The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of General Counsel procedures do not sufficiently ensure that accredited representatives have good character and knowledge, GAO has said in calling for better quality assurance.
While VA follows its procedures for reviewing initial accreditation applications, VA relies on limited self-reported information to determine whether applicants have a criminal history or their character could be called into question, which in turn leaves VA vulnerable to accrediting individuals who may not provide responsible assistance, according to GAO-13-643.
Further, it said the VA’s initial training requirements are minimal and VA does not consistently monitor whether representatives meet additional continuing education requirements. (In May 2013, VA’s OGC announced plans to take additional steps toward conducting background checks on applicants and auditing ongoing character and training requirements.)
OGC also has just four staff dedicated to overseeing thousands of accreditation applications each year, in addition to monitoring about 20,000 accredited representatives, hampering administration.
The VA generally agreed to explore options for strengthening knowledge requirements and addressing red flags on background checks, improve its outreach, and determine the resources needed to adequately carry out accreditation. However, the department also cautioned that imposing additional requirements to address concerns with representative knowledge or address emerging threats could have a chilling effect on representation, according to the report.
