Core Responsibilities: planned results and resources

Background: what is a Departmental Results Framework?

The Departmental Results Framework (DRF) outlines what we do (core responsibilities), what we aim to achieve (departmental results) and how progress is measured (departmental result indicators). The well-being of Veterans and their families is at the centre of this framework.

VAC uses established research about well-being to put together this framework, which includes: health, purpose, finances, housing and physical environment, social integration, life skills, as well as culture and social environment. Results under the core responsibility of Benefits, Services and Support focus on Veterans’ well-being. The results of the second core responsibility focus on commemoration, and the third focus on the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman (OVO).

Work is focused on both short/medium-term results, and longer-term results. We cannot do this work alone. To truly impact the well-being of Veterans, we must continue to work closely with partners across all levels of government, with stakeholder and advisory groups, and with communities both nationally and internationally.

The Life After Service Study (LASS) provides us with information and evidence on the Veteran community. This survey is only conducted every three years, as significant changes in responses would not be expected to occur in shorter periods. The 2017–18 and 2018–19 results presented in this report are derived from the 2016 LASS.

Work continues with other government departments to: gather more information to support the LASS findings; make better use of the information we collect; and expand our understanding of the Veteran community.

To complement the LASS, Census 2021, for the first time since 1971, will include a Veteran identifier question. This will provide us with the demographic, social and economic characteristics of Veterans in Canada, giving us a better understanding of the needs of all Veterans and their families and allow us to adapt our policies and services to better meet these needs.

For a visual representation of our results framework and associated Program Inventory (PI), please consult the “Reporting framework” section of this report. Complete framework methodologies, as well as financial, human resources and performance information for the PI are available in GC InfoBase.  

CR1: 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

We operate in an ever-changing environment as the needs of Canada’s Veterans and their families evolve. Through collaborative relationships with international counterparts, we will leverage the experiences of other countries to influence programs and services in support of the care and well-being of Canadian Veterans and their families.

Under this core responsibility, we continue to work on improving our benefits and services to Veterans and other clients through various initiatives. We categorized our plans under the departmental result they affect the most, and we highlight the links to the Minister’s mandate letter commitments (MLC).

Departmental result: Veterans are physically and mentally well.

The following plans will contribute to this departmental result in 2021–22:

• Our Research and Innovation Program will help increase expertise and knowledge on Canadian military and Veteran physical and mental health, suicide prevention, and substance use disorder issues and supports the transfer of that knowledge. We will continue to:
  • expand our understanding of Veterans’ most common health problems through the work of the Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Related Mental Health Conditions, and the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence; [MLC: contribution agreements]
  • support organizations, through the Veteran Family and Well-Being Fund, that are leading research, initiatives and projects supporting the well-being of Veterans and their families, including those impacted by COVID-19;
  • collaborate with, and support the work of, the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). [MLC: contribution agreements]
• We will offer nationally consistent rehabilitation services (e.g. medical, psycho-social and vocational) providing Veterans with a better experience through streamlined, quality services. [MLC: streamlining]
• We will continue to renew and modernize case management services to create a sustainable delivery model, including:
  • modernizing processes and tools to quickly identify Veterans’ needs and establish clearer case management plans;
  • maximizing the benefits of technology such as My VAC Account; and,
  • developing a robust performance reporting system and framework to measure and evaluate practices, outcomes and resource requirements.
  [MLC: streamlining]
• We will explore e-therapies, to compliment traditional therapy. Using technology to provide psychotherapy and other mental health services, as a treatment option for Veterans suffering from mental health conditions. [MLC: higher standard of service and care]
• We will continue to better support Veterans with mental health concerns and develop options to ensure they receive the programs and services they need quicker. [MLC: streamlining]
• We will study the effect of COVID-19 on Veterans’ physical and mental well-being over an 18-month period by working with our internal and external partners to analyze any emerging long-term effects.

Departmental result: Veterans and their families are financially secure.

In 2021–22, the following activities will contribute to this departmental result:

• We will continue our efforts to reduce wait times for disability benefit applications. We have a number of active initiatives to address this long-standing issue so that Veterans receive their decisions faster. [MLC: streamlining; automation]
• We plan to use new technology so that Veterans can access benefits and services more quickly and efficiently. Projects for 2021–22 include the progressive automation of disability applications for hearing loss and tinnitus, the addition of online guided forms, and the reduction or elimination of paper-based processes. [MLC: streamlining; automation]
• We will use the research and analysis done in collaboration with Statistics Canada to bring forward options on how best to support the financial well-being of survivors who married or entered into a common-law relationship with a Veteran after the Veteran’s 60th birthday.

Departmental result: Veterans have a sense of purpose.

To contribute to this departmental result, we will:

• promote the hiring of Veterans in the private sector in Canada and establish a new contract for career transition services that reflects the latest digital advancements in employment support services. We will also work with organizations to facilitate opportunities for Veterans to cultivate a sense of purpose outside of employment and careers. [MLC: employment and training support services]

Departmental result: Veterans are able to adapt, manage, and cope with post-service life.

In 2021–22, the following activities will contribute to this departmental result:

• We will continue to work with the Department of National Defence (DND) to simplify processes, improve service delivery and strengthen transition services by:
  • enhancing shared online tools to link services;
  • increasing data-sharing while aligning processes and systems between our departments; and,
  • improving transition support for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, such as enhanced case management tools, increased screening to identify unmet needs or risks, reduced barriers and case management standards based on client need and complexity.
  [MLC: streamlining]
• We will continue work on the Borden Transition Trial, a pilot project with the CAF to develop a standardized and personalized approach to transition for eventual national implementation. A second trial location in CFB Petawawa is tentatively scheduled for 2021.
  
  In conjunction with the trial, we will pilot “My Transition 101.” This training package for CAF members, Veterans and their families helps improve their knowledge of programs, benefits and services available. It will be expanded to facilitate a more personalized training experience. [MLC: streamlining]

Departmental result: Veterans are satisfied with the services they receive.

We are committed to ensuring Veterans are satisfied with our services. In 2021–22, we commit to the following:

• Reducing wait times continues to be a priority. We will challenge internal processes, learn from our partners, modernize tools, and look for the best way to implement a system of automatic approval for the most common disability applications. We will also continue to support the staff hired as a result of the recent $200M investment to address the backlog. To provide further clarity to Veterans about decision processes and the status of their applications, we will update the application tracking feature in My VAC account. [MLC: streamlining; automation; improving communications]
• We will create a survey in My VAC Account to better understand Veterans’ satisfaction with our digital services. This will allow us to collect data on a more frequent basis and give us insight to better meet Veterans’ needs. [MLC: improving communications]
• To further digitize services, we will consult with end users of digital processes to help inform strategic and program direction. The focus of the consultations will be determined by the first phase of work currently underway, which involves an environmental scan of current digital work and the types of engagement that have already occurred to ensure that efforts are not duplicated and any identified gaps are addressed. [MLC: streamlining]
• The Bureau of Pension Advocates (BPA) plans to digitize around 10,000 active client files by March 2022 to support the launch of an electronic case management system. This will allow for more efficient services and create a new team to address increased demand in applications. [MLC: streamlining]

Departmental result: Veterans are living in safe and adequate housing.

In 2021–22, the following activities will contribute to this departmental result:

• We will develop a screening tool to improve our ability to identify and assist Veterans who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. We will continue making emergency funding available to these Veterans. [MLC: higher standard of service and care]
• We will continue to promote the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund providing opportunities for organizations looking for creative solutions to support Veterans who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless.
• We will also continue our work with:
  • all levels of government and community stakeholders to address the issue of homelessness among the most vulnerable Veterans; and,
  • the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Employment and Social Development Canada to meet the Government’s commitment to ensure that every Veteran has a place to call home.
  [MLC: affordable housing]

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)

We commit to incorporating GBA+ considerations into all plans and practices in the following ways:

• We will invest in additional training for staff to ensure this expertise grows. GBA+ is a key component of staff preparation, training and development.
• We will use GBA+ to provide inclusive outcomes for Canadians by continuing to improve the accessibility of My VAC Account and other external and internal systems and making sure that identifying information across systems is gender inclusive.
• Conducting and collaborating on research will increase our knowledge of the GBA+ characteristics and experiences of our client populations. This evidence will inform our efforts to measure the performance of our programs and services and support decision-making.
• Working towards conformity with the Sex and Gender Equity in Research Guidelines (SAGER) will inform how we design, conduct, and report findings to ensure equitable representation of women Veterans and underrepresented groups in our research initiatives. These principles will be considered to ensure adequate consideration of intersectional impacts across sub-groups of the Veteran population, including (but not limited) to women, LGBTQ2+, Indigenous and homeless Veterans.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

We are committed to supporting Canada’s efforts to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda and SDGs. This core responsibility contributes broadly to the following:

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced inequality
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

Further details on specific programs and initiatives that support these goals, such as our case management services and a pan-governmental approach towards ending homelessness, among others, are in our 2021–20 UN 2030 Agenda and SDGs Supplementary Information Table.

Experimentation

• We continue to work on our Service Health Records Search Tool. This tool identifies standard search terminology related to hearing loss and tinnitus, searches automatically for this terminology and bundles results into one document to support application decision-makers’ need for accurate evidence. Implementation is expected to occur early in 2021.
  
  In the 2021–22 fiscal year, we will work to use this solution for other types of health conditions, test and compare the search results’ quality, accuracy, and confidence in the results against current manual search processes. [MLC: streamlining; automation]
• We are reviewing the front-end process for preparing disability applications for adjudication. Beginning in early 2021, we will run a beta test that will test machine searches and reading of audiograms to:
  • move hearing loss and tinnitus applications through to final adjudication more quickly; and,
  • allow us to advise clients earlier in the process when a decision cannot be made.
  We will test the process with small teams to measure the time, accuracy, and confidence of the process.
  [MLC: streamlining; automation]
• We continue to experiment and test improvements to My VAC Account to enhance the user experience for Veterans and their families. These improvements involve exploring, testing and comparing results to enable the best possible product.

Planned results for CR1: Benefits, Services and Support

Summary of important LASS results

The detailed LASS report was not available during the writing of this report due to delays relating to the pandemic, but is expected to be published early in 2021. Overall, the average age of Veterans has increased from 46 to 50 years of age since the 2016 LASS cycle, medical releases have increased and Veterans reported increasingly difficult adjustments to post-service life. These results include both Veterans accessing the Department’s benefits and services as well as Veterans who are not VAC clients. Below are some preliminary observations.

Decrease in Employment Rate

• Veterans reflected in this LASS were more likely to not be in the labour force and/or not looking for work.
• When comparing the number of Veterans looking for work, the proportion that are unemployed has not increased since the previous LASS cycle.
• The Veteran unemployment rate was similar to that of comparable Canadians.

Decrease in Self-Rated Health (Overall and Mental)

• Veterans reported higher rates of back problems, arthritis, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and TBIs when compared to LASS 2016.
• They were also more likely to have been medically released and to be experiencing chronic pain and to report having certain physical and mental health conditions.

The continual improvements we make to programs and services for Veterans and their families are meant to help improve these results.

To address the backlog of disability applications we temporarily increased human resources as part of the Service Excellence initiative through funding provided by the Government’s Economic and Fiscal Snapshot in August 2020. Future spending and staffing levels are under ongoing review. A full analysis of the planned budgetary financial resources and full-time equivalents is available in the “Spending and human resources” section of this report.

Complete framework methodologies, as well as financial, human resources and performance information for the PI are available in GC InfoBase. 

CR2: Commemoration

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

Planning Highlights

Our commitment to the Commemoration Core Responsibility means that we will continue to support the Government of Canada’s duty to pay tribute to the contribution and sacrifice of all who have served and continue to serve Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace. We will also continue to support the Juno Beach Centre (JCB) in preserving the legacy of all Canadians who served during the Second World War. This is in addition to the $500K recently announced to support the JBC in mitigating the impact of COVID-19.

Leveraging our move toward more online commemorative content as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to enhance our digital engagement initiatives that resonate with target audiences including youth, educators, Indigenous Canadians, and Veterans of more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions.

Departmental Result: Veterans and those who died in service are honoured.

The following plans will contribute to this departmental result in 2021–22:

• We will continue to invest as needed to ensure the preservation and presentation of Canada’s 14 war memorials overseas, including two national historic sites (the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial), for future generations through responsible conservation management practices. Some activities include:
  • Developing a forest management plan for the national historic sites;
  • Developing a comprehensive visitor experience strategy; and,
  • Making other ongoing capital investments for all 14 sites.
• We will also support:
  • events in Canada to honour the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong and the 105th anniversary of the Battles of the Somme & Beaumont Hamel;
  • a European operations initiative focused on identifying opportunities and solutions for us to reach and engage with Canadians who are unable to travel overseas, exploring opportunities to leverage digital technology to target specific populations such as youth (including students and teachers) and immigrants;
  • continuing a five-year project to maintain 57,179 Veteran graves across Canada; and,
  • continuing to work closely with Canadian Heritage and the National Capital Commission on the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan.

Departmental Result: Canadians remember and appreciate Veterans and those who died in service.

To contribute to this departmental result in 2021–22, we will:

• continue funding groups across Canada that lead commemorative initiatives honouring those who served.
• begin to base our approach to commemoration on the concept of “Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Around the World,” to be more inclusive of the service of younger Veterans.
• highlight CAF service around the world with an emphasis on post-Second World War peace and security efforts in the Middle East during Veterans’ Week 2021.
• continue work on a Commemorative Partnership Program (CPP) initiative focused on identifying opportunities to reduce the time and effort required to process and report on CPP applications, as well as to support the intake and assessment of more complex requests; this initiative is expected to improve the experience of individuals and groups applying for the CPP.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)

• We will continue to be inclusive of the numerous identity factors in the planning and delivery of initiatives. Ceremonies and events will include persons of various ages and ensure varied representation. When developing learning resources and overseas visitor centre exhibits, we will demonstrate gender balance as well as diverse cultural, ethnic and regional backgrounds. We will apply GBA+ when consulting with Canadians and Veterans to understand how their perspectives and preferences may align with identity factors.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Our goal is to contribute to SDG3: Good Health and Well-Being by recognizing Veterans through commemorative initiatives which support overall well-being, especially mentally and socially.

Further details on department-wide commitments can be found in our 2021–20 UN 2030 Agenda and SDGs Supplementary Information Table.

The decrease in spending and human resources relate to the conclusion of temporary positions funded in Budget 2018 under the Cemetery Maintenance proposal. Future spending and staffing levels are under ongoing review. A full analysis of the planned budgetary financial resources and full-time equivalents is available in the “Spending and human resources” section of this report.

Complete framework methodologies, as well as financial, human resources and performance information for the PI are available in GC InfoBase.

CR3: Veterans Ombudsman^{Footnote 12}

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

Under this core responsibility, the OVO will continue to look into issues and complaints related to programs and services to determine whether Veterans and their families are treated fairly.

Departmental result: Veterans and their families have access to a timely review of complaints about the programs, services and support delivered by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio.

Individual complaints help the OVO to identify emerging trends and systemic issues for further investigation. In 2021–22, the following activities will contribute to this departmental result:

• Reviewing and addressing individual complaints related to programs and services provided by VAC or by third parties on VAC’s behalf, including decisions related to programs and services for which there is no right of appeal to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, aiming to address 75% of the complaints within 60 working days.
• Improving general awareness of OVO services through planned communication activities such as social media campaigns, advertising and events.

Departmental result: Issues about the programs, services and support provided to Veterans and their families by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio are identified.

In 2021–22, the following activities will contribute to this departmental result:

• Conducting systemic investigations, research and analysis, and making recommendations to address issues of fairness for Veterans and their families with a focus on:
  • availability of, and gaps in programs and services for women Veterans;
  • availability of, and gaps in programs and services for families of Veterans
  • timely and fair access to treatment benefits;
  • availability of, and gaps in programs and services for indigenous Veterans;
  • the service experience of Veterans and their families when dealing with VAC; and,
  • the financial support provided to Veterans and their families.
  Monitoring progress made on these recommendations will continue, with an aim to have 85% accepted for implementation by the Veterans Affairs portfolio.
• Explaining OVO’s recommendations through outreach and engagement activities with key stakeholders and officials (Parliamentarians).
• Monitoring complaints that raise an element of unfairness, aiming to have 80% of the recommendations implemented.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)

• As part of the government-wide priorities of gender equality, diversity and inclusiveness, the OVO will continue to advocate for fairness for Canada’s diverse Veteran population, including Women, Francophone, and Indigenous Veterans, as well as Reservists and other groups.
• The OVO is currently identifying and developing new analytics to report on GBA+ data.

Future spending and staffing levels are under ongoing review. A full analysis of the planned budgetary financial resources and full-time equivalents is available in the “Spending and human resources” section of this report.

Complete framework methodologies, as well as financial, human resources and performance information for the PI are available in GC InfoBase.

Internal Services: planned results and resources

Our 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
• Acquisition Management Services

Planning highlights

Our internal services contribute to all outcomes identified in the DRF. Internal services objectives enable service excellence in the delivery of our mission and ensure we provide the digitally enabled services Veterans need and expect.

Internal services contribute to all departmental results identified in the DRF.

• We continue to successfully roll out our communications outreach and engagement strategy, adjusting as we go based on evidence and research. We will focus on:
  • advancing our use of podcasting to communicate with Veterans and other Canadians, building on the success of our 2020 Faces of Freedom series;
  • developing our new Let’s Talk Veterans consultation platform to reach a larger audience for inclusive, collaborative and transparent discussions on Veteran issues;
  • ensuring employee access to training on plain language communication focused on Veterans and their families; and,
  • continuing the use of digital analytics, media monitoring and stakeholder analysis to inform decision-making on internal and external communications.
  [MLC: improving communications]
• We will continue to improve the delivery of corporate services across the Department. Planned outcomes supporting this include:
  • introducing the new SAP department-level financial management application, with changes to processes and procedures;
  • pursuing the use of technological innovation to support routine corporate and service delivery;
  • implementing applications and using data analytics and visualization to improve client outcomes and increase capacity;
  • strengthening our IT security through awareness and specific measures designed to ensure integrity and confidentiality of systems and data; and,
  • developing and implementing specific portal tools to support the Veterans Ombudsman’s ability to interact with Veterans in a timely and secure manner.
• Toward our goal of recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent, we will continue to care for our people and build a diverse and inclusive workplace that empowers employees. To achieve this, we will:
  • build on pandemic response measures to provide staff with the information, tools, and processes required to maintain safe and flexible workspaces while continuing to deliver services to Veterans;
  • seek input from departmental leaders to identify talent needs and strategies that focus on attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce with the experience and skills required to meet the changing work environment;
  • continue to enhance onboarding practices and develop an integrated learning strategy;
  • encourage a work culture that increases awareness and uses best practices in psychological health, safety and well-being for all employees;
  • work to identify, prevent and remove accessibility barriers; and,
  • design a digital literacy program to give our employees the skills and knowledge to best use the digital tools and data available to them.

Strong relationships with internal services stakeholders and partner agencies will support achieving our objectives. These groups include the Public Service Commission, Shared Services Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat, and DND in order to provide better solutions that align with client needs and government commitments.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)

• Communication products and services will continue to use a gender-neutral approach. In partnership with the Office of Women and LGBTQ2+ Veterans, we have developed a Communication plan for the GBA+ Strategy to:
  • raise awareness and understanding of GBA+ and the Gender Inclusive Services project among our employees; and,
  • communicate the importance of GBA+ analysis as employees develop departmental policies, programs and legislation to best reach—and respond to the needs of—all Veterans and clients.
• We will continue to build on the momentum from the virtual series on Women and LGBTQ2+ Veterans to address issues and barriers specific to these groups and their families. We will also contribute to key federal government commitments to advance gender equality, diversity and inclusion for Veterans.
• As our business practices and internal services evolve, GBA+ is being applied to the design, testing and validation to ensure solutions fit the wide-ranging employee and Veteran populations, and promote equity for all.
• As part of the whole-of-government approach, we will continue to apply a GBA+ lens to all budget proposals, memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions and regulatory packages.
• As our client population continues to diversify, we expect to see increased requests for support from women, gender and sexual minorities, as well as from groups representing a variety of intersecting identity factors such as race, ethnicity, indigeneity, religion, social status, age and ability.
• We will continue to consult and collaborate with women and gender and sexually diverse Veterans concerning their unique experiences and service-related needs to identify research, benefits, programs, services and policy priorities.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Our Internal Services are aligned with the following United Nation’s and Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals:

• SDG 7: Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12: Responsible consumption
• SDG 13: Climate action

Our commitment to the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our operations is reflected in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy, which details a number of measures that can be found in our 2021–20 UN 2030 Agenda and SDGs Supplementary Information Table.

Experimentation

• We continue to look at potential technical solutions to help solve difficult issues, such as processing disability claims by automating stages of the process. This requires developing and testing software with users and clients, and changing designs based on the results. [MLC: automation]

The increases in 2021–22 relate to the temporary resources under the Service Excellence and Closing the Seam initiatives. Future spending and staffing levels are under ongoing review. A full analysis of the planned budgetary financial resources and full-time equivalents is available in the “Spending and human resources” section of this report.