Strategic Goal: Restore the capability of disabled veterans to the greatest extent possible and improve their quality of life and that of their families. Maximize the ability of disabled veterans, special veteran populations, and their dependents and survivors to become full and productive members of society through a system of health care, compensation, vocational rehabilitation, life insurance, dependency and indemnity compensation, and dependents and survivors education.

Objectives: (a) Improve the quality of life and economic status of service-disabled veterans, and recognize their contributions and sacrifices made in defense of the Nation.

(b) Ensure survivors of service-disabled veterans are able to maintain a minimum standard of living and income through compensation and education benefits.

Performance Goal: VA is in the early stages of developing compensation and DIC program outcomes and performance measures; because of this, there are no performance goals for FY 2001.

An outcomes project team has been established within VBA’s Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service. Initially, the team will determine how to best obtain reliable and statistically valid measurement data. At this time, the need for some surveys is anticipated.

Since July 1999, we have met on several occasions with representatives from the major service organizations, the Office of Management and Budget, and representatives of the Veterans' Affairs and Appropriations Committees from both the House and Senate to discuss outcomes, outcome measures, and outcome goals. At the first session, the participants generated a significant number of important insights to the program's purpose during a brainstorming session. During subsequent sessions, the participants drafted outcome statements and determined potential performance measures. The C&P Service is nearing completion of this task for the compensation program.

VA will determine appropriate means and strategies after collecting baseline data and setting performance goals. Initially, VA will form teams to determine how surveys should be conducted in order to obtain the most reliable data. We anticipate contracting out for assistance in developing and administering surveys. We must also determine how to best capture total personal income data of veterans and surviving spouses in receipt of VA compensation, as well as a statistically valid sample of total personal income of like-circumstanced non-recipients.

Achievement of the goal is not directly dependent on other agencies. However, we may ultimately work with other agencies to obtain the socioeconomic data needed to evaluate the impact of the compensation program on veterans and their dependents.

Until we determine outcomes, measures, and performance targets, we cannot assess whether we have any major management challenges that will affect achievement of the performance goals.

Measuring how veterans perceive the compensation and the dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) programs, or the impact the programs have on the quality of their lives, is dependent on data not currently available.

(For additional information on this performance goal, refer to General Operating Expenses, Volume 4, Chapter 2B.)