Annex A - Management Response and Action Plans

The Performance Information Profiles (PIPs) outlines the Program outputs and outcomes and identifies a number of indicators that will be used to measure those outcomes. These profiles also establish targets indicating the level of performance that the Program plans to achieve within a specified time period. Service Delivery’s Centralized Operations Division adjudicates the first option in the redress process, Departmental Reviews (DRs). The Bureau of Pensions Advocates (BPA) regularly receives requests from Veterans for an ‘appeal’ of their first decision that is more appropriate to be reviewed by the Department (Departmental Review). The Bureau’s publicly communicated service standard to have a case prepared for the VRAB is 21 weeks from the date of first contact. Currently, the PIPs related to the Disability Benefits Program do not include indicators related to DRs, or BPA’s responsibilities in the VRAB Review, Appeal and Reconsiderations Processes.

To rectify this, COD will work with BPA and other departmental partners to develop outputs, outcomes and indicators for DRs and BPA’s responsibilities in the VRAB Review, Appeal and Reconsiderations Processes which will be added to the PIPs for the Disability Benefits Program.

VAC is engaging with the Board in developing the redress GCcase system. Disability redress processing will be captured in this new system. The work is set to begin in April, 2022. Progress is dependent on VAC resources to develop and implement the system changes. Given limited resources and the move to GCcase by VAC, the Board has decided to focus on the development of this new system for redress, rather than invest in the legacy technology.

As this system is developed, the Board will undertake to include, in the new GCcase redress system, indicators that will enable data capture of reasons for decisions. The Board will collaborate with VAC in determining the data decision points to be captured. Once implemented, the Board will regularly share the data reports with VAC.

While the various areas involved in the Disability Benefits redress process have informal meetings, currently there is no formalized approach for communication and information sharing that encompasses the Service Delivery Branch, the Strategic Policy and Commemoration Branch, the Bureau of Pensions Advocates, and the Veterans Review and Appeal Board.

To establish a more collaborative environment, Service Delivery will arrange more formalized meetings involving these areas that will take place three times per year. These meetings will include the Director General level and the applicable directors from each area, and will be documented through the use of agendas and records of decision. Periodically, these meetings will include updates from the Veterans Ombud regarding information related to Disability Benefits systemic reviews and complaints.

The Bureau of Pensions Advocates is structured regionally. This has created some regional variance in practices. To some degree this is necessary to allow lawyers to practice law as they deem appropriate. Departmental reviews represent an area of legal practice that overlaps between a lawyer’s personal preference, and administrative standardization in process.

With respect to the differing numbers of Departmental Reviews in the western region, the main reason for this is the backlog of French Departmental Reviews at Centralized Operations Division, thereby moving non-western region files to hearing at VRAB instead for faster service to the client.

However, The Bureau of Pensions Advocates agrees that there is room for improvement in standardizing the approach for which files move to Departmental Review, and which ones are heard by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. Details are below.