OUTREACH: Connecting With Your Community Develop and Implement an Outreach Plan Welcome to the overview lesson on Outreach for Indian and Native American Programs. In this section of the tutorial, we’ll review what programmatic outreach is, how it will benefit your program, and some important regulations governing outreach for federally funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs. Many people in our communities are unaware of the important services they may be eligible for through the public workforce system, including the Indian and Native American employment and training program and other WIA service partners. It is our responsibility to develop and implement effective outreach and referral methods, and strategies. This can be accomplished by creating an outreach plan that will help connect our services to those in the community who will most benefit. When we inform our community about the scope of services and the benefits of participation in our programs and other local programs, it helps build an informed and empowered consumer. 1. Overview

Objectives of Outreach Tutorial Lesson 1. Overview Understand what outreach is, how it will benefit your program, and what types of activities are allowable. Lesson 2. Crafting the Message Lesson 2. Crafting The Message Learn how to develop an effective message that will best represent your program to the community. Lesson 3. Delivering the Message The outreach tutorial is divided into four lessons including this overview lesson. The other lessons include crafting the message, delivering the message, and working smarter, not harder. The tutorial provides an overview of the basic elements of a programmatic outreach plan. Specific objectives are to: Understand what outreach is, how it will benefit your program, and what types of activities are allowable. Learn how to develop an effective message that will best represent your program to the community. Explore mediums and methods for getting your message into the community. Understand simple things that make your outreach plan more effective and adaptive. At the completion of this outreach tutorial, you will have the necessary background knowledge to begin to develop your outreach plan. By using the practical suggestions contained in this tutorial and adapting them to the specifics of your location and the community you serve, you should be able to end the frustration of hearing people say, “I’ve never heard of that program before. I wish I would have known about that when I needed help.” Let’s get started! Explore mediums and methods for getting your message into the community. Lesson 4. Working Smarter, Not Harder Lesson 4. Working Smarter, Not Harder Understand the simple things that make your outreach plan more effective and adaptive.

What is Outreach? What do you do? Why should people care? Who are you? 3 What do you do? Why should people care? Who are you? Outreach is simply reaching out to the community. It is a way to connect with potential customers and partners to let them know who we are, what we do, and why they care. Remember, outreach by definition doesn’t happen within the four walls of your office or building; it happens out in the community.

Who Needs to Know? Employers Program Partners Participants When you ask yourself, “Who needs to know about our services?”, think about three important “target” customer groups: potential participants, program partners, and employers. First and probably most obvious, you need to reach out to the actual unemployed, underemployed, and low-income individuals in your community who are most in need of the services you provide. They need to know what you do. This lets them know that we are more than just our words. Use practical examples of how other people have been helped with an employment goal by participating in the program. Think of a short list of practical services that an unemployed person might find helpful. We also have to be able to explain why they should care. This lets them know how they might benefit by participating. Again, using a success story from your program is an effective way of getting across the message. Second, you need to connect with “partners” in your community. Think of other direct service providers that are connecting with individuals and families on a regular basis. Some examples: Schools and other education programs, including tribal colleges and tribal programs Healthcare providers and related services, including Indian Health Services As well as churches and other faith communities. Third, you need to educate employers about your program. This group includes businesses large and small, public-sector, private-sector, and government. Participants

How Will Outreach Benefit Our Program? Effective Outreach Plan Informed customers who want to be in the program Educated community partners increase traffic to program By developing and implementing an effective outreach plan, your program will benefit in numerous ways. Good outreach helps potential customers make an informed consumer choice regarding your program. Participants who understand the services you provide and the goals of the program are more likely to be retained in the program. Retention often leads to enhanced customer and program performance. Community members who know more about what you do, how your services can help people, and how to direct potential customers to your door, can serve as “ambassadors” for your program. Together with other individuals in the community, they form a “social network” that connects with customers that might not have heard about your services otherwise. Think of how many times you’ve heard a customer say, “My auntie told me I should come here because you could help me get a job” or “My spiritual advisor told me that you could help me go back to school.” In addition to jobseeker and community partners, you also want to have fruitful relationships with employers. When these important partners know what you do and how it could help them recruit and retain qualified employees, it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. Engaged employers for win-win partnerships

Educational Institutions Supporting Documents Tribes Non-profits Educational Institutions OMB Circular A-87 OMB Circular A-122 OMB Circular A-21 § 668.340 What are INA grantee allowable activities? (a) The INA grantee may provide any services consistent with the purposes of this section that are necessary to meet the needs of Native Americans preparing to enter, reenter, or retain unsubsidized employment. (WIA sec. 166(d)(1)(B).) Comprehensive workforce investment activities authorized under WIA section 166(d)(2) include: (b) Core services, which must be delivered in partnership with the One-Stop delivery system, include: (1) Outreach The following regulations and official guidance will help guide you in developing and implementing a successful outreach plan. You can click directly on each post-it note on your screen to open the document or be directed to a website. These supporting documents can also be accessed in the Regulation and Law section of the website where you started. As you manage your program, you want to keep in mind two basic questions for planning purposes whether its outreach or any other aspect of your program. Are the activities I am planning “allowable”? And, how do I use program funds appropriately and legally to pay for these activities? The Federal Regulations for the Workforce Investment Act are very helpful in answering these questions. Part 668 of the Federal Regulations provides INAP grantees with specific information about “allowable” activities. This means activities that are typical and reasonable for a grantee to effectively implement a grant program. Outreach is one of the “allowable” activities specifically mentioned in the Federal Regulations. Part 668 of the Federal Regulations also points us to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars for information on how to appropriately use program funds to pay for outreach activities. OMB is the federal agency that evaluates the effectiveness of programs, policies, and procedures, and oversees the financial management and performance of federally funded programs. OMB Circulars provide guidance and regulations regarding the appropriate expenditure of federal funds. OMB Circular A-87 is used by Tribal Governments, OMB Circular A-122 is used by nonprofit organizations, and OMB Circular A-21 is for educational institutions. Clicking on the post-it notes, brings you directly to the “Advertising and Public Relations Costs” sections of each circular. It’s very important that you are familiar with the guidance contained in both the Federal Regulations and the OMB Circulars so you can effectively manage your program. INAP Federal Regulations 20 CFR 668.340

Common Outreach Expenditures Table Newspaper Advertisements Online Advertisements Radio Advertisements Brochures Grant Program Public Service Announcements Allowable Outreach Activities This table provides a few examples of allowable and unallowable outreach activities based on the cost principles that are outlined in the OMB Circulars. If you have questions about a specific outreach activity that you are planning and you are in doubt as to whether you can do it, contact your Federal Project Officer. It’s much better to be safe, than sorry. If you spend grant money on outreach activities that are unallowable, you will be required to pay that money back. T-Shirt Advertising Advertising on Pens Advertising on Water Bottles Gifts of Memorabilia Advertising that Promotes the Government or Organization Solely Rather than the Program Unallowable Outreach Activities

End of This Lesson Advance to Next Lesson Return to INAP Website Performance Enhancement Project Return to INAP Website You have reached the end of this lesson. To listen to the next lesson, click on “Advance to Next Lesson,” directly on the slide. To return to the website where you started, click on “Return to INAP website.”