2016-2026
OPRE launched this project in 2016 to evaluate interventions that apply coaching practices to promote job entry and retention among TANF populations and other individuals with low income. Coaching-based interventions have been put forth as one way to give people the tools to overcome various barriers in order to build and grow employment-related skills and to secure work. The hypothesis underlying these approaches is that participants’ challenges may be addressed through coaching by specially trained staff who help them set individualized goals and provide support and feedback as participants work toward their goals. While coaching-focused employment programs for individuals with disabilities have been evaluated extensively, it is not yet known to what extent similar models will translate into impacts for other groups of interest to ACF. This project seeks to fill that gap in the research and contribute to the body of evidence regarding what works for helping TANF clients and related populations move toward self-sufficiency.
Led by Mathematica in partnership with Abt Associates, MDRC, and The Adjacent Possible, the project is conducting impact evaluations and complementary implementation assessments of four coaching interventions. The evaluation is also examining the impact of coaching on self-regulation skills, and the role of these skills in generating any impacts on employment outcomes. The interventions participating in the evaluation are:
- Family Development and Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS) program — operated by the Iowa Department of Human Rights through subcontracts with 17 local agencies across the state (seven of which are participating in the evaluation)
- Goal4 It! - administered by the Jefferson County Department of Human Services in Jefferson County, CO
- LIFT — a non-profit with locations in Washington DC; New York, NY; Chicago, IL; and Los Angeles, CA (the latter three locations are participating in the evaluation)
- MyGoals for Employment Success — administered by the city housing authorities in Baltimore, MD and Houston, TX
The evaluation is assessing the coaching interventions’ impacts on participant outcomes at three follow-up points—approximately 9 or 12 months after study enrollment, approximately 21 months after study enrollment, and 48 to 60 months after study enrollment. The third follow up is supported by the Evaluation of Employment Coaching Long-Term Follow-Up Study, awarded in 2021 to Mathematica.
Point(s) of contact: Sarita Barton, Lauren Deutsch, and Elizabeth Karberg.
Information collections related to this project have been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under OMB #0970-0506. Related materials are available at the Evaluation of Employment Coaching page on RegInfo.gov Visit disclaimer page .
The most currently approved documents are accessible by clicking on the ICR Ref. No. with the most recent conclusion date. To access the information collections (e.g., interviews, surveys, protocols), click on View Information Collection (IC) List. Click on View Supporting Statement and Other Documents to access other supplementary documents