Bill Overview
Title: Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act of 2021
Description: This bill addresses the management and implementation of information technology projects and investments of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill prohibits the VA from obligating or expending funds for any major information technology project that begins after the date of enactment of this bill unless a report is submitted that includes information on the cost, schedule, and performance of the project, as generated by the business owner of the project prior to the commencement of the project. The information in the report must be used as a baseline against which changes or variances are measured and reported on during the life cycle of the project. Projects must be managed by an interdisciplinary team that includes a certified project manager, a functional lead, a technical lead, a contracting officer, and other appropriate personnel. The VA's Chief Information Officer must (1) exercise authority over the management, governance, and oversight processes relating to existing or proposed information technology of the VA's Financial Services Center; and (2) supervise the information technology employees and contractors of the center. The VA must ensure its annual budget justification materials include a list of its active information technology projects and specified information about such projects, projected funding needs for projects, and a prioritized list of every proposed project that is unfunded.
Sponsors: Rep. Rosendale Sr., Matthew M. [R-MT-At Large]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans and VA Employees
Estimated Size: 19400000
- The bill impacts the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), specifically its management and implementation of information technology projects, which serves veterans across the United States.
- Veterans who rely on services from the VA may experience indirect impact due to changes in how IT projects are managed and implemented, potentially improving efficiency and service delivery.
- VA employees, including those working in information technology at the VA's Financial Services Center, will be directly affected by changes in management oversight and reporting requirements.
- Contractors providing IT services to the VA may also be impacted by new requirements for project reporting and interdisciplinary project team management.
Reasoning
- Not every veteran interacts with VA's IT services daily or even frequently; therefore, some will experience no perceptible impact from these changes.
- VA employees in IT will likely feel one of the more direct impacts, as their work processes and oversight mechanisms are altered.
- Veterans who rely heavily on VA services for healthcare or other benefits may notice improvements or suffer setbacks in consistency and quality as IT projects are changed or delayed.
- Service contractors interfacing with VA's IT initiatives could encounter adjustments in work processes or supervision, with potential effects on deliverables.
- The policy's financial impact on the VA's budget is moderate in comparison to its overall size, but it caps funding in a critical area that supports service efficiency.
Simulated Interviews
Retired Army Veteran (Texas)
Age: 70 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The VA has been improving, but sometimes their systems are just too slow or outdated.
- If the new policy can prevent long waits by making their systems better, I'm all for it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
VA IT Specialist (California)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems to emphasize accountability, which is good, but it could slow us down with all the new reports.
- It might be tough initially, but having clearer goals might actually make our work more efficient.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Software Contractor for VA (New York)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Contract work can sometimes be chaotic when VA shifts its priorities.
- The policy sounds like it'll demand more structured reporting from us, which could help reduce confusion.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Veteran Advocate (Florida)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our organization often deals with veterans frustrated by VA's slow tech systems.
- If this policy can actually get the VA's IT systems running better, it could mean a lot for those we help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
VA Hospital Administrator (Virginia)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A more efficient IT system would drastically improve our capacity to serve patients.
- I worry the initial learning curve might throw off our current processes, even if just temporarily.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Post-9/11 Veteran (Ohio)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I appreciate any effort to streamline things since navigating the VA system can be overwhelming.
- As long as it doesn't complicate matters in the short-term, I'm hopeful for improvements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
IT Consultant (Arizona)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy aligns with what I've seen succeed in other government sectors; it should lead to more predictable outcomes.
- If implemented correctly, the VA could become a model for IT project efficiency.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
VA Employee - Administrative Role (Illinois)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think having clearer project goals and oversight will help reduce our department's workload in the long run.
- I'm concerned about the amount of work to meet new reporting requirements during project startups.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Vietnam Veteran (Nevada)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's hard dealing with long waits for appointments; if this can help, then it's needed.
- I've seen other attempts to fix IT be empty promises, so I'm skeptical but hopeful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
VA Healthcare Provider (Washington)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Updating our IT would hopefully mean less time wrestling with computers and more time with patients.
- If this leads to more disruptions than improvements, it could harm our workflow.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 2: $18000000 (Low: $14000000, High: $24000000)
Year 3: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $20000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring compliance with new project oversight requirements will be crucial for minimizing potential inefficiencies.
- The interdisciplinary teams need to be fully staffed and functional promptly to ensure project timelines are not adversely affected.
- The VA's budget must align with the anticipated spending outlined in reports to Congress to prevent disruptions in funding for IT initiatives.