Ensuring Processing of Benefits
- VA faces the time-critical challenge of replacing its Benefits Delivery Network (BDN) to ensure that the agency remains effectively positioned to process veterans' benefits.
- VA relies on its BDN to administer benefit programs for three of the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) programs: compensation and pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation and employment services.
- The BDN is essential to ensuring the accurate processing of benefits to over 3.5 million veterans.
- The BDN has been in operation for more than 40 years and is based on antiquated software applications, which have become increasingly difficult and costly to maintain.
- VBA is in the process of replacing the aging BDN with a faster, more flexible, and higher capacity system.
- VA has not addressed a number of systems and process issues that are essential to ensuring that the replacement system capabilities will be successfully completed, thus enabling VA to end its reliance on the BDN and reduce its risk of not being able to successfully process benefits for all programs in the future.
- VBA's reliance on the BDN for compensation and pension benefits is scheduled to cease in June 2009, based on replacement system documentation.
- VBA also has efforts under way to replace the existing education benefits systems within the BDN by 2011.
^ Back to topWhat Needs to Be Done
- VA should track in-house expenditures for replacing the BDN, and develop a strategy to manage the risks involved and a plan for the conversion of each regional office to the new system.
Highlights of GAO-07-614 (PDF)
- VA should document and incorporate the improved processes for managing risks into specific policy and guidance for the replacement initiative and for future use throughout VBA and develop effective results-oriented performance measures that show changes in efficiency, economy, or improvements in mission performance, as well as measures of user satisfaction.
Highlights of GAO-07-614 (PDF)
- To ensure the successful implementation of its new education claims-processing systems, VA should develop a comprehensive, integrated project plan that defines critical elements, including, but not limited to, project scope, budget, schedule, risk, planning for data management, needed knowledge and skills, and stakeholders' involvement, as well as stakeholders' commitment of resources.
Highlights of GAO-07-1045 (PDF)
^ Back to topKey Reports
- Veterans Affairs: Progress Made in Centralizing Information Technology Management, but Challenges Persist
- GAO-07-1246T, September 19, 2007
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 36 pages) Accessible Text
- Veterans Affairs: Improved Planning Needed to Guide Development and Implementation of Education Benefits System
- GAO-07-1045, July 31, 2007
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 50 pages) Accessible Text Recommendations (HTML)
- Veterans Benefits Administration: Progress Made in Long-Term Effort to Replace Benefits Payment System, but Challenges Persist
- GAO-07-614, April 27, 2007
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 43 pages) Accessible Text Recommendations (HTML)
