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The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 emphasizes the integration and coordination of employment services. Central to achieving this aim is the federal requirement that local areas receiving WIA funding must establish one-stop centers, where providers of various employment services within a local labor market are assembled in one location. This arrangement is expected to coordinate and streamline the delivery of employment-related programs and to meet the needs of both job seekers and employers more effectively than did the previous arrangement.

Successful implementation of the one-stop system requires new management tools and techniques to help staff meet the challenges presented by the one-stop environment. A major challenge is the large volume of customers expected to use the system. Increased use of services is expected because of a reduced emphasis on program eligibility as a condition for participation in the workforce investment system. Nonetheless, resources for comprehensive assessment and counseling are limited, and frontline staff have few tools with which to help them make decisions.