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Ms. Meghan FlanzChief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) and Assistant SecretaryOffice of Human Resources and Administration (HR&A), Department of Veterans Affairs
FY 16-17: Agency Priority Goal
Improve VA’s Employee Experience
Priority Goal
Goal Overview
Leader and managerial actions can help boost job satisfaction and ultimately improve business outcomes. Strong leaders are important to creating a positive organizational climate. Employees who are regularly engaged with their leaders are more innovative than others, more likely to want to remain with their employer, absent less often, enjoy greater levels of personal well-being, and perceive their workload to be more sustainable than others. Ultimately, our customer, the Veteran, will enjoy a higher level of satisfaction with VA services as a result of an improved Employee Experience.
VA is committed to creating a work environment which provides all employees with a more consistent, positive Employee Experience, which ultimately improves the Veteran’s experience with our organization. Studies indicate that employees who are satisfied with leadership behaviors provide a higher level of positive responses on employee surveys.
To evaluate progress, VA will use six questions from the Federal Employment Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) to pulse VA employees on a quarterly basis about their experience with VA leaders. The six questions were selected after a thorough review and assessment of what leadership behaviors can drive the biggest improvements in employee engagement and job satisfaction.
Transformational leaders engage in relationship-building and relationship maintaining behaviors with their employees. Strong leaders tend to have the ability to motivate employees, establish trust, communicate goals, and generate commitment. Changing an organization’s culture may take a decade or longer, especially with a large organization such as VA. This APG, which covers only a two-year time period, focuses on a strategy that primarily addresses improving leadership practices, and that can bring about measurable changes in a relatively short period of time.
The leadership strategy in this APG is supported by myriad programs and activities including strategic communications which, over time, should lead to improved favorable responses to the six employee survey questions. The leadership strategy also supports the accomplishment of one of VA’s Strategic Objectives, “Make VA a Place People Want to Serve,” and VA’s MyVA Initiative. Furthermore, it is one of the twelve VA “Breakthrough Priorities.”
VA realizes that it will take more than one program or initiative to improve the Employee Experience and/or change VA employees’ perceptions of its leaders. Furthermore, analyzing employee survey results carries its own set of risks of misinterpretation. However, overall, VA believes that participation in leadership programs and the subsequent implementation of leadership practices should have a significant positive impact on employee perceptions of leadership.
Potential barriers to improving the VA Employee Experience include:
- Lack of leader/employee engagement to execute improvement ideas
- Resistance to change
- Inadequate leader development, training and experience
- Insufficient execution of communication strategies by leadership
Strategies
Develop Leadership Excellence. To create an improved Employee Experience (EE), VA shall implement a strategy that will enhance leadership skills in collaboration and communication with employees. One new key initiative, Leaders Developing Leaders (LDL), is VA’s vanguard effort to not only train senior leaders, but also to cascade the training to lower-level leaders. LDL, combined with myriad other leadership development programs, should help raise the level of positive responses to the six employee survey questions. VA will conduct quarterly employee surveys to monitor the positive responses to those six APG questions on leadership.
- Leaders Developing Leaders (LDL): LDL training is designed to facilitate problem solving/change management skills for VA leaders. Initial training is for VA political appointees and their immediate Senior Executive Service (SES) staff (e.g. hospital and regional directors, cemetery directors and other SES staff members). Training is then cascaded down to lower-level leaders. In order to maintain the LDL momentum, VA plans to designate senior-level “LDL Change Agents” who will:
- Provide substantive project review and coaching
- Help shape and execute strategy for further driving the cascade, and integrating LDL concepts/tools into daily operations
The desired outcomes of this program by December 2016 are:
- Improved leadership capabilities of VA leaders
- Engaged Employees make principle-based decisions that positively impact the Veteran’s experience
- LDL concepts and tools provided to supervisors and embedded in day-to-day operations
- Employee behavior demonstrates the MyVA priorities (Veterans Experience and Employee Experience) in day-to-day activities
- LDL’s impact is sustained by, and embedded in, an enterprise approach to leadership development
The strategic objective beyond 2016 is to transform VA from a rules-based to a principles-based organization by developing authentic servant leaders who inspire and empower engaged employees, foster an environment based on trust and accountability, and work collaboratively to provide a superior Veteran experience.
Because the LDL program is new, 2016 is a baseline year until the program is implemented in full, across the Department. Changes in employee survey responses related to leadership excellence may not occur until 2017.
Other key activities and enablers to improve leadership excellence include:
- Employment of Lean Strategy Training (Includes Six Sigma): Establish a VA-wide Lean strategy and network that enables a culture of continuous process and outcome improvement.
- Leadership VA: For grades GS 13-15 & Title 38 equivalents, a one-year long program consisting of four one-week instructor-led in-person sessions with a focus on strategic leadership, leading change, unleashing talent, and leading VA.
- Senior Executive Workshop Series: Bi-monthly 60-90 minutes sessions for our Senior Executives in the Washington, DC, metro area and the field, reaching 140 executives per session.
- Senior Leaders’ Courses I and II: Strategic thinking and engagement; hone decision-making, critical thinking, and leading change skills; strategic communications/power of story-telling; special onboarding sessions for new Senior Executives. Expand to integrate LDL Teachable Point of View into future training programs.
- Electronic Individual Development Plans (eIDPs): All VA human resource professionals and practitioners are required to use eIDPs, which are available for VA-wide use beginning FY 2016.
- Automation of SES Performance Plans
- New Supervisors Essentials (NSE):
- Intended for all VA first-line supervisors, this is a multi-day web-based training (WBT) course available in VA's Talent Management System (TMS).
- NSE is focused on providing new supervisors the necessary, appropriate and required leadership skills for improving employee performance and productivity.
- Includes tactical training on specific supervisor responsibilities, such as time and attendance, hiring, disciplining, working with union partners, rewarding and retention.
- Available to new VA supervisors beginning in February 2016.
- 360 and 180 Assessments: More effective use of data to better provide leaders an assessment of their strengths, capabilities, skills gaps and development areas.
- Employee Engagement Playbooks for Senior Leaders and Managers: A new resource that provides data-driven insights and engagement practices that help leaders identify ways to better engage employees and develop an employee engagement plan.
- All VA supervisors will have a customer service standard in their performance plans.
External factors that may affect the achievement of this goal include:
- Disproportionately negative media coverage that paints all of VA as a poor-performing federal bureaucracy yet fails to highlight positive aspects of VA.
- Proposed or passed Congressional legislation that threatens or limits established employee due process standards, or which sets a different standard for VA employees relative to other Federal employees.
- Congressional or organizational efforts to withhold performance awards for those who would otherwise qualify for them.
Progress Update
Each of VA’s five indicators for improving the employee experience showed significant increases in Q4 and exceeded the goal.
LEADERS DEVELOPING LEADERS (LDL):
In August 2015, VA Senior Leaders set out to develop the framework to improve training and leadership at VA, and to define a clear point of view regarding VA’s strategy, implementation of its values, and the desired culture that would be used to teach other staff and guide decision-making. The Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries, and members of the MyVA team developed a framework called “Leaders Developing Leaders (LDL),” which includes cascading training throughout VA on developing leadership judgement, analyzing the enterprise, teambuilding and team feedback, managing change, and directly applying these skills to address current challenges. The FY 2016 goal to train 12,000 VA employees was surpassed in Q3 due to momentum achieved in the cascading of training from front line supervisors to their employees.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• VA conducted the Senior Leader Annual Business Meeting September 12-15, 2016 in Leesburg, VA for over 600 VA senior leaders. Senior VA Leaders approved the FY 2017 vision, priorities, and strategies at this event and provided direction for development of training materials to cascade information to all VA employees.
• As of September 20, 2016, over 99,049 unique LDL completions have been recorded in TMS.
LEADERSHIP VA (LVA):
LVA is VA’s flagship leadership development program for GS 13-15 employees - creating opportunities to ensure continuity of leadership by strengthening employees’ fundamental competencies in the areas of external awareness, vision, entrepreneurship, accountability, conflict management, continued learning, and creativity and innovation. LVA also focuses on customer service to better serve our Veterans. The LVA program is assisting in identifying and addressing potential gaps in effective leadership and to design and maintain programs that capture organizational knowledge and promote learning. The LVA Class of 2016 consists of 100 VA employees.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• VA successfully conducted the third one-week residency session for LVA from August 22 – 26, 2016 in Saint Paul, MN.
• We currently have 12 executive sponsors supporting the 12 Breakthrough Initiatives for our LVA Project Teams. Sponsors provide mentoring and coaching assistance for each of the initiative LVA project teams. Teams will report out the results of actionable deliverables during the LVA Project Team InnoVAtion Symposium scheduled for November 14 – 18, 2016 in Washington, DC.
• In Q4, the application process was completed for the FY 2017 cohort.
CORPORATE EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (CEDB):
CEDB is one of VA’s leadership development initiatives for high-potential, high-performing GS 13-15 and Title 38 equivalent employees. The objective of the CEDB process is to identify and nominate the best qualified employees to attend high-impact training and professional development programs/opportunities. CEDB programs are conducted by established and widely recognized leadership development institutions focused on driving innovation and strategic planning. Participation in these leadership programs requires a commitment—and opportunity—to drive VA's organizational change to better meet the needs of Veterans and their families.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• The FY15 Cohort of 96 VA employees graduated from the Partnership for Public Service “Excellence in Government Program” on August 18, 2016. VA Secretary Robert McDonald was the keynote speaker for the graduation ceremony.
• 14 VA employees graduated from the Graduate School USA’s “Executive Potential Program” on August 26, 2016.
• One VA employee was selected for the highly competitive White House Leadership Development Program (WHLDP) which will last from 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017.
SENIOR EXECUTIVE WORKSHOP SERIES (SEWS):
SEWS provides developmental training for VA Senior Executives to address emerging senior executive skill and information requirements. The program provides information on current topics, including updates on the Secretary’s priority transformation initiatives and activities associated with MyVA, working effectively and proactively with Congress, enhancing employee engagement, work place balance/well-being issues, emotional intelligence, and effectively dealing with unions and labor management issues.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• SEWS sessions fully integrated VA’s state-of-the-art video and social media capabilities. During this quarter, all SEWS presenters were able to deliver their session in “real time”, allowing asynchronous learning as executives provided written comments, questions and experiences that are shared during the presentation with executives across the enterprise. The use of both professional moderators and CSEMO Subject Matter Experts provided excellent field integration and opportunities for robust dialogue and for immediate feedback to all participants. All SEWS presentations are posted to the VA Pulse / SEWS website, enabling executives who missed the workshops the opportunity to view past presentations and for new executives to review past presentations and accelerate their understanding of VA and its mission.
• The CSEMO Staff hosted SEWS sessions that focused upon preparing senior leaders for end of year performance appraisals and informing them of:
o Significant changes in executive compensation,
o New guidelines for the Senior Executive Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) policy
o Pay band alignment
o Time-to-Hire data
o The Executive Order related to "Strengthening the SES"
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP COURSES I & II (SLC):
SLC I & II courses are designed by the Corporate Senior Executive Management Office (CSEMO) to equip newly appointed and new to VA senior executives with the tools necessary to rapidly transition into their role as VA strategic leaders and to excel in that role. SLC I provides critical information and insight into VA’s organizational culture and structure. It provides insights into the organizational environment and the executive skills needed to transform a work unit. SLC II is designed to support the VA strategic goal of improving business operations and to support VA’s transformation strategy. The course focuses on honing and developing strategic decision-making, critical thinking, and leading change skills.
Iterations of both SLC I & II were conducted during this quarter. The efforts to enhance course content and materials resulted in:
o Better integration with the Secretary’s “12 Breakthrough Priorities” and increased time for participant interaction;
o Emphasized connection between the actions of senior leaders and employee engagement and organizational success
o Taught strategies for improving business processes, leading change, and incorporating best practices in communication.
Participants in both SLC I and SLC II are provided end of course critiques to allow feedback. Overall, executives are pleased with the information conveyed and relevance to their assigned duties. They confirm the usefulness to the enhancements cited above. Specifically, the SLC I focus on developing a realistic “leadership philosophy” and the SLC II focus on effective ways to implement change continue to be rated very favorably .
STRENGTHENING THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE:
On December 15, 2015, the President issued an Executive Order (EO) entitled Strengthening the Senior Executive Service (SES), which outlined a plan to enhance the recruitment, hiring, and development of senior executives in Federal government. In response to this order, OPM tasked Federal agencies with developing a 2-year plan to increase the number of SES members who are rotating to improve talent development, mission delivery, and collaboration. Agencies were to submit plans to OPM by May 31, 2016. VA submitted its plan to OPM as directed. The plan outlines a process to identify ways to document and track executive job rotations. This work is ongoing and remains a strategic communication priority to build senior executive understanding and leadership support of meaningful and useful rotations during FY 17.
In Q4 FY 2016:
Executive Development Plans (EDPs):
• In support of the December 15, 2015, Executive Order, CSEMO designed and communicated a process for distributing and collecting Executive Development Planning templates from all senior executives. EDPs when completed are now forwarded to CSEMO for storage. Reminder messages are sent to encourage completion of EDP’s.
EXECUTIVE COACHING:
CSEMO provides all newly-appointed SES and SES-equivalent leaders with the opportunity to engage an International Coaching Federation Certified executive coach, to assist in their transition to their new roles as senior organizational leaders. Each executive is allotted up to 36 hours of coaching. Although each coaching engagement is targeted to the unique needs and challenges of the executive, most coaching sessions focus upon VA’s leadership competencies such as: Fostering Accountability; Managing Conflict; Enhancing Creativity and Innovation; Excelling at Customer Service; Demonstrating Decisiveness; Developing Others; Influencing Outcomes; and Developing Partnerships.
In Q4 FY 2016:
All newly hired, or newly appointed senior executives were made aware of the opportunity to engage a nationally certified executive coach.
Post coaching evaluations indicated:
• 100% of the 73 new Senior Executives that on boarded in the fourth quarter registered for Executive Coaching
• 82% of on-boarding SEs participating in the executive coaching program felt confident in avoiding derailers
• 100% of targeted SEs participating in the executive coaching program have indicated they are committed to applying the knowledge and skills acquired during their coaching engagements
• 100% of SEs participating in the executive coaching program had a positive perception of the coaching effectiveness
• Coaching participation grew by 42 % between FY 15 and FY 16
SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP):
Prepare high-performing GS-14s and 15s for leadership positions in the Senior Executive Service. After a hiatus of several years, VALU re-launched SESCDP for FY16 on a biennial (every other year) basis. Over 600 individuals initially applied for this program with a total of 9 candidates selected to attend in the FY16-17 cohort.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Jul 28, 2016 Virtual Session 1: What to Expect About Being an SES
• Aug 8-19, 2016 80 Hour ECQ Session , Washington, DC
• Sep 21, 2016 Virtual Session 2: How to Make the Most of Virtual Meetings
VIRTUAL ASPIRING LEADERS PROGRAM (vALP):
vALP expands the leadership skillset of emerging leaders, consistent with the VA competencies and expand the capabilities of existing VALU leadership development tools in order to provide robust online learning opportunities and reach a wide cross-section of interested VA employees. vALP Creates opportunities to ensure champions of change through Creativity and Innovation. vALP graduates serve as champions for new ideas and approaches and articulate linkage between new behaviors and organizational success. In FY16, almost 2,400 VA employees applied for this program. Based on fiscal constraints, two cohorts, 100 students each (200 total), were conducted in FY 16.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Virtual classes continued
• 180-Degree Assessments were completed 11-29 July
360 AND 180 ASSESSMENTS:
VA uses the 360/180 tools for individual assessment and development of leadership skills. Participation is voluntary with 360/180 assessments administered monthly, largely to staff through VA’s leadership development programs and annually to all VA SES.
In Q4 FY 2016 :
• In 2016, VA continued an upward trend in the voluntary participation of senior leaders in 360/180 assessments surpassing the FY 2015 usage rates by 44%. VA continues to encourage the use of assessments to develop leaders throughout VA.
Total number of participants at the end of FY 2015:
2,497
Total Number of participants at the end of FY 2016:
3,597
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS (IDPs) AND ELECTRONIC INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS (eIDPs):
One of the key activities in support of the VA Agency Priority Goal to Improve Employee Engagement is increased implementation of IDPs and use of new eIDPs. The delivery of the eIDP to employees at the front line encourages and supports discussions about job performance, as well as career and skill development, which ultimately leads to a more engaged, capable, and satisfied workforce. The eIDP is a supporting software tool that automates and tracks the process in the VA Talent Management System (TMS).
To date, the initial test implementation phases provided eIDPs to over 5,300 VA employees in VA Learning University (VALU) and the VA HR Academy. Feedback from this first phase of implementation was incorporated into the eIDP process and supporting TMS functionality. For FY 2016, 100% of VALU employees have supervisor-approved plans in TMS followed by approximately 65% of the HR professionals. During a second phase, 315 employees and supervisors were trained in the use of the eIDP. Of those trained there are 131 eIDPs in development. The team gathered participant feedback to inform the Department-wide release.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Building on the results of the earlier implementation phases, the team is completing work on the project and communications plans for the Department-wide release for Q1 FY 2017. The TMS upgrades are on schedule for release between 10/21-10/23. The TMS Training Manager is working to develop the eIDP web-based training course for employees and supervisors.
NEW SUPERVISORS ESSENTIALS (NSE):
New Supervisors Essentials (NSE) is a newly-created course that enables growth within fundamental competencies focusing on
areas of Continued Learning, Integrity, Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Public Service Motivation, and Written Communication. The course was successfully tested for compatibility with TMS and VA Pulse. VA supervisors are now able to sign up for the course in VA’s online TMS. The course meets the standards established by OPM for the Federal Government. Administrations, staff offices, and local facilities may supplement that training as they deem appropriate, but NSE is the baseline standard for all. The goal is to reach up to 3,000 new supervisors per year beginning in FY 2017.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• As of 15 September 2016, 2,808 supervisors had enrolled in the course and 467 had completed the training.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT RESOURCE CENTER:
Since it was established in May 2015, the Employee Engagement Service (EES) enhanced its website home page capability by adding an engagement resource center that serves as a “one-stop shop” repository of additional hosted site links for: employee engagement awareness; engagement spotlight and announcements; direct access to VA Workforce Surveys Portal; searchable database of current research/trends in engagement; and associated best practices.
Expected Outcomes Include:
• Strengthened communication about employee engagement and how VA measures engagement
• Increased knowledge of VA’s engagement partners and where to go for further employee engagement resources
• Increased utilization of the platform to share ideas and practices to improve engagement
In Q4 FY 2016 EES tracked the following indicators to better assess site utilization/areas for improvement:
Webpage views: “The number of times a page was visited…”
o EERC page views decreased 55 percent in Q4 compared to Q3.
o The EERC site was viewed 13,563 times in Q4, down from 30,229 views in Q3.
o There were 10,147 unique page views to the EERC, down from 25,175 in Q3.
EERC page views in Q4 accounted for 3.4% of all OHRM page views (30,229 out of 397,851), down from 7.5% in Q3. (Note: The EERC site for Q4 moved from OHRM to an ODI URL during the end of the quarter, so this may have impacted the numbers slightly.)
o The decrease in page views is likely due to an absence of senior-leader products for large campaigns linking to the EERC this quarter (in Q3, nearly half of all page views were attributed to Sec VA products linking to the EERC for PSRW)
Average Time on Page: “The average amount of time visitors spent on this page”
o Visitors spent an average of 53 seconds on EERC pages in Q4, up from 38 seconds in Q3.
o Time spent on pages increased, indicating increased interest in EERC content.
Bounce rate: “Percentage of visits that started on a webpage and then left the website straightaway…”
o 40 percent in Q4, down from 70 percent in Q3.
o The bounce rate decrease indicates increased interest in EERC content: as more people visited multiple pages on the EERC, rather than just visiting on page and then leaving.
Exit rate: “The percentage of visits that left the website after a viewing this page…”
o The exit rate was 34 percent in Q4, down from 66 percent in Q3.
o By itself this statistic is not very telling; it does not indicate how many pages the visitor may have viewed before this page or how long they spent on the page.
Downloads: “Total number of clicks on download links …”
o There were 510 product downloads in Q4, down from 702 in Q3.
o The most downloaded content came from the Employee Engagement Handbook and Playbook.
Overall Observations:
o Page views decreased substantially in Q4, most likely due to an absence of senior leader products sent during large campaigns advertising the EERC (compared to Q3, when Sec VA products for PSRW generated a large amount of page views).
o While page views decreased- indicating less awareness of the site- the time spent on pages increased and the bounce rate decreased-indicating more interest in EERC content.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT COUNCIL:
In Q4 FY 2016:
• VA’s Employment Engagement Council continues to address engagement issues impacting VA’s workforce. This quarter, through Council members’ collaboration, HR&A established the Employee Engagement Champions in July to connect each site to HR&A and to each other to help enhance employee engagement efforts. Engagement Champions serve as a conduit for each site’s best practices through the HR&A Leading Practices site, enabling each site to benefit from how others have successfully improved employee engagement. Additionally, as more Engagement Champions utilize HR&A tools, HR&A will gather feedback to continuously improve employee engagement efforts as a whole. HR&A provided training, tools, and resources to support the Engagement Champions in creating a local engagement action plans based on 2016 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results. Engagement action plans are due 31 October and will be posted on the VA Workforce Surveys Portal.
• The Q4 Pulse Survey results reported in the final section of this report reflect a truer picture of how VA employees perceive their work experiences since the data were collected using a census methodology and had a high response rate. The patterns across all of the data (Q4, Q1-Q3) are similar, indicating that the “best” experiences are Constructive Performance Feedback, Innovation, and Senior Leaders Ethics; while “lesser” experiences are Accountability, Empowerment, and Information Sharing. Q4 results also report that the target value was exceeded for all measures.
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA):
LEADERSHIP, EFFECTIVENESS, ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT (LEAD) PROGRAMS:
The first level of actual “leadership” development for VHA employees occurs through VHA LEAD training programs. LEAD programs are offered at two different levels. Facility LEAD programs target junior grade employees, are organized and conducted locally within each medical center, and introduce participants to healthcare leadership and teamwork concepts through classroom instruction and practical exercises. Each Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) conducts its own VISN LEAD program for mid-grade employees. The curriculum builds on Facility LEAD training and includes individual assessments, mentoring and applied leadership projects. Organization of the classes and selection of participants occurs at the local level. Approximately 1,200 VHA employees complete a Facility or VISN LEAD program each year.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Field-managed VISN and Facility LEAD Class continue through October 1, 2016. Currently there are 12 VISN-level programs with 281 active candidates and 85 Facility-level programs with 675 active candidates.
HEALTH CARE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (HCLDP):
HCLDP is a comprehensive, graduate-level leadership program established in FY 2012 for aspiring health care leaders who have not yet assumed an executive position (i.e., they are not a member of the facility senior leadership team [quad] nor in a comparable program office role). The curriculum is focused on building the leadership competencies needed in a health care environment as opposed to the technical skills needed in health care executive positions. HCLDP is designed around three face-to-face weeks of training spread over six months with coaching, self-study, and on-the-job “practice” in between. Multiple leadership profile assessments, guided discussions presentations, and practical exercises, including hands-on simulations based on real-world medical center leadership situations, enable the participants to expand their individual, team and organizational health care leadership skills. Selection of HCLDP participants includes an individual multi-question application, several levels of endorsement, telephone PBI interview, and scoring by an executive national rating panel. One hundred and twenty participants (two classes of 60) are currently going through the FY 2016 HCLDP program.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• The HCLDP 2017 selection process continues. The VISNs are completing their performance-based interviews and VISN Directors are submitting their Level 3 Endorsements. As soon as the final endorsements are complete, the National Rating Panel will meet virtually through the month of October to score the applications. The HCLDP Advisory board will review the list of selectees in early November; the program manager will notify the VISN Directors of the status of their VISN’s applicants and the applicants themselves by November 15.
• The HCLDP 2016a and HCLDP 2016b classes successfully completed their third and final week of training in July and August respectively. HCLDP 2016a completed their final face-to-face training week in Q4 with 56 participants and HCLDP 2016b completed in August with 55 participants.
EXECUTIVE CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (ECDP):
The ECDP is currently under development as a means to broaden and strengthen the candidate pool supporting medical center senior leadership team positions. It is being designed for high-potential employees whose next career step is to join a quad leadership team (i.e., Assistant/Associate Director (AD), Chief of Staff (COS), or Associate Director for Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive (ADPCS) position). The primary focus is on building the technical skills needed to perform successfully in the target health care leadership positions. Individual training portfolios will include specific on-the-job experiences, a 120-day detail into a vacant quad position, and dedicated coaching/mentoring guidance and evaluation. The foundational leadership competencies, grown through the HCLDP and other programs, will be reinforced through individual assessments and group sessions. Finalization of the program training portfolio and selection for a pilot class of 15-20 candidates to begin in late FY 2016 is currently underway.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• An online application system was created and applications distributed to 52 potential candidates; 26 candidates applied. The rating process will be used to select approximately 20 candidates. Mentor applications were also distributed. The pilot class will be selected during an advisory board meeting scheduled in October.
NEW EXECUTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM (NExT):
NExT is a required “survival skills” course for all newly-appointed VHA medical center quad members below SES. A week-long, face-to-face orientation session provides attendees with the essential technical content and networking forum to support their success in their new healthcare leadership roles. Senior VA officials, such as the Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary for Health, share their views of the major strategic issues confronting VHA and health care leaders in the field. Plenary and role-specific breakout sessions, led by VA Central Office program office staff and subject matter experts, address topics as varied as ethical leadership dilemmas encountered in health care settings, medical facility operations, clinical performance measures, funds management, human resources, and labor relations. Two NExT classes of 25-35 new quad members are held each year.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• 4th Quarter scheduled NExT training was postponed until FY17 due to scheduling conflict with the Secretary’s LDL mandatory Senior Leader training.
VHA SES COACHING NETWORK:
VHA provides its newly-appointed SES and SES equivalent leaders with advanced executive development to assist in their transition to their new roles as leaders of healthcare organizations. The SES Coaching Network leverages experienced VHA executives as facilitators for two face-to-face sessions with the new VHA SES. One session covers conducting crucial conversations with healthcare professionals and the second regards executive decision making in the healthcare environment. Additional topics relevant to healthcare leadership are incorporated in the discussions. The executive training is rounded out through a series of webinars facilitated by VHA subject matter experts and covering both broad topics, like building effective relationships, and health care-specific technical issues, such as medical center performance metrics. This attention on further developing VHA’s health care executives is an essential supplement to the training and executive coaching services offered by the Department for new SES members.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Webinar Clinical Consult Trigger Tool Presentation by Dr. Peter Almenoff
8/11/16 Webinar also recorded – archived presentation pending
• 17 customized mentor matches accomplished with internal VHA senior executives
• Conducted 17 personalized orientations with new senior executive appointees)
• A Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) was awarded that provides for mentoring services for newly appointed VHA senior executives by mentors who possess years of experience at VHA as healthcare senior executives.
VHA MENTOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM:
The goal of the VHA Mentor Certification Program is to provide structured training that ensures VHA's workforce development programs are equipped with skilled certified mentors, coaches and preceptors. The program is governed by the VHA Mentor Advisory Board. Administratively the program is managed by Healthcare Leadership Talent Institute (HLTI). There are three levels of certification. Each level builds upon the experiential foundation of the prior level. A national VHA database tracks certification progression. Levels of certification are acquired by logging Practical Experience entries onto the VHA Mentor Certification website.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Many rural facilities are taking advantage of a field-managed virtual version of the core training. In Q4, an average of 20 new Fellow and 35 Resident Level Mentors achieved certification.
NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION (NCA):
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Thirteen members of NCA’s Cemetery Director Intern Class of 2015/2016 graduated on July 22, 2016. These new VA leaders reported to follow-on assignments as Assistant Cemetery Directors the week of August 8.
• Fourteen members of the Cemetery Director Intern Class of 2016/2017 matriculated September 6, 2016, in residence at NCA’s National Training Center in St. Louis, MO, where the members will spend a year receiving classroom and hands-on training in cemetery operations and management, leadership, business acumen and the history and culture of NCA.
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION (VBA):
ASPIRING SENIOR LEADERS PROGRAM (ASLP)
ASLP is a national leadership development program for current GS 14-15 employees within the various business lines and staff offices of VBA. This program seeks to prepare participants for senior level management positions in our Field and Central Offices. Participants engage in a comprehensive curriculum that includes building foundational leadership skills through the use of the Situational Leadership Model, scenario-based activities, and detail assignments that further develop and sharpen leadership capabilities within the individual.
This program places emphasis on the organizational tools required to be successful in varying senior level roles, as participants discuss with Senior-level facilitators the importance of delegation, strategic planning, ethics, communication, and managing expectations.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Hosted Foundations Week September 12-16.
LEADERSHIP ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (LEAD):
LEAD is designed as a national leadership development program for current GS 9-12 employees within various business lines and staff offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). This program seeks to enhance and develop individual leadership capabilities through a team-centric, collaborative approach. Participants are assigned to teams, develop project charters, create work process structures, and design project timelines as they cultivate relationships through the lens of the Tuckman Group & Team Development Model.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Application announcement August 2016.
LEADERSHIP ENRICHMENT AND PROGRESSION PROGRAM (LEAP):
LEAP (formerly LDP) is designed as a national leadership development program for current GS 12-14 employees within the various business lines and staff offices of VBA. This program seeks to enrich the participants’ leadership knowledge and competencies by engaging them in critical thought, independent and group learning activities, as well as ongoing writing assignments. This program places emphasis on the individual leader, as participants will reflect and analyze their leadership style and job functionalities in conjunction with their personal career development plans. Throughout the duration of the program, the participant will be responsible for completing a Capstone project that encapsulates the knowledge gained and lessons learned during the program.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Hosted Executive Week September 27-29 in Washington, DC.
Other VBA training during Q4 included:
NEW SUPERVISOR SOFT-SKILLS TRAINING (NSSST):
NSSST is a 20-hour, web-based training program providing all new VBA supervisors with critical training that assists them in successfully navigating their new role. This course consists of five self-paced modules within TMS under Curriculum ID VBA-505. This training must be completed within the first week of the employee’s appointment to their new supervisory position. The NSSST Course is a pre-requisite for enrollment into the Supervisory Management Training (SMT) course. A pre- and post-test is administered in NSSST to assess the degree of learning.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• 82 participants completed NSSST for Q4 FY 2016. In FY 2016, 375 participants completed NSSST. Our target completion for FY16 Q4 was 150, fifty participants per session. Due to organizational needs we experienced lower than expected enrollment and were unable to meet this target.
SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING (SMT) PROGRAM:
SMT is a blended two-week cohort training providing new VBA supervisors with the foundation and tools needed for a successful transition into supervisory leadership roles. SMT consists of five Instructor-led, Web-based Training modules to increase their leadership awareness, and a one-week Residential session focusing on managerial technical training held at the VBA Professional Development Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. A pre-requisite for enrollment into SMT is completion of the 20-hour NSSST Program; it consists of five self-paced modules within TMS. A pre- and post-test is administered in NSSST and the SMT Residential session to assess the degree of learning.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• SMT 2016-11 session was offered from September 12 – September 18.
• 82 participants completed SMT.
• For FY2016: a total of 375 participants completed all 10 required SMT sessions.
ADVANCED MANAGEMENT TRAINING (AMT):
AMT is a one week residential, instructor-led cohort training program designed for newly appointed Senior & Division Level Managers; it is conducted at the VBA Professional Development Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. AMT provides VBA Senior Managers with the advanced knowledge, tools, and skills needed to achieve success in accomplishing their designated duties and responsibilities. A pre- and post-test is administered to assess the degree of learning.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• 25 participants completed AMT.
• For FY2016: a total of 88 participants completed 3 AMT sessions.
EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM (ELP)
The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is designed as a District leadership development program for current GS7-9 employees within various Services and Staff Offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). This leadership program seeks to promote and enhance leadership characteristics within the individual, as well as to strengthen the connection between their foreseen leadership roles and the systems through which they influence organizational operations. In addition, the Tuckman Group & Team Development Model is infused throughout the curriculum which highlights the importance of communication, collaboration, and trust between management and fellow employees as precepts to leadership.
In Q4 FY 2016:
• ELP announced the application and selection requirements to the Centennial District.
VBA LEAN SIX SIGMA TRAINING:
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Training Completed:
• LSS Yellow Belt: 17
• LSS Green Belt: 13
VA LEAN AND LSS:
In Q4 FY 2016:
• VA Acquisition Academy (VAAA) trained 114 students in Lean Six Sigma
• 200 Senior Leaders attended the Lean Learning Station Course conducted at the senior leader off site.
• The total FY 16 Lean Six Sigma figure is 569 students trained with ~114 in Q4.
• Approximately 57 senior leaders were trained in Lean by the Veterans Engineering Resource Center (VERC).
WORKFORCE PLANNING AND ANALYSIS:
A contributing factor to an improved employee experience is hiring and vacancies. An integrated corporate-level workforce planning process is underway , to include oversight of the Quadrennial Strategic Workforce Planning
Process (with Administration and Staff Office-level Strategic Workforce Plans (SWPs), as well as a corporate-level SWP) and
alignment and integration of workforce planning efforts with MFR (Managing for Results/aka Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution, or PPBE).
In Q4 FY 2016:
• Drafted first ever VA-wide Strategic Workforce Plan
• Agreement from Office of Management’s Program Analysis and Evaluation to review Admin and Office-level SWPs during mission programming phase of the MFR, and possibly consult with SWP developers.
Next Steps
LEADERS DEVELOPING LEADERS TRAINING (LDL):
• LDL cascade training will continue throughout VA and will continue to exceed its FY2016 goal of 12,000.
• This program will transition from HR&A / VALU to VHA’s Healthcare Leadership Talent Institute (HTLI) in FY2017.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT COUNCIL (EEC)
• 28 October 2016: Facility – level engagement plans are due. Nearly 300 employee engagement champions across VA will submit plans to improve employee engagement at their facilities NLT October 31. Action plans will be based on FY16 FEVS results.
• Develop VA enterprise EE Action Plan
LEADERSHIP VA (LVA):
• LVA FY2016 Cohort: Session IV and Graduation November 14 – 18, 2016 Washington, DC
• LVA FY2017 Cohort: Applications accepted from 8 September to 7 October. Applications will be reviewed and selections
submitted for review and approval.
• This program will transition from HR&A / VALU to VHA’s Healthcare Leadership Talent Institute (HTLI) in FY2017.
SENIOR EXECUTIVE WORKSHOP SERIES (SEWS):
Two additional SEWS will be conducted during the first quarter. The first will focus on the importance of Strategic Communication and how to maximize the effectiveness of these communications. The second SEWS will focus upon preparing executives for completing their end of year performance plans.
SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP):
• October 3-7, 2016 Emerging Executives Annapolis, MD
• Oct 3, 2016 - Sept 22, 2017 Developmental Assignments TBD
• Sept 25, 2017 Graduation Annapolis, MD
• This program will transition from HR&A / VALU to VHA’s Healthcare Leadership Talent Institute (HTLI) in FY2017.
VIRTUAL ASPIRING LEADERS PROGRAM (VALP):
• Capstone Presentations October 31 – 18 November
• Cohort 1 – Virtual Graduation date is November 9th
• Cohort 2 – Virtual Graduation November 22nd
• This program will transition from HR&A / VALU to VHA’s Healthcare Leadership Talent Training Institute (HTLI) in FY2017.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP COURSE I (SLC 1):
VA will conduct one SLC 1 course during the first quarter of FY 2017. This program’s executive course critique will be used to drive further refinements to future iterations. The program will continue to stress the transfer of skills from the classroom to the workplace. Post course surveys will be used to measure the parts of the program that are most often used by attendees.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP COURSE II – STRATEGIC THINKING (SLC II):
VA will conduct one SLC II course during the first quarter of FY 2017. This course will introduce three action learning projects related to important organizational challenges. Results from learning projects will be briefed to the VA Chief of Staff. Feedback from these projects will be shared with senior decision makers across VA and will be used to improve existing processes and procedures and in the development of new VA programs. Program evaluations will be used to identify areas for improvement.
STRENGTHENING THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE:
When OPM provides their feedback regarding the VA’s Executive Job Rotation Program, VA will refine and finalize its action plans.
We anticipate the program including features such as:
• 120-day rotational assignments inside and outside the VA
• Targeting the most talented executives
• A focus/priority to developmental rotational assignments
CSEMO EXECUTIVE COACHING:
• VA will continue to explore ways to expand the use of coaching services with an emphasis upon accelerating executive success.
NEW SUPERVISORS ESSENTIALS (NSE):
• VA anticipates the publication of a Policy Memorandum for Supervisor and Manager Refresher (SMR) and completing the
roll-out in the Talent Management System (TMS).
• This will complete the implementation of all three phases of NSE.
• New Supervisors Essentials (NSE) and Supervisor and Manager Refresher (SMR) Training will be maintained and sustained
in FY2017.
• This program will transition from HR&A / VALU to VHA’s Healthcare Leadership Talent Institute (HTLI) in FY2017.
INDIVIDUAL AND ELECTRONIC INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS (IDP AND eIDP):
• High-level Milestones
o Phase 3
Complete Release to National Cemetery Administration Financial Management Office
Target: October FY 2017
Outcome: Outcome: Fully supported eIDP release to approximately 15 employees, documented closeout report, continued end-user support
o Phase 4
Manage VA Human Resources Academy and VALU Transition to FY 2017 eIDPs
Target: October FY 2017
Outcome: Employees Archive FY 2016 Plans and Create FY 2017 Plans, continued end-user support
o Phase 5
Department-wide Release
Target: First Quarter FY 2017
Outcome: Make available fully supported eIDP release to approximately 300,000 employees
CORPORATE EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (CEDB):
• The Corporate Employee Development Board selected 185 VA employees to attend training in the 2016-2017 Academic Year.
• Programs slated:
• Federal Executive Institute (FEI): 56
• Graduate School USA: 15
• White House Leadership Development Program: 2
• George Washington University: 7
• American University: 19
• Harvard Kennedy School: 30
• Partnership for Public Service: 31
• University of Maryland: 20
• National Preparedness Leadership Initiative: 5
• This program will transition from HR&A / VALU to VHA’s Healthcare Leadership Talent Institute (HTLI) in FY2017.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT RESOURCE CENTER: Using Google Analytics, EES plans to baseline and identify indicators to better assess resources center quality and usefulness.
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA):
LEADERSHIP, EFFECTIVENESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DEVELOPMENT (LEAD) PROGRAMS:
• Continue local-level execution of the LEAD programs
HEALTH CARE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (HCLDP):
The HLTI program office is on target to finalize selections of HCLDP 2017 candidates by November 1, 2016.
EXECUTIVE CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (ECDP):
• Application system has launched to 52 potential candidates and screen down to approximately 20 selectees; define mentor matching process; plan assessment component of program; identify and finalize additional training and curriculum requirements in anticipation of a pilot ECDP class selected by early FY 2017.
NEW EXECUTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM (NExT):
• Next training session scheduled for September 2016 was postponed until FY 2017.
VHA SES COACHING NETWORK:
• SES Coaching Network face-to-face Conference scheduled for Nov 15-17, 2016 in Washington DC area.
• Webinar featuring Lean Management Practices at Palo Alto.
VHA MENTOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM:
• Certification will be transitioning from a centrally-managed process to a decentralized one, with certification authority being vested in the VISN Master Mentor Trainers.
NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION (NCA):
• Continue execution of the Cemetery Director intern program for class of 2016/2017.
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION (VBA):
ASPIRING SENIOR LEADERS PROGRAM (ASLP):
• Program selections made and the program launched with a program completion date of fourth quarter FY 2017.
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP COACHING PROGRAM (ELCP):
ELCP (formerly LCP) is designed as a national leadership development program for current GS 13-15 employees within the various business lines and staff offices of VBA. This program seeks to provide recently selected Regional, Area, and Central Office Division-Level Managers with timely executive coaching, leadership development, and managerial training.
• Formal announcement and program kick-off in first quarter FY 2017.
LEADERSHIP ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (LEAD):
• Program kick-off taking place during first quarter FY 2017.
LEADERSHIP ENRICHMENT AND PROGRESSION PROGRAM (LEAP):
NEW SUPERVISOR SOFT-SKILLS TRAINING (NSSST):
• In FY 2017 SMT participants are required to complete the 20 course hours of NSSST to meet the pre-requisites for nomination for the SMT program.
SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING (SMT) PROGRAM:
• 10 offerings for FY 2017: Q1 (1 session); Q2 (2 sessions); Q3 (4 sessions); Q4 (3 sessions).
INTERMEDIATE MANAGEMENT TRAINING (IMT):
• Will conduct 2 sessions in FY 2017: Q2 (1 session); Q4 (1 session).
ADVANCED MANAGEMENT TRAINING (AMT):
• We will conduct 2 sessions in FY 2017: Q1 (1 session); Q3 (1 session).
EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM (ELP)
• Will launch Foundations Week in-resident training FY17Q1.
VA-LEVEL LEAN AND LEAN SIX SIGMA:
• In Q1 FY17: Lean training will continue and be led by VAAA and the VERC. Lean is part of an FY 17 Department initiative.
WORKFORCE PLANNING AND ANALYSIS:
• Kickoff of SWP refresh cycle (late October)
• First Quarterly SWP Action Plan Progress Update Meeting (November)
• Drafting of VA-wide SWP refresh (Dec – Jan)
• Full Quadrennial SWP cycle (kickoff June 2017 upon advance release of VA Strategic Plan)
• Finalize and begin execution of VA FY17-21 Strategic Workforce Plan (pending approval).
Expand All
Performance Indicators
IMPROVE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK PROVIDED TO EMPLOYEES BY SUPERVISORS
IMPROVE EMPLOYEES' PERCEPTION OF LEADERS HOLDING EMPLOYEES ACCOUNTABLE
INCREASE THE LEVEL OF EMPOWERMENT THAT EMPLOYEES FEEL WITH RESPECT TO WORK PROCESSES
IMPROVE EMPLOYEES' PERCEPTION THAT THEIR IDEAS ARE CONSIDERED
INCREASE LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION PROVIDED TO EMPLOYEES BY LEADERSHIP
IMPROVE EMPLOYEES' PERCEPTION OF LEADERS HOLDING THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE
Contributing Programs & Other Factors
Other contributing programs are listed within the strategies in this APG. All VA Administrations and Staff Offices will contribute to the accomplishment of this APG by implementing the strategies and tools developed by internal program offices to improve the employee experience.
No Data Available
