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Best Practices: Automate GI Bill Benefits Initiative-Integrated Governance
Automate GI Bill Benefits Initiative-Integrated Governance Model Case Study
Executive Summary
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the second largest Federal department and has over 278,000 employees. Among the many professions represented in the vast VA workforce are physicians, nurses, counselors, statisticians, architects, computer specialists, and attorneys. VA comprises a Central Office (VACO), which is located in Washington, DC, and field facilities throughout the Nation administered by its three major line organizations: Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and National Cemetery Administration.
Services and benefits are provided through a nationwide network of 153 hospitals, 956 outpatient clinics, 134 community living centers, 90 domiciliary residential rehabilitation treatment programs, 232 Veterans centers, 57 Veterans benefits regional offices, and 131 national cemeteries.
In June 2008, Congress passed the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This legislation updated GI Bill provisions and amended Title 38 of the United States Code to establish a program of educational assistance for members of the armed forces who served on or after September 11, 2001. It provides educational benefits to eligible Veterans or qualifying dependents for undergraduate and graduate level degree programs, vocational training, technical and professional certification courses, and one-time certification examinations. On January 4, 2011, the President signed the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 into law (PL 111-377). Among other things, PL 111-377 expands eligible education programs to include apprenticeships, on-the job training, flight training, and non-college degree programs. It also provides veterans with a housing stipend when taking courses through long distance learning and allows veterans to use their benefits to pay for national tests, licensure, and certification tests.
Education Service (EDU), a program within VBA, with support of the Office of Information and Technology (OIT), implements this program. The primary offices for adjudicating Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are the Atlanta, Buffalo, Muskogee, and St. Louis regional offices, which are managed by the VBA’s Office of Field Operations (OFO). This case study discusses the challenges in identifying and creating the appropriate governance structure for the Automate GI Bill Benefit Initiative (CH33), determining which processes were appropriate, and expediting requests and actions to meet quick deadlines.
