About the Veterans Benefits Administration

Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Mission

The mission of the Veterans Benefits Administration, in partnership with the Veterans Health Administration and the National Cemetery Administration, is to provide benefits and services to the veterans and their families in a responsive, timely and compassionate manner in recognition of their service to the Nation.

Vision

Our vision is that the veterans whom we serve will feel that our nation has kept its commitment to them; employees will feel that they are both recognized for their contribution and are part of something larger than themselves; and taxpayers will feel that we've met the responsibilities they've entrusted to us.  Courage, honesty, trust, respect, open communication, and accountability will be reflected in our day to day behavior.

Core Values

• Veterans have earned our respect and are our reason for being, our common purpose. All our efforts are directed toward meeting their needs.
• We are committed to communicating to our veterans and among ourselves in a timely, thorough, accurate, understandable and respectful manner.
• We openly share our concerns and views and listen to those of veterans in order to bring about improvements in benefits and services, and the climate in which they are provided.
• We value understandable business processes which consistently produce positive results.
• We foster an environment that promotes personal and corporate initiative risk-taking and teamwork.
• We are open to change and flexible in our attitudes.
• Respect, integrity, trust and fairness are hallmarks of all our interactions.
• We value a culture where everyone is involved, accountable, respected and appreciated.
• We will perform at the highest level of competence, always, and take pride in accomplishment. We are a "can do" organization.

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Organization Chart

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Leadership Covenant

Preamble

We are the leaders in one of our Nation’s most vital and idealistic service organizations.  Because we serve veterans and their dependents, our mission is sacred.  The well–known statements of President Abraham Lincoln and General Omar Bradley are found in every VA office and convey the sanctity of our mission.

As we carry out this mission, we willfully enter into a covenant with one another to always be guided by the fundamental principles of Accountability, Integrity, and Professionalism.  These principles form the foundation of Leadership and Service to America’s veterans.

Guiding Principles

Accountability is demanded at every level of this organization.  We pledge to accept the high obligation that is intrinsic to our duty to veterans and to our fellow employees who serve them.

Integrity is a vital element of our interactions and fundamental to all of our activities.  We pledge to be complete and honest in our communications and interactions and to conduct ourselves with the highest degree of integrity.

Professionalism is to be reflected in every action we take.  We pledge to demonstrate the highest professional qualities and behavior in everything we do.  We pledge to respect those we serve by constantly improving our skills and those of our employees.

Commitment

We will continuously remember and always be guided by the high purpose of our organization.  Together we embrace the leadership principles of the Veterans Benefits Administration in fulfilling a grateful nation’s promise to those who have served.

We recognize that our employees are essential to the success of our mission of service.  As Leaders, we are responsible for training, mentoring, and motivating them.  We share with all employees the accountability for the successful accomplishment of VBA’s mission and a common bond in service to America’s veterans and their dependents.

We understand that consistency in the delivery of benefits and services to veterans will result from our pledge to adhere to the guiding principles of VBA’s leadership established through this covenant.  Our commitment to Accountability, Integrity, and Professionalism will establish consistency and enhance fairness, timeliness, uniformity, and quality for every deserving veteran and employee.  It will guide process and decision-making at all levels and enable open lines of communication between us.

Our Leadership Pledge

This covenant resides in the hearts and minds of those who sign it and will be shared with all who serve in VBA.

“We, the undersigned, accept accountability, embrace integrity, and commit to exhibiting professionalism in the execution of our mission of service to veterans.  In all of our actions, we pledge to be guided by these fundamental principles of leadership, thereby ensuring fulfillment of this covenant.”

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