Summer 2024
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To assist VA as it creates its next Strategic Plan, the QUERI Center for Evaluation and Implementation Resources (CEIR) conducted a four-month rapid evaluation to identify Veteran and VA leadership priorities, make recommendations for VA and strategic planning process improvement, and generate questions for VA’s Office of Enterprise Integration to consider in the Strategic Plan development process.
CEIR’s rapid evaluation consisted of three key activities:
- An environmental scan, which involved a document analysis of summary reports from research institutes, research databases, news articles and opinion pieces from Veteran organization websites, and government websites to understand the current state of Veterans, employees, and VA. A total of 296 documents were screened, with 170 included for full-text review.
- Focus groups with more than 90 Veterans serving on Health Systems Research Centers of Innovation Veteran Engagement Panels.
- Interviews with 26 VA leaders.
Top Priorities That Emerged Across Evaluation Activities
- Access and continuity of care, health benefits, and workforce (e.g., understaffing, employee performance management).
- Civilian transition and outreach, community care and privatization, and customer relations.
- Budget and funding; conditions and treatment; data management; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; special Veteran groups (e.g., rural Veterans); and younger Veterans.
- Education, training, and employment; homelessness; quality and consistency of care; and women’s health.
Recommended Areas for VA Improvement Mentioned Across Data Collection Activities
- Access and continuity of care
- Workforce
- VA benefits and services
- Data management processes
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
- VA technology
- Transition from military to civilian life
- Customer relations and outreach
- Care for Veterans with special needs
- VA integration and collaboration
- VA efficiency
- VA infrastructure
- Education, training, and employment
- Veteran inclusion in VA decision-making
Recommendations Mentioned for Creation of Next VA Strategic Plan
I. Prioritization, Specificity, and Definition
- Have specific, defined, and focused measurable targets.
- Use strong evidence and data.
- Consider equity in strategic planning.
- Adopt a strengths-based approach.
- Balance quality with cost.
- Prioritize implementation and outcomes over planning.
- Carefully consider VA’s definition of “value.”
- Ensure follow-through on priorities and closure before additional priorities are added.
- Support High-Reliability Organization principles.
II. Communication and Integration
- Base the Strategic Plan on a strong learning agenda between the Veterans Benefits Administration and VHA.
- Incorporate both top-down and bottom-up communication channels.
- Engage site leadership to gain a better understanding of regional challenges.
- Consult with a variety of partner groups.
- Design better communication channels with Congress.
- Use a strong communication toolkit.
- More actively integrate the VA administrations to improve budgeting, performance, and planning across the enterprise.
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