Fiscal Year 2004 Performance and Accountability Report Published November 15, 2004
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FY 2004 Obligation ($ in Millions) |
% of Total VA Resources |
Strategic Goal 1: Restore the capability of veterans with disabilities to the greatest extent possible and improve the quality of their lives and that of their families. |
$41,459 |
59.3% |
Objective |
Performance Results
| |
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1.3 Provide all service-disabled veterans with the opportunity to become employable and obtain and maintain suitable employment, while providing special support to veterans with serious employment handicaps. |
- Increased to 62 percent the proportion of all veteran participants who exited the vocational rehabilitation program and found and maintained suitable employment (goal was 67 percent)
|
$676 |
1.0% |
Performance
The purpose of VA's vocational rehabilitation and employment program is to provide for all services and assistance necessary to enable veterans with service connected disabilities to achieve maximum independence in daily living, and to the maximum extent feasible, to become employable and obtain and maintain suitable employment. The key measure that the Department uses to gauge progress toward meeting the purpose of this program, and thus the extent to which we are achieving Objective 1.3, is the rehabilitation rate. During FY 2004, the share of all veteran participants who exited the vocational rehabilitation program and found and maintained suitable employment (i.e., the rehabilitation rate) increased to 62 percent, up from the FY 2003 rate of 59 percent. Program participation and successful attainment of the rehabilitation goal are closely related to the state of the employment market. Our performance improvement, in part, was limited by the challenging job market conditions that persisted throughout much of FY 2004.
Over 55,000 disabled veterans participated in a VA rehabilitation program during FY 2004 and another 15,000 were in the evaluation and planning stages of their program at year's end. Approximately 11,000 disabled veterans were successfully rehabilitated last year, a total 15 percent above the number rehabilitated during FY 2003.
Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) Evaluation
The PART review of the vocational rehabilitation and employment program that relates to the accomplishment of Objective 1.3 is scheduled to be conducted during FY 2005 as part of the formulation of the FY 2007 budget. The results of this upcoming PART review will be presented in future reports.
Major Management Challenges
Neither VA's Office of Inspector General nor the Government Accountability Office identified any major management challenges related to Objective 1.3.
Program Evaluations
In May 2003 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs approved a charter to create a Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Task Force. At the initial meeting of the group, the Secretary directed the members to ". . . give our program an unvarnished, top to bottom independent examination, evaluation and analysis . . . I want to ensure that veterans, and America, receive the maximum return from the dedication and energy invested by VA employees who have dedicated their lives to transforming disabled veterans into productive participants in civilian society." The Secretary appointed 12 members who represented a diverse group of public and private sector experts from the disability, vocational rehabilitation, clinical, and consulting communities and veterans service organizations. In March 2004 the task force completed its work and released its findings and recommendations. Many of the recommendations on how to improve the program, which directly relate to Objective 1.3, were implemented during FY 2004.
New Policies and Procedures
In response to the VR&E Task Force's recommendations, several new policies and procedures were implemented in support of Objective 1.3 during FY 2004. These included:
- Reorganizing headquarters staff and establishing new positions, including independent living coordinator, training and outreach supervisor, and senior policy analyst.
- Creating an employment work group to strengthen employment services.
- Increasing training for VR&E officers and counselors.
- Strengthening partnerships with other VA organizations, the Department of Labor, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, and Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
- Conducting a study, in conjunction with VA's Office of Policy, Planning, and Preparedness, on why veterans drop out of the VR&E Chapter 31 program or interrupt their rehabilitation plans before finding suitable employment. The results of this survey will be used to design and implement a risk mitigation program to improve the VR&E rehabilitation rate.
- Focusing and increasing our outreach efforts to veterans transitioning from military careers to civilian careers through the Transition Assistance Program and Disabled Transition Assistance Program.
Objective 1.3 - Key Performance Goal: At least 67 percent of all veteran participants who exit the vocational rehabilitation program will be rehabilitated.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Rehabilitation Rate
| |
2000 |
65% |
2001 |
65% |
2002 |
62% |
2003 |
59% |
2004 Actual |
62% |
2004 Plan |
67% |
2005 Plan |
66% |
Strategic Target |
70% |
Description, Importance, and Results
Rehabilitation programs are directed toward service disabled veterans who have an employment handicap. The goal of this program is to assist a veteran in obtaining suitable employment within that veteran's physical and emotional capabilities and consistent with the veteran's pattern of abilities, aptitudes, and interests.
VBA did not meet its goal of a 67 percent rehabilitation rate for service-disabled veterans exiting a vocational rehabilitation program and acquiring and maintaining suitable employment. Fewer employment opportunities along with a greater number of veterans who chose to leave the program before completion had a negative impact on achieving the targeted rehabilitation rate.
Management and Policy Issues
In 2003, Secretary Principi assembled a task force to evaluate the VR&E program and recommend ways to improve service to disabled veterans. More than 100 recommendations were issued emphasizing a "new, integrated service delivery system based on an employment-driven process." One of the main recommendations, the Five-Track Employment Process, focuses on finding suitable employment quickly, rather than entering a long-term training or education program.
In FY 2005, VBA will pilot Job Resource Labs in four regional offices. These labs will include the necessary resources to aid VBA staff and veterans to conduct comprehensive analyses of local and national job outlooks, prepare for interviews, develop resumes, and conduct thorough job searches. Such improved service will make it easier for veterans to search for and find employment.
VBA is conducting a study on why veterans discontinue a program or interrupt their rehabilitation plans before finding suitable employment. The results of this survey will be used to design and implement a risk mitigation program to improve the rehabilitation rate.
Data Quality
Please refer to the Key Measures Data Table.
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