Bill Overview
Title: Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021
Description: This bill requires employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to undergo training developed by the Inspector General of the VA regarding the reporting of wrongdoing to, responding to requests from, and cooperating with the Office of the Inspector General.
Sponsors: Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]
Target Audience
Population: VA employees
Estimated Size: 400000
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employs a significant number of people, including those directly involved in healthcare, administration, and support services.
- The training is specifically targeted at VA employees, as it involves procedures directly related to their work with the Office of the Inspector General.
- This legislation is focused on improving internal processes within the VA to ensure better accountability and efficiency.
- In general, improved internal processes and oversight should translate to better services for veterans in the long run, possibly impacting their wellbeing.
Reasoning
- Most VA employees are located across various regions of the United States, working in different roles. To simulate a comprehensive group, I included diverse occupations within the VA and different geographical locations.
- The impacted population will be primarily those directly working in environments where Inspector General interactions are frequent.
- The budget outlined for training is significant, but given the VA’s large workforce, the per capita expenditure for training might be relatively modest. Each person's life and job satisfaction could be affected differently based on how much this policy touches their daily responsibilities.
- Since this policy does not extend benefits directly to veterans themselves, but rather aims to improve organizational procedures, the impact measurement focuses more on internal improvement and employee wellbeing.
Simulated Interviews
VA Healthcare Administrator (San Diego, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy will standardize how we manage reports internally, which can only be a positive development.
- However, there might be some resistance to additional training hours.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
VA Nurse (Boston, MA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hoping this will make reporting issues smoother and encourage a healthier work environment.
- As a new employee, I see training as an opportunity to learn more.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
VA Maintenance Staff (Dallas, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Honestly, I don’t think it would change much in my day-to-day duties.
- It's good if management feels it improves things but impacts are minimal for folks like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
VA Human Resources Specialist (Chicago, IL)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Accountability processes are critical and any policy aiding this should be beneficial.
- Managing changes and adapting procedures will be challenging initially.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
VA Senior Systems Analyst (Miami, FL)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Given my role, understanding these processes is crucial and could lead to smoother audits.
- Changes always bring some initial discomfort but are necessary.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
VA Benefits Specialist (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is long overdue; better reporting and oversight could solve a lot of internal problems.
- I am cautiously optimistic.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
VA Research Assistant (Seattle, WA)
Age: 27 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel this will enhance the integrity of our research by ensuring truthful reporting.
- It's a bit daunting thinking about navigating the bureaucratic changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
VA Policy Analyst (Denver, CO)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This kind of policy could have lasting implications for the future efficiency of the VA.
- Hopefully, it will ease my role in the long term by reducing systemic inefficiencies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
VA Veteran Outreach Coordinator (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 14.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this effect will ripple externally, elevating veteran trust over time.
- Any effort to refine transparency is positive.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
VA Facility Manager (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 48 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Though valuable, such training doesn’t affect my daily work much.
- I'm supportive but don't expect personal changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $65000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $80000000)
Year 2: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $30000000)
Year 3: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $30000000)
Year 5: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $30000000)
Year 10: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $30000000)
Year 100: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $30000000)
Key Considerations
- Establishing a robust measurement framework to assess training effectiveness and consequent improvements in VA operations will be crucial.
- Managing turnover and ensuring consistency and coverage of training across all facilities may pose logistical challenges.
- Ensuring up-to-date content to reflect changes in regulations or internal policy is vital for training efficacy.