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Strategic Objective

Make VA a Place People Want to Serve

Strategic Objective

Themes:

General Government Management

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Overview
Progress Update

Overview

Summary:

VA recognizes that an organization is only as strong as its people, and realizes that it must build on successes and continue to transform the way it manages human capital. VA is a customer service organization. VA’s greatest asset is its workforce.

Progress Update

Final Assessment: VA, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, determined that performance toward this objective is making noteworthy progress.

Achievements: VA established the MyVA Employee Experience priority with the goal of improving the employee experience through a collaborative, inclusive experience that inspires and empowers all VA employees to deliver world-class customer service while demonstrating a sense of pride and achieving their full potential. As part of this initiative, VA added a performance plan element to Senior Executive Service (SES) and managers for engagement action plans; implemented “Leaders Developing Leaders;” increased Senior Executive Coaching Program and Workshops; expanded Senior Executive Strategic Leadership Courses; and established SES Candidate Development Program. VA also distributed an “Engagement Playbook” for VA leaders and an “Engagement Handbook” for frontline leaders with recommended practices and behaviors to engage employees. In addition, VA administered

Integrity Commitment Advocacy Respect Excellence (I CARE) reaffirmation training to all VA employees with a completion rate of 97.5 percent and established the I CARE Secretary’s Honor Award to recognize model employees. VA completed a culture case study, which included site visits within Veterans Integrated Service Network 1, to identify best practices for delivering outstanding Veteran and employee experiences. VA also administered the FEVS and the FY 2015 official response rate was 36 percent which represents an increase of over 3 percent from FY 2014.

Also, VA increased Veteran Employment Specialists to support district workforce requirements in order to assist in recruitment and retention of Veteran job seekers and current Veteran employees. The percentage of Veterans at VA increased to 32.74 percent in FY 2015 from 32.66 percent in FY 2014. And Veterans were consistently hired in less than 26 calendar days on average through noncompetitive appointments – this represents on average 3-days less hiring time than in FY 2014.

To improve employee leadership training and engagement, VA launched the Virtual Aspiring Leaders^{^[1]} pilot program in November 2014 for employees levels GS 9 through GS 13, with a total of 151 participants. This online leadership development program helps develop the leadership skills of high-performing VA employees. It is meant to augment the Leadership VA program, which is expected to graduate 76 fellows. Also, VA inaugurated the Profiles in Leadership open enrollment program that offers self-paced, web-based curriculum based around five leadership profiles^{^[2]}. VA also implemented a pilot program that improves the internal hiring process for VA employee candidate and a newly mandated customer service training for HR personnel.

Additionally, since November 2014, 752,895 users have visited the MyCareer@VA [3]website and completed 314,496 career development activities. VA continued HR SMART implementation (upgraded HR IT System). HR·SMART successfully completed the intensive Phase 1 rollout at NCA. In accordance with VACAA, wait time metrics or goals have been removed from employees’ performance evaluations and VA Handbook 5021 has been revised to include a penalty for the falsification of data. VA also implemented a bi-monthly Executive Seminar Series for SES-level employees.

Challenges: There are a limited number of Veterans who are licensed medical professionals
(Title 38), eligible to fill vacant VA positions. Compounding that fact is VACAA increased the number of medical positions in VA, making it even more challenging to find qualified/licensed Veterans to fill those positions.^{^[4]}

Another challenge is that a constrained resource environment threatens program continuation because budget reductions may reduce/limit delivery of services to employees. Other challenges include proposed or passed Congressional legislation that threaten or limit employee due process and congressional or organizational efforts to withhold performance awards.

[1] http://mycareeratva.va.gov/library/leadership-va/leadership-development-programs/valp

[2] http://www.valu.va.gov/slickSheet/view/103

[3] http://mycareeratva.va.gov/

[4] http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/factsheets_and_details.asp

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Strategic Goals

Strategic Goal:

Manage and Improve VA Operations to Deliver Seamless and Integrated Support

Statement:

Manage and Improve VA Operations to Deliver Seamless and Integrated Support

Strategic Objectives

Make VA a Place People Want to Serve

Statement:

Make VA a Place People Want to Serve

Description:

Summary:

Strategies:

VA will improve enterprise-wide governance of human capital management using a strategic approach that includes top management, employees, and other stakeholders. .

VA will improve strategic HCM by implementing an enterprise-wide, career development and training management program, and identifying organizational owners for occupational specialties.

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Evolve VA Information Technology Capabilities to Meet Emerging Customer Service / Empowerment Expectations of Both VA Customers and Employees

Statement:

Evolve VA Information Technology Capabilities to Meet Emerging Customer Service / Empowerment Expectations of Both VA Customers and Employees

Description:

Summary:

The explosion of information capabilities available to all citizens via the Internet and mobile computing has forever changed how individuals communicate with each other and with providers of goods and services. Information “on demand” is now a core expectation; so is the ability to transact both work and personal business “anytime, anywhere.” These trends have resulted in tremendous changes to what individuals expect in terms of customer service as well as how they expect to manage their own work life and career. For VA this presents huge challenges and opportunities in terms of how it delivers services to Veterans and eligible beneficiaries and how it empowers its employees to perform their duties. New and emerging IT capabilities must be delivered that:

Enable each Veteran to manage his/her relationship with VA in a unified manner, with both the Veteran and the VA employees serving them able to access and maintain a holistic view of the Veteran’s complete profile along with services entitled, available, and provided.
Enable Veterans and eligible beneficiaries, VA employees and trusted partners with the ability to access authorized VA-maintained information “anytime, anywhere.”
Enable VA employees with the flexibility to take advantage of emerging technologies to increase alternative work arrangements such as telework.

Inherent in these capabilities is recognizing the need to continually evaluate and address concurrently emerging information security challenges. Safeguarding Federal computer systems and supporting critical IT infrastructure has been an ongoing Federal concern. Increased information sharing and use of mobile computing also serve to highlight the need to strengthen information security.

Strategies:

VA will implement an enterprise shared services strategy to offer broader service-based capabilities instead of point solutions.

VA will support and enhance enterprise-wide information sharing through the implementation of a Customer Data Integration (CDI) environment to identify, develop, designate and enforce authoritative information sources and services.

VA will continue its efforts on the Ruthless Reduction Task Force (RRTF) to identify and eliminate redundancies within VA’s IT environment.

VA will implement its Unified Communications Strategy to further leverage common services and reduce its IT footprint through the convergence of our facility voice, contact center, video, audio conferencing, and collaboration environments into a single platform and operational model.

VA will accelerate the implementation of our wireless infrastructure.

VA will develop and implement strategies to support “bring your own device” and “use your own device” to support the increasingly mobile workforces and Veteran population.

VA will continue to implement and extend the Continuous Readiness in Information Security Program (CRISP) operating model, including security management, contingency planning, configuration management, segregation of duties, and access controls for protecting VA sensitive information.

VA will continue to implement the use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Only Authentication (POA) for access to VA computer systems as mandated by Federal identification standards (Homeland Security Presidential Directive [HSPD] -12).

VA will pursue cost-effective system modernization to enhance operational and management processes and improve oversight.

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Build a Flexible and Scalable Infrastructure through Improved Organizational Design and Enhanced Capital Planning

Statement:

Build a Flexible and Scalable Infrastructure through Improved Organizational Design and Enhanced Capital Planning

Description:

Summary:

The size of the Veteran population may be decreasing, but the demographics and preferences are increasing in complexity. VA’s infrastructure – organizational structure, equipment, and facilities – must become more flexible and scalable in order to better serve Veterans of today and tomorrow.

Strategies:

VA will rethink how it operates as a Department, defining the fundamental cross-cutting capabilities and interdependencies required to achieve them. We will identify and address any internal organizational, policy, procedural, perceptual, and cultural boundaries that constrain our ability to coordinate, integrate, and deliver benefits and services. VA will evaluate alternate organizational designs that improve integration of benefits and services to provide the client a coordinated experience when utilizing multiple benefits and services.

VA will explore opportunities for sharing facilities and services across VA and with other federal agencies; state, tribal, and local governments; nonprofits; and private industry to support Veterans and Veterans’ families.

VA will continue capital planning efforts to provide safe, secure, modern, and sustainable infrastructure, and enhance capital planning efforts that increase the flexibility of VA’s capital infrastructure to accommodate integration of services and promote sharing of physical and virtual space within and between VA and its partners.

VA will expand “connected” health benefits and services which may reduce our dependency on physical infrastructure.

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Enhance Productivity and Improve the Efficiency of the Provision of Veteran Benefits and Services

Statement:

Enhance Productivity and Improve the Efficiency of the Provision of Veteran Benefits and Services

Description:

Summary:

VA has a fundamental responsibility to be an effective steward of taxpayer dollars. VA must continue to eliminate wasteful spending and ensure that the proper controls, practices, and safeguards are in place to prevent misspending of tax dollars.

Strategies:

VA will continue to be good a steward of its resources by closely monitoring agency travel to mission essential needs. We will continue working to decrease improper payments, recapture misallocated funds, and dispose of unnecessary real estate.

VA will improve the models and systems used to forecast and capture cost. We will adopt the direct tracking of people, equipment, and consumables. We will implement a modernized financial management system.

VA will continue to mature its capability based planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) process to tie strategy to budget and budget to performance.

VA will continue to review its internal buying patterns and identify opportunities for strategic sourcing to achieve significant savings for recurring requirements.

VA will develop a strategic capital equipment planning model and a plan to improve medical equipment life cycle.

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Ensure Preparedness to Provide Services and Protect People and Assets Continuously and in Time of Crisis

Statement:

Ensure Preparedness to Provide Services and Protect People and Assets Continuously and in Time of Crisis

Description:

Hurricane Sandy (2012), the bombing at the Boston Marathon (2013), the emergence of the H7N9 influenza strain in China (2013), and the fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX (2013) all serve as recent reminders that natural, public health, and technological disasters and terrorist attacks can occur at any time, in any place, and with little or no warning. VA must protect against and prepare to respond to as well as recover from all hazards to ensure the safety and security of Veterans and eligible beneficiaries, volunteers, employees, and visitors at VA facilities while integrating, improving, and increasing VA’s resilience through operational continuity and preparedness.

VA defines “readiness” as the ability to serve Veterans and eligible beneficiaries now and on a day-to-day routine basis, and “preparedness” as the ability to serve Veterans and eligible beneficiaries in times of crisis and to serve as a national asset to the Nation. These aspects of “readiness” and “preparedness” define the Department’s 4^th Mission. The priorities of the 4^th Mission include personnel accountability (e.g. Veterans and eligible beneficiaries, employees, contractors, and others on VA property); establishing and maintaining command, control, and communication; continuing to provide services to Veterans and eligible beneficiaries; and for VA to serve as a National asset following an emergency or disaster.

Strategies:

VA will continue to develop and refine our Continuity Program in accordance with HSPD-20 – National Continuity Policy. Through the VA Comprehensive Emergency Management Program, VA will support DoD, DHS/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other Federal Departments and Agencies in support of Presidential Policy Directive-8 – National Preparedness. VA will utilize the VA Integrated Operations Center (VA IOC) in order to provide the Secretary a single office responsible for proactively collecting, coordinating, and analyzing information in order to make recommendations to VA leadership. VA will continue to develop a comprehensive Department Exercise, Training, and Evaluation Program in accordance with DHS National Exercise program.

VA will standardize the on-boarding, monitoring, and off-boarding process for VA employees, contractors, and affiliates. VA will fully implement HSPD-12 to include the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as the standard process for provisioning logical access to VA information systems (LACS) and standardize Physical Access Control Systems (PACS) to VA facilities to ensure the safety and security of Veterans and eligible beneficiaries, volunteers, employees, and visitors.

VA will evaluate and streamline vulnerability assessment programs of VA facilities to mitigate against natural and technological disasters and terrorist attacks. VA will establish a comprehensive Active Threat/Active Shooter Incident Response Program to maximize response success in any VA facility.

VA will develop and implement an Insider Threat program in accordance with Executive Order 13587 - Structural Reforms to Improve the Security of Classified Networks and the Responsible Sharing and Safeguarding of Classified Information in order to protect classified material in the VA.

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