Understanding Local System that Supported HPOG Programs: Perspective from Program Operators and Partners

Publication Date: January 24, 2023
The first page of the brief, entitled "Understanding Local System that Supported HPOG Programs: Perspective from Program Operators and Partners"

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  • Published: 2023

Introduction

Research Questions

  1. What were the local service delivery systems in which HPOG 2.0 programs operated?
  2. How did local service delivery systems influence the implementation of the HPOG programs?
  3. How did the implementation of the HPOG programs influence how local service delivery systems functioned?

The Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program is designed to deliver high-quality education, training, and support services to eligible individuals for occupations in the healthcare field. ACF’s Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation oversaw an evaluation to assess the implementation and impacts of the HPOG 2.0 Program across 38 local HPOG 2.0 programs implemented by the 27 non-Tribal grantees. Programs of five Tribal grantees were evaluated separately.

This brief summarizes findings from the Systems Study final report.  It describes the local service delivery systems in which 15 of the 38 second-round HPOG programs selected for the study operated, explores both how these systems influenced the HPOG programs, and how the HPOG programs influenced these systems, from the perspectives of program operators and their partners on their local systems.

Purpose

One goal of the HPOG 2.0 National Evaluation is to provide information on the local service delivery systems in which the HPOG programs operated and on changes within systems that occurred during the grant period. This brief summarizes findings from the Systems Study final report which sought to identify the extent to which systems activities, as implemented by HPOG program operators and their partners, may have influenced the local system. These activities can include collaboration, improved access to and quality of training and services, employer engagement, data sharing, and sustaining of successful initiatives (Bernstein and Martin-Caughey 2017). The study also sought to understand how the economic and policy contexts and existing training and support services within the local system may have influenced HPOG program design and implementation.

Key Findings and Highlights

Key findings from the brief include:

  • The HPOG 2.0 programs appeared to be an inflection point for new or enhanced collaboration within the system. No one program operator in this study could bring about change alone. 
  • The selected programs reported engaging an average of 20 partners per program.
  • Local program operators and partners perceived that offering robust support services helped improve the quality of healthcare training and services.
  • The presence of articulated career pathways did not appear to help support advancement in healthcare careers.
  • Nearly all HPOG 2.0 programs engaged multiple employers that played different roles to support participant success in the workforce
  • Data sharing for improving healthcare training and local systems seemed to be a more limited aspect of HPOG. HPOG encouraged data sharing for managing the HPOG programs, but it did not always support systems activities such as building cross-system processes and strategies.
  • Reflecting the intent of the grant, HPOG program operators and partners planned to sustain the programs, including the training and services, in some form.
  • Recommendations for future similar initiatives include continued encouragement for new and strengthened partnerships and robust wraparound services to improve access to training and address barriers to training completion and post-training employment. In addition, the study recommends encouraging a greater focus on advancement in healthcare careers and emphasizing strong employer relationships.

Methods

The Systems Study design was guided by the Urban Institute’s Systems Change Framework for Workforce Development (Bernstein and Martin-Caughey 2017). This report primarily presents program operator and partner perspectives based on one-hour interviews with 15 program operators and between 3 and 7 of their partners conducted between October 2019 and February 2020. The study team used a purposive sampling strategy to select the 15 programs that would reflect the variety of types and intensity of systems activities to explore a range of experiences and perspectives. The team selected programs with a range of lead organization types, partners, systems activities, and employer partnerships. In addition to the interview data, the team drew on information from grant applications, the evaluation’s management information system, and data from grantee surveys. The study team analyzed the qualitative data using descriptive and thematic analysis.

Citation

Eyster, Lauren. (2022). Understanding Local Systems that Supported HPOG Programs: Perspectives from Program Operators and Partners. OPRE 2022-294. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Glossary

ACF:
Administration for Children and Families
HPOG:
Health Profession Opportunity Grants
OFA:
Office of Family Assistance