Mandatory Disclosures

FY2019 Conference Spending Statement

During FY 2019, VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) hosted three conferences for which expenses exceeded $100,000. Below, please find the conference details to include cost, date, location of conference, and other pertinent information.

Event #1

Conference Title: Office of Audits and Evaluations (OAE) Healthcare Cohort Meeting

Conference Expenses: $119,498.37

Location: Kansas City, MO

Date: January 28-31, 2019

Explanation: This meeting was an opportunity for all OAE staff who conduct healthcare audits (“Healthcare Cohort”) and evaluations to obtain training, meet face-to-face, address and provide solutions for current issues, review the 2019 and 2020 audit plan, share information, and review OAE and other OIG initiatives.

It is imperative that OAE's Healthcare Cohort work in a cooperative spirit, communicate regularly, and share information, to include identifying ways to successfully accomplish the OIG Mission/Vision and to address major challenges nationwide. It was determined that teleconferencing was not a viable option because this meeting requires input from all attendees as well as face-to-face small group discussions. Having all attendees convene to provide input on a wide range of issues and ideas as well as conducting group training and breakout sessions is less productive via teleconference.

Number of Participants Whose Travel Expenses Were Paid by Agency: 88

Event #2

Conference Title: Office of Audits and Evaluations (OAE) Managers Meeting

Conference Expenses: $143,357.63

Location: Corpus Christi, TX

Date: March 18-21, 2018

Explanation: The meeting provided OAE directors and managers an opportunity to discuss current audit issues, share information, and review OAE and other OIG initiatives. Further, during the conference, OAE deployed leadership training that enabled OAE managers to effectively work together to address and solve organizational issues and earn training hours that satisfied mandatory continuing professional education requirements. This meeting also facilitated team building by providing a forum for team members to discuss tools, technologies, processes, and how we might apply them in our organization to improve our information products, workflow, and processes.

It is imperative for OAE directors and managers to work in a cooperative spirit, communicate regularly, and share information. Teleconferencing was considered but determined not to be a viable alternative. The meeting required input from all participants, as well as include small group discussions and interactive training. Having all participants convene to provide input on a wide range of issues and ideas, as well as having small group breakout sessions would have been considerably less productive with teleconferencing.

Number of Participants Whose Travel Expenses Were Paid by Agency: 89

Event #3

Conference Title: Office of Healthcare Inspections (OHI) All Hands Offsite

Conference Expenses: $274,339.11

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Date: August 19-23, 2019

Explanation: OHI proposed to have an all hands meeting at a city in the continental U.S. that was cost effective with respect to the dollars spent, the time OHI staff spend commuting to the meeting and encouraged all OHI staff to fully attend the meeting. OHI had not had an all hands meeting in at least 4 years, and this represented an opportunity to help align OHI staff with the mission, values, and goals of the organization. This meeting was an opportunity for all OHI staff to train in-person across business lines, including Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP), Community Care, Mental Health, National Review, Rapid Response, and Quality Improvement teams.

Teleconferencing was considered but was determined not to be a viable option. The meeting required input from all participants as well as included small group discussions and training. Having all participants provide input on a wide range of issues and ideas as well as having small group breakout sessions was not logistically feasible with teleconferencing.

Number of Participants Whose Travel Expenses Were Paid by Agency: 191

Peer Reviews

The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) maintains a quality assurance program to ensure that work performed adheres to established professional standards, VA OIG policies and procedures, and is carried out economically, efficiently, and effectively. Also, in accordance with the IG Act and other professional standards, VA OIG's functions are subject to external peer reviews. These peer reviews provide an additional external level of assurance of VA OIG's adherence to prescribed standards, regulations, and legislation through a formal objective assessment of its operations.

The Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) prescribes the methodology for performing peer reviews of the various OIG functions. Below are the latest external peer reviews of VA OIG's Audit, Inspection, and Evaluation functions.