Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond

Core Responsibilities

Benefits, Services and Support

Description: Support the care and well-being of Veterans and their dependents or survivors through a range of benefits, services, research, partnerships and advocacy.

Planning Highlights

Our core responsibility of Benefits, Services and Support encompasses eleven of the fourteen programs and services offered by Veterans Affairs Canada. As Canada’s Veteran population continues to change and evolve, we are also continuously evolving what we do and how we do it in order to meet their needs. Everything we do under this Core Responsibility is designed to achieve the following Departmental results: Veterans are physically and mentally well; Veterans and their families are financially secure; Veterans have a sense of purpose; Veterans are able to adapt, manage, and cope with post service life; and Veterans are satisfied with the services they receive. Below are the highlights of what we plan to do in 2019–20 to advance these results.

Pension for Life

On April 1, 2019 we will launch Pension for Life and reintroduce lifelong monthly payments to Veterans who are living with a disability due to a service-related injury or illness. Pension for Life is comprised of benefits that provide recognition, income support and stability to Veterans in recognition of their service-related pain and suffering. Pension for Life includes the following individual benefits: Pain and Suffering Compensation, Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation and the Income Replacement Benefit. Veterans already receiving disability benefits will be seamlessly transitioned to Pension for Life with no interruption in benefits or payments.

Through Pension for Life, we will deliver on commitments from the Government of Canada to re-establish lifelong pensions as an option for ill and injured Veterans; streamline the current suite of financial benefits to reduce overlap and administrative burden; and increase the survivors’ pension amount from 50% to 70%.

Timely Decisions

Over the past several years we have seen a significant increase in disability benefit applications. To respond to this increased demand, we are changing the way we process applications. We will use integrated teams made up of employees from all areas involved in processing disability applications from beginning to end, rather than sending the applications through distinct processing areas. These new integrated teams will decrease wait times for all disability claim types by reducing the number of hand-offs and increasing collaboration and knowledge sharing. We have been piloting this approach since August 2018 with positive results and will expand this method across our operations by the end of the next fiscal year. Additionally, VAC will complete the hiring of 260 full time equivalents in roles directly supporting program delivery in 2020. This will further increase our capacity to process disability applications as well as support the launch of Pension for Life. We will also establish a new team to process RCMP disability benefit applications, which is the first of a national network of processing units that will help adjudicators make more decisions without requiring additional reviews and hand-offs.

We are changing the way we get service health records from the Department of National Defence by identifying the precise information we need and arranging for direct access to required records. As a result, adjudicators will have more timely access to review service health records which will allow for faster processing of applications.

We are also experimenting with six consequential disabilities which we understand may result from a service related mental health condition. Through a pilot program, we will adjust processes to provide Veterans who receive favourable decisions for a mental health condition with automatic entitlement for associated consequential conditions. These disabilities include Xerostomia, Erectile Dysfunction (ED), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and Bruxism. We expect that this approach will help reduce the paperwork burden for Veterans, provide immediate access for financial reimbursement and reduce paperwork.

Transition Support

In 2019–20 we will continue our work with the Canadian Armed Forces-VAC Transition Task Force. This will include reconfirming joint priorities, monitoring our progress and working together to enable a seamless transition for all members to post service life. This task force will pilot a new joint process at the Canadian Armed Forces base in Borden to determine the capabilities required for Transition Centres. We will trial new individualized transition tools and processes for all releasing CAF members to determine how to best update and integrate our transition process. We will also continue to work with CAF to ensure their transition materials and tools contain up to date information about our programs and services. This includes reference materials like the My Transition Guide and My Transition Services app, as well as a joint transition website.

Working in close cooperation with CAF, we will launch the final implementation stage of the Veteran Service Card in September 2019. This will help Veterans stay connected to programs and services during transition while also providing recognition to all those who previously served as CAF members. We will also continue to work with the Public Service Commission, DND and CAF to promote the hiring of Veterans across the Government of Canada. We will support this through targeted efforts to support priority hiring and interdepartmental exchange of best practices.

Evolving Service

We are working to expand online services for the delivery of Veterans’ benefits. We are putting initiatives in place to increase CAF members’ and Veterans’ awareness and use of My VAC Account, and to simplify and improve tools such as the online guided application. A new simplified paper application for disability benefits will also be available in 2019–20. As part of the disability application process, we will release a new suite of revised medical questionnaires in the summer of 2019. These questionnaires will be shorter and clearer for both Veterans and their doctors. We also currently have a multiyear initiative under way to implement new electronic case management tools that will help ensure the right support for Veterans based on their level of risk and unmet needs.

We will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to ensure Veterans and their families can access the services they need when they need them. We will continue to implement the preferred admission initiative for long term care by working closely with provinces and health authorities. This initiative will expand and expedite access to long term care for a new group of Veterans who are eligible for care within a community facility rather than a contract bed. We are also working with national, regional and local Veteran homelessness organizations to advance our strategy to prevent and end homelessness. We have identified a point of contact to work with homeless Veterans, local homelessness organizations, other service providers and community services at each of our local offices. Together with these partners we will continue our efforts to identify and assist homeless Veterans.

As part of the mandate letter commitments, $22.4 million was committed between 2017 and 2020 to a communications and outreach renewal initiative aimed at ensuring that Veterans and their families know about the range of supports and services available to them. We intend to improve the way we connect and interact with Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their families, including the way we listen to their feedback and understand their needs, so that VAC communications products and efforts reflect what Veterans really need in terms of information from the Department.

Understanding Veterans

In 2019–20 we will gather more information to better understand the entire Veteran population. We are working to build a comprehensive Veteran registry with Statistics Canada. This will involve identifying Veterans on Statistics Canada Surveys with a focus on the Canadian Community Health Survey in 2019–20 and the 2021 Census. We will also award up to $3 million in grants and contributions through the Veterans and Family Well-being Fund, to encourage private organizations and groups to conduct research and implement initiatives that support the well-being of Veterans and their families.

We will enter into a three year contribution agreement with the newly formed Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and related Mental Health Conditions. This Centre of Excellence will be dedicated to the generation and dissemination of knowledge on the prevention, assessment and treatment of PTSD and related mental health conditions in the Canadian Veteran and active military population. An important aspect of the Centre of Excellence is its focus on identifying the unique mental health needs of Canadian active and released personnel sub populations. We will complete a full Gender Based Analysis Plus review to generate knowledge which will lead to a more comprehensive and client-focused continuum of mental health care and services.

Female Veterans represent an increasing proportion of the Veteran population. We are working to continue the discussion relating to the unique experience of female Veterans to identify research, program development and policy priorities. This includes a full GBA+ review of disability benefit processing to address gender equality concerns raised by the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman in the 2018 report Meeting Expectations: Timely and Transparent Decisions for Canada’s Ill and Injured Veterans.

We have seen a decreasing trend across a number of our results in recent years which is partly due to an increase in the demand for the services and programs we offer. The improvements to programs and services for Veterans and their families discussed throughout this section are intended to help advance these results.

Note: Additional information on human resources variances can be found in the “Planned human resources” section of this report. Fluctuations from 2019–20 to 2020–21 are the result of temporary resources that were put in place to support program delivery, to implement Pension for Life and to reduce a backlog of case files. This shift reflects the fact that additional resources over the two year period, from 2018–19 to 2019–20, were a temporary measure to address the backlog of case files. The Department will continue to assess its progress toward reducing this backlog over the coming year.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Veterans Affairs Canada’s Program Inventory is available in the Government of Canada (GC) InfoBase.

Commemoration

Description: Pay tribute to the sacrifices and achievements of those who served in Canada’s military efforts.

Planning Highlights

Commemoration is comprised of various components which support the Government of Canada’s duty to pay tribute to the contribution and sacrifice of all who have served and continue to serve our country in times of war, military conflict and peace. Everything we do under this core responsibility aims to achieve the following results: Veterans and those who died in service are honoured; and Canadians remember and appreciate Veterans and those who died in service. Below are the highlights of what we plan to do in 2019–20 to advance these results.

Anniversaries and Initiatives

In 2019, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of key Second World War milestones including D-Day and the Battle of Normandy as well as the Italian Campaign. Commemorative initiatives will include events in Canada and abroad, Confederation Boulevard banners in the National Capital Region, and a series of specially created learning resources to engage youth and educators in remembering those who so selflessly served our country. We will also provide grants and contributions to groups across the country that are leading commemorative projects, including those that mark significant military milestones.

The sacrifices and accomplishments of Veterans from the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and modern-day conflicts will continue to be shared through content such as the Heroes Remember series of testimonial videos. Every effort will be made to develop material featuring men and women of diverse cultural and regional backgrounds. Furthermore, we will use various means, such as social media, to promote commemorative initiatives across the country and to reach diverse audiences.

Throughout 2019–20 we will lay the foundation for initiatives commemorating anniversaries in upcoming years. An important focus will be inviting youth in particular to take on a more prominent role as they carry the torch of remembrance.

Memorials and Grave Maintenance

We will continue to work closely with Canadian Heritage and the National Capital Commission to make progress on creating a National Memorial to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan. The Memorial will recognize the commitment and sacrifice of Canadian men and women, both military and civilian, who served in Afghanistan as well as the support provided to them by Canadians at home.

Using resources announced in Budget 2018 we will also continue work on the five-year project to expedite Veteran grave repair items.

Evolving Commemorative Experiences

We will continue to explore novel ways of engaging Canadians in remembering and appreciating Veterans and those who died in service. We have been using creativity and leveraging technology to produce and promote commemorative experiences at events and as part of learning resources and in overseas visitor centre exhibits. Going forward, we will incorporate more innovative, artistic elements into our initiatives and implement experimental approaches that offer Canadians immersive and participatory remembrance opportunities. We will monitor feedback and analyze results to inform decision-making and guide the development of future initiatives.

Preparing for the Future

In 2018, an overarching commemoration evaluation identified the need for a strategic plan to ensure effective multi-year planning and implementation of commemorative initiatives. A 10-year Commemoration strategic plan that sets a clear vision for VAC to continue to be a leader in the field of military commemoration has been developed. The 2019–2029 plan will inform priority-setting and decision-making. Going forward, we will focus efforts on reaching a new level of accomplishment in commemoration through various initiatives based on three foundational pillars – engagement, stewardship and innovation.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Veterans Affairs Canada’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Veterans Ombudsman

Description: Provide an independent and impartial review of complaints and issues related to programs and services delivered by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio and uphold the Veterans Bill of Rights.

Planning Highlights

The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman (OVO) works toward ensuring that the sacrifices of Canada’s Veterans and their families are recognized through the provision of services, benefits, and support in a fair and timely manner. In 2018 we welcomed a new Ombudsman, Craig Dalton, who will lead the office until 2023. The Ombudsman plays an important role in raising awareness of the needs and concerns of Veterans and their families. Everything we do under this core responsibility aims to achieve the following results: Veterans and their families have access to a timely review of complaints about the programs, services and support delivered by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio; and issues about the programs, services and support provided to Veterans and their families by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio are identified and addressed. Below are the highlights of what we plan to do in 2019–20 to advance these results.

Concerns and Complaints

In 2019–20, we will review and address individual complaints related to programs and services provided by Veterans Affairs Canada or by third parties on VAC’s behalf. This includes individual decisions related to programs and services for which there is no right of appeal to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. By addressing individual complaints, we are able to identify and address emerging trends.

We are working to improve turnaround times for addressing complaints. In 2019–20 we will build on our Backlog Reduction Strategy which was established in late 2018. This includes streamlining our business processes and grouping similar files so that we can respond more efficiently. We are also re-organizing team roles based on Ombudsman best practice research which will help us use resources more effectively.

To better support Veterans’ real-time access to OVO services, we will also experiment with options to develop an online booking tool. We will look at integrating our online complaint form with the newly implemented case management system to improve automation of the complaint process. These initiatives support the Government of Canada priority to increase the digitization of services.

Engagement and Planning

We will identify issues, challenges and concerns faced by Veterans and their families through outreach and engagement with the Veteran community, partners, Parliamentarians and others. This will help us to develop initiatives and recommendations to ensure fairness in providing adequate, sufficient and accessible benefits and services that address the unique needs of Veterans and their families. We also plan to develop and implement a new strategic plan to guide the five year mandate of the Veterans Ombudsman.

Fairness for Veterans

To support the government-wide priorities of gender equality, diversity and inclusiveness, the OVO will continue to advocate for the fair treatment of Canada’s diverse Veteran population, including females, Francophones, Indigenous Veterans, reservists, and other groups. We will also conduct research and analysis, and make recommendations to address issues of fairness for Veterans and their families with a focus on:

• The service experience for Veterans and their families when dealing with VAC;
• The financial support provided to Veterans and their families, including implementation of Pension for Life;
• The support to Veterans and their families during transition; and
• Health supports provided to Veterans and their families.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Veterans Affairs Canada’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

VAC’s Internal Services

Description: Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of Programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Management Services; Materiel Management Services; and Acquisition Management Services.

Planning Highlights

The role of Internal Services at Veterans Affairs Canada is to support the Department’s work in providing benefits and services to Canada’s Veterans and their families, achieving mandate letter commitments and contributing to government wide priorities. Below are the highlights of what we plan to do in 2019–20 to support these initiatives.

Care for our People

We will continue to implement an integrated talent management framework to strengthen recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning, leadership development and succession planning. As a result of recommendations stemming from a System Wide Staffing Audit in 2016, we will develop and implement a Staffing File Review Framework that will focus on identifying trends and issues, assessing potential risks, and providing recommendations on appropriate actions.

We will work to implement several workplace well-being and diversity measures with the objective of creating safer and more positive workspaces in support of the Act to amend the Canada Labour Code. We will also work to create a more inclusive, accessible and diverse workplace and workforce to support Bill C-81, an Act to ensure a Barrier-free Canada.

Digital Focus

In 2018–19, VAC undertook a pilot to determine if artificial intelligence could accurately identify information of business value. The pilot was successful and as a result artificial intelligence will be further expanded throughout the Department. We will continue to modernize systems and processes to deliver internal services and to support staff with new and modern tools. This infrastructure and systems work will support the Open Government and OneGC initiatives, such as the implementation of the Government of Canada Financial and Material Management (GCFM) SAP solution which will be implemented at VAC as of April 1st, 2020. Also VAC’s own digital and data strategies will align with Government of Canada direction in managing people, information and technology.

We will continue to modernize Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and systems in collaboration with Shared Services Canada to ensure they are up to date and relevant. Infrastructure updates will focus on Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 2016 to ensure staff have access to modern and secure tools while Windows servers are upgraded to the latest Government of Canada standards to ensure they are secure and reliable.

VAC will continue to experiment with new and emerging technologies with an aim to increase accessibility and inclusion. This will include the exploration of capabilities offered by new digital communication tools as well as continued experimentation with tools such as Microsoft Translator to offer real-time transcription and translation for departmental events and meetings.

Sustainability

We are in the process of implementing GC Workplace in one of our head office buildings, which will both modernize our workplace and contribute to sustainability. We will achieve this by providing employees with supports like flexible work arrangements and a mobile workforce. This will allow for greater staffing flexibility and help us to create less waste. This initiative supports Blueprint 2020 from the Clerk of the Privy Council and the Federal Sustainability Development Strategy.

We are testing electronic systems with the Bureau of Pension Advocates that will help provide evidence packages in electronic format for Review hearings. We expect that this will help us to reduce the use of paper, and decrease the need to send courier packages to members ahead of hearings.

Pay Stabilization

We are establishing a five-year project team to support pay stabilization at VAC to address the backlog and to strengthen employee support. We will also investigate innovative operational approaches to solve on-going challenges to pay stabilization. In the first quarter, we will initiate two pilot projects. The initial focus will be to establish and enhance work processes with the goal of resolving issues at the first point of contact. We expect that these pilot projects will have multiple phases and we will adapt to ongoing monitoring and feedback.

Note: Planned spending in 2019–20 is higher due to temporary funding to support the implementation of Pension for Life and a communications outreach initiative.