Workforce issues remain among the major management challenges for the VA, an IG report has said, even after years of changes carried out internally and through revisions in law following a series of scandals related to scheduling and care of patients.
“While VA employs many talented and committed people, one of the greatest obstacles to change is the sense of futility or culture of complacency among some staff and leaders,” it said. It said such problems are seen in ways including staff who got used to “making do”; normalization of noncompliant practices; acceptance of information/data at face value without question; and willingness to rationalize poor practices with “nobody’s been harmed.”
“When employees repeatedly try to improve systems and processes and are unable to have an impact, the logical response is to eventually experience learned helplessness . . . The best way for an organization to control learned organizational helplessness is to ensure employees are engaged,” it added. The IG credited the department with initiatives including customer service improvements, creation of an employee engagement council, employee recognition programs and other steps.
It also credited the agency with addressing other workforce challenges, for example through better planning for future needs and new training and development programs for current employees. But it said chances for improvement will be limited so long as the department continues to suffer “serious front-line staffing shortages” in many medical occupations.
Other management challenges identified in the report involved improving the accuracy and timeliness of benefits delivery; financial management including reducing improper payments; improving contracting and purchase card practices; and information security.
