The REA Nudge. Random trials to increase REA engagement

Transcription

1 The REA Nudge Random trials to increase REA engagement

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3 Michigan Workforce Areas for REA in 2015 B: Networks Northwest (Traverse City) F: West Michigan Works! (Grand Rapids) G: Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! (Saginaw) K: Michigan Works! Southwest (Kalamazoo) P: Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (Detroit)

4 The Federal Nudge Initiative The White House Behavioral Insights Team was created in July, 2013 To identify ways to make programs work better, cost less, and help people to achieve their goals Presidential executive order September 15, 2015 instructed agencies to: (i) identify programs where applying behavioral insights may yield substantial improvements in program outcomes and cost effectiveness (ii) where possible, rigorously test and evaluate the impacts of insights REA nudge experiment at Michigan Works! Southwest is one of the first rigorous evaluation studies supported by the U.S. Department of Labor Chief Evaluation Officer testing behavioral insights in employment policy Tentative preliminary results suggest that low-cost reminders can increase participation in REA services for UI beneficiaries

5 The REA in Michigan Orientation to MWA Services (REA1 only) UI Eligibility Assessment Verify Monthly Record of Work Search (Form #1583) Active profile on Pure Michigan Talent Connect (PMTC) Develop/update an Individual Service Strategy (ISS) Provide Specific Labor Market Information (LMI) Referral to a Reemployment Service or Training

6 The REA Nudge Experiment Randomly assign half of weekly REA inflow to treatment and half to control Treatment REA beneficiaries are sent a series of nudges to increase participation Randomization in 2015 continued from mid-march through the end of September

7 List of 7 REA nudge s REA1 reminder to schedule an appointment REA1r second reminder to schedule in 14 days REA2 reminder to attend appointment REA3 reminder to attend appointment P1, P2, P3 persistence reminders that Michigan Works! Southwest is available with services and links to current reemployment events

8 REA1 Strengths Current Version Personalized Using the claimant s name and including Darlene as the sender establishes a relationship. Clear Benefits Listing what claimants will do during their sessions emphasizes the benefits to participation beyond continuing to receive UI. Empathetic The tone is genuine and encouraging. Michigan Works! Southwest Dear [Claimant Name], Hi! My name is Darlene and I work at Michigan Works! Southwest in Kalamazoo. Soon, you will receive a letter from the Unemployment Insurance Agency asking you to schedule a Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment within 14 days. This is a mandatory assessment, but we at Michigan Works! want to help. I m here to personally assist you in scheduling this meeting - please call me at when you have a few spare minutes. I can schedule your appointment at a convenient time and answer any questions you have about the program. An overview of the services available at Michigan Works! Southwest A review of local job market conditions Guidance on registration with Pure Michigan Talent Connect Development of an individual reemployment services strategy Referral to specific reemployment services We want your job search to be successful, and we have lots of ways to help. Please call our service center in Kalamazoo at: to schedule your interview. Michigan Works! Southwest 1601 Burdick Street Kalamazoo, Michigan To be ready for your meeting, please bring the following materials with you: Action Items Listed The next steps to prepare for the meeting are clearly listed. Your government issued photo identification A copy of your most recently completed form UIA 1583 A record of your job search over the past four weeks We are looking forward to meeting and working with you! Sincerely, Darlene, REA Coordinator

9 Personalized Dear [Claimant Name] Hi! My name is Darlene and I work at Michigan Works! Southwest in Kalamazoo. Soon, you will receive a letter from the Unemployment Insurance Agency asking you to schedule a Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment within 14 days. This is a mandatory assessment, but we at Michigan Works! want to help. I m here to personally assist you in scheduling this meeting please call me at when you have a few spare minutes. I can schedule your appointment at a convenient time and answer any questions you have about the program.

10 Clear Benefits An overview of the services available at Michigan Works! Southwest A review of local job market conditions Guidance on registration with Pure Michigan Talent Connect Development of an individual reemployment services strategy Referral to specific reemployment services

11 Empathetic We want your job search to be successful, and we have lots of ways to help. Please call our service center in Kalamazoo at: to schedule your interview. Michigan Works! Southwest 1601 Burdick Street Kalamazoo, Michigan [Hotlink to Google map viewable on PC, ipad, Cellphone.]

12 Action Items To be ready for your meeting, please bring the following materials with you: Your government issued photo identification A copy of your most recently completed form UIA 1583 (monthly record of work search) A record of your job search over the past four weeks

13 Results REA1 and REA1r s appear to increase the rate of attending the first REA interview REA2, REA3, P1, P2, P3 have no measureable effects, but do not reduce participation Among over 300 (treatment) UI beneficiaries, none opted out from receiving REA1, REA2, or REA3 nudges

14 Impact on percentage of participants who scheduled REA Session 1 and completed the REA program 80% 70% 60% 71% 16%** 50% 55% 57% 14%** 40% 43% 30% 20% 10% 0% Scheduled REA Session 1 Completed REA Program Received s Did not receive s

15 Lessons Learned from REA Nudge Small things make a major impact Nudges were cheap, not staff intensive, and effective. The personal touch makes a difference People don t like to be mandated, talked at, or directed they do like to be invited, reached out to, and involved in designed the solution. When possible, customize communication.

16 The PATH Nudge Random trials to increase AEP engagement and completion

17 The Problem Individuals that were referred from DHHS to attend PATH orientation were not attending. Individuals that did come to the orientation were completing AEP and much lower levels then desired. Individuals were attending orientation with very little knowledge of what PATH was and what the benefits of attending were.

18 Experimental Design Reminder Phone Calls: The Friday prior to Orientation FIP applicants were assigned, through fifty-fifty random assignment, to the treatment and control groups. Control: Quick reminder phone calls every Friday prior to Monday Orientation (was what was already occurring) Treatment: A slightly longer interactive phone call occurred that gave more in depth information regarding PATH and the orientation

19 Experimental Design AEP Reminder Phone Calls: Control: Individuals that attended orientation and continued in AEP, completed as normal. Treatment: Individuals that attended orientation and continued in AEP additionally received reminder/follow up phone calls each week prior to their weekly meeting. These phone calls checked on how the individual was doing on their assignments, if they needed any additional assistance/guidance and reminded them of when their next appointment was.

20 Experimental Design An added element to the Project: Control: FIP applicants that did not attend Monday orientation and didn t call prior to be rescheduled, were considered a no show for orientation. Treatment: FIP applicants that were referred to a Monday orientation and did not attend, received a phone call letting them know that they still had an opportunity to attend an orientation that week (Wednesday) with no penalty from DHHS for missing the Monday orientation.

21 Outcome Summary Reminder Phone Calls prior to Orientation Control: 212 (out of 602 individuals) or 35.2% attended and completed orientation Treatment: 110 (out of 358 individuals) or 30.7% attended and completed orientation This is not statistically significant. The initial Nudge prior to orientation did not increase orientation completion rates.

22 Outcome Summary AEP Reminder Phone Calls: Control: 96 (out of 140 who attended week one) or 68.5% individuals completed AEP Treatment: 60 (out of 82 who attended week one) or 73.2% This shows a statistically significant outcome. The AEP reminder phone calls shows an increase in AEP completion rates.

23 Impact of Nudge Phone calls 80.00% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Orientation Phone Calls AEP Phone Calls Control Treatment

24 Outcome Summary Wednesday Orientations At this time it does not appear that the Wednesday Orientations are having any impact in attendance at orientation, but the results are still be reviewed.