Report on Web Basic Pilot Released
Download: Westat Interim Report
Westat of Rockville, Maryland, has released an interim report sent to the Department of Homeland Security in December 2006 on the Web version of the Basic Pilot Program. The 116-page report, “Interim Findings of the Web-Based Basic Pilot Evaluation,” notes that on the basis of findings from earlier evaluations, the pilot programs other than the Basic Pilot were terminated. The current Web Basic Pilot program incorporates a number of recommended enhancements.
Among other things, Westat found that the Web Basic Pilot instantly verified the work authorization status of employees more frequently than did the original program. In the Web Basic Pilot, the report notes, 92 percent of cases were initially found to be work-authorized compared to 79 percent in the original Basic Pilot. Westat also found that the accuracy of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services database used for verifications has improved substantially but further improvements are needed. Overall, most employers using the Web Basic Pilot found it to be an effective, reliable tool and reported that the program was not burdensome.
