is "other." In the second semester of training, Wisconsin Works/W-2 funding is no longer available and a WIOA Title I program will be providing tuition assistance. The initial training service should be given an Actual Close date to correspond with the final date of the semester. A subsequent training service should be entered at the start of the second semester to reflect that the training is now being funded by the WIOA program.
In these cases, a subsequent training service should be entered with planned service dates indicating the anticipated reentry into the training program and must be updated with actual service dates once the participant resumes training.
In all cases, training service dates must correspond with supporting documentation.
NOTE: In cases where a local WDB changes a contract ID associated with a specific funding source, the WDB may work with DWD-DET to initiate an automated contract conversion process in ASSET. This conversion process will close the service(s) associated with the old contract ID and reopen a new service(s) associated with the new contract ID.
NOTE: In cases where a participant withdraws from a training program prior to its scheduled end date, the Actual Close date of the service must correspond with the official withdrawal date from the institution or the last date the participant attended class(es).1
12.8.5 Managing Supportive Services in ASSET
Effective date: August 1, 2024
Adult and Dislocated Worker Supportive Services
Supportive services may be provided to Adult, Dislocated Worker, and NDWG program participants to enable their participation in career services and/or training services. These vital services must be identified on the participant's Individual Employment Plan (IEP) in advance of being provided. Supportive services are not participation-causing services for Adult and Dislocated Worker program participants, but supportive service dates are important. Providing supportive services before or after an individual's period of participation ends may result in questioned and/or disallowed costs. Career planners should enter services in ASSET with Planned Open and Close dates to correspond with the intended delivery of such services and must update these service entries with Actual Open and Close dates once service(s) are provided.
Youth Program Supportive Services
Youth Program supportive services enable eligible youth to participate in WIOA activities. These vital services must be identified on the participant's Individual Service Strategy (ISS) in advance of being provided. Career planners should enter services in ASSET with Planned Open and Close dates to correspond with the intended delivery of such services and must update these service entries with Actual Open and Close dates once service(s) are provided.
General ASSET Entry and Examples
When entering supportive services for Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, and/or NDWG program participants in ASSET the Actual Open and Close dates must correspond with supporting documentation (12.3.6, 12.4.6, and 12.5.6), and must align with the WIOA activities being enabled by the supportive service, as documented on the IEP or ISS. This may result in a supportive service opening and closing on the same date, or remaining open for a longer duration, depending on the nature of the support being provided and the WIOA activity being enabled. Career planners should exercise discretion to align supportive service entries with related documentation.
Example: Transportation assistance is provided to enable a participant to attend a résumé workshop (Résumé Development service) that occurred on October 20, 2022. Both the Résumé Development and Transportation Assistance services in ASSET should have Actual Open and Actual Close dates of October 20, 2022.
Supportive service entries in ASSET must correspond with an appropriate WIOA activity (career service, training service, and/or Youth program element). The Actual Close date for the supportive service must not extend beyond the individual's participation in the career service, training service, and/or Youth program element being enabled.1
Below are examples of appropriate management of supportive service entries in ASSET:
Example: The career planner opens an Other Support Service Assistance service related to the purchase of textbooks to enable participation in an approved training program. The Actual Open and Actual Close dates reflect the date the purchase was authorized of the textbooks were purchased. Note: Flexibility to purchase books before a training has started is allowable if the dates reasonably align with the related training service entry.
Example: The career planner opens a Transportation Assistance service for a participant enrolled in a two-year training program. The career planner continues to provide transportation assistance on a regular basis for the duration of the training program. The Transportation Assistance service remains open for the duration of the training program and is given an Actual Close date when the training program has ended.
Note: Each separate instance of support/reimbursement must be documented in the comments section and/or case notes of the supportive service and be supported by documentation of payments and expenses through regular contact with the participant. Documentation of payment and expenses (estimates, vouchers, receipts, mileage logs, etc.) must be retained for each service rendered.
12.8.6 Youth Incentive Payments Service Management
Effective date: August 1, 2024
DWD-DET considers a Youth Incentive service to occur at the time it is paid/provided to the Youth program participant. This date should reasonably correlate with the work experience, education, and/or training service that is being incentivized. In most cases, the incentive service itself will open and close on the same day, to correspond with the date the incentive is provided to the participant.
12.8.7 Service Completion Codes
Effective date: August 1, 2024
Each service recorded in ASSET must be updated with a completion code when an Actual Close date is added or when the career planner determines the planned service will never start. This may include:
- planned services that will not be provided to the participant – Will Never Start This Service;
- services that are successfully completed as planned – Completed; and/or
- services that are planned and started but not successfully completed as intended – Did Not Complete.
- a training service that was started and a segment of the service was completed (e.g., one semester of a training program), but the entirety of the service was not completed - Completed a Segment. See Chapter 7.1.8 Funding a Segment of a Program for more information.
Note In cases where a participant exits the WIOA program because they are no longer receiving services due to a loss of contact, the career planner must assign a completion code, to the best of their knowledge, based on the most recent status update received.
12.8.8 Role of Service Management in ASSET Exit Process
Effective date: August 1, 2024
Service dates in ASSET have a significant role in determining when an individual exits from a WIOA Title I program. Exits are impacted by participation-causing service date (Chapter 8.7.2 Exit Date) entries by any common exit (Chapter 8.7 Program Exit) partner. Please see Chapter 8.7 Exit Policy for more information about exiting participants.
