Initial evaluation work included a cross-jurisdictional review of streamlined program access. Employee feedback and information on decision making processes for the CRB and APSC were also collected.
3.1 Streamlining of program processes in other jurisdictions
The evaluation team conducted a literature review and a review of other governmental jurisdictional policies and practices to look for examples of streamlined program access. In reviewing the academic literature, related to these other jurisdictions, the team noted that, considerations should be made regarding: enhancing Veteran awareness of their programs; providing clear explanations regarding eligibility requirements; offering referrals to specific programs that Veterans are eligible for; prioritizing the reduction of barriers in strategic plans; and including barrier reduction components in program designs (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018; Morgan et al., 2020; Government Accountability Office, 2014; Richardson et al., 2019).
The team also found evidence in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand of streamlining access to certain Veteran benefits. In Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada is also streamlining by integrating the Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement applications which reduces both the need for multiple applications and administrative burden on the client.
3.2 Information Access, Guidance, and Eligibility Decisions
A review of documentation and interview data suggests that there are opportunities to improve the guidance documents for CRB and APSC decision making.
In 2017, the Department undertook an internal exercise to better understand what Veterans and their families experience when they interact with VAC. It did this by following their steps and experiences of navigating the benefits and services offered. The results suggested that the Department could benefit from making client information more accessible to program decision makers if and when it is required.
Additionally, upon reviewing APSC program policies, the evaluation team found directions for decision making that included statements such as “where possible use existing information on file” and “may already have the required information”, however the potential locations and sources of this existing information were not provided. Because of this, some program decision makers reported having created their own informal working documents to support efforts in locating the existing information. The 2020 Caregiver Recognition Benefit (CRB) Evaluation noted that guidance documentation for decision makers lacked sufficient detail. The CRB Evaluation reported that decision makers relied on multiple sources for locating information.
VAC has two client management systems which store client program information for PSC, APSC and CRB. Decision makers have to navigate these systems to locate documents to support their work. This process can prove time consuming and challenging. Interviews and observations with APSC decision makers identified that there are a variety of VAC documents available that measure or discuss a Veteran’s impairment(s) and barrier(s) including various different medical assessments, ToD worksheets, and client notes. It was noted that some of these documents collect similar or duplicate information. The Client Service Delivery Network (CSDN) has multiple sections where health information or relevant documents are stored. CSDN also offers different levels of access based on job related tasks. CSDN information will gradually be migrated over and housed in GCcase. Complete migration to GCcase with clear direction to operational employees will help to mitigate the risk that information may be overlooked or missed from the decision making processes.
The evaluation team found there may be opportunities to reduce the potential burden and duplication of effort for clients and staff. This could be done if alignments are formalized between existing programs with similar assessment criteria and where possible, using information already gathered by the department such as the information gathered when populating the ToD worksheet.
3.3 National Survey
In 2017, Veterans Affairs Canada conducted a National Client Survey of 1,508 Veterans from various different client groups of the department. One survey question asked respondents their level of agreement with the statement “I found all of the service and benefits for which I may be eligible”.
| Agreement level with “Being able to find all of the services and benefits for which I am eligible | Overall (all client health levels) | Clients who reported Poor Health | Clients who reported Poor Mental Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 22.5% | 42.5% | 42.4% |
The level of agreement with this statement dropped by 20% for the CAF Veterans who reported their mental health and/or health as “poor” compared to all clients surveyed. This suggests that it is harder for these Veterans with poor physical overall health or mental health to find the programs and services they are eligible for.