What GAO Discovered
The Division of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages an unlimited portfolio of capital belongings to supply healthcare to enrolled veterans. GAO discovered that VA has confronted and continues to face challenges assembly three of the important thing GAO-identified traits of an asset administration framework. These are (1) management help that gives obligatory sources, similar to staffing; (2) communication throughout conventional company boundaries; and (3) steady evaluation and enchancment of asset administration efficiency. These traits are designed to optimize funding and company decision-making.
- Staffing sources. Concerning management that gives obligatory sources, GAO has beforehand recognized staffing challenges that affected VA’s skill to handle its belongings and that resulted in penalties similar to delayed initiatives and difficulties managing initiatives. VA officers continued to explain staffing challenges, similar to difficulties in planning and executing initiatives and limits on the variety of initiatives that amenities can undertake. VA officers described efforts they’re making to handle these challenges. Such efforts embody, for instance, creating new staffing fashions and establishing particular wage charges for engineers. Nevertheless, it’s too early to find out the extent to which these efforts will enhance staffing.
- Communication. Concerning communication throughout conventional company boundaries, VA has taken steps to enhance communication amongst places of work with asset administration obligations. Such steps embody issuing an asset administration directive that VA officers mentioned would assist to facilitate such communication. Nevertheless, GAO discovered persevering with cases of inadequate (1) communication early in challenge improvement between native places of work and the Workplace of Building and Amenities Administration and (2) communication between building places of work and the Workplace of Data and Expertise to make sure data expertise wants are met when bringing amenities on-line. This lack of communication might be attributed, partially, to a scarcity of path from VA on how and when to speak. Enhancing communication between these places of work might assist stop pointless delays in initiatives’ improvement and execution and assist VA carry house on-line extra effectively.
- Efficiency measurement. Concerning the necessity for companies to repeatedly assess the efficiency of their asset administration programs and implement obligatory enhancements, VA lacks adequate efficiency objectives and measures. Though it collects data on its amenities and has sure broad strategic objectives, the company doesn’t have measurable objectives to assist assess its asset administration and to find out how properly that administration helps VA meet these broad strategic objectives, similar to a objective to scale back the quantity of deferred upkeep. Though VA officers acknowledged the significance of such measures, they famous that that they had discovered creating efficiency measures to be difficult, for causes similar to problem in attributing outcomes to company actions. However, GAO’s prior work signifies the worth of doing so. Within the absence of such measures, VA is proscribed in its skill to find out the extent to which its asset administration helps VA to realize its strategic objectives and targets.
Why GAO Did This Research
In offering healthcare to over 9 million enrolled veterans, VA manages a portfolio that features 5,625 owned and 1,690 leased buildings as of fiscal yr 2020. VA has urgent wants related to these belongings, not solely sustaining or changing ageing amenities but in addition adapting to adjustments in veterans’ demographics and wishes.
GAO was requested to evaluation VA’s administration of those actual property (capital) belongings. This report examines: (1) VA’s administration of its staffing sources for setting up and sustaining its capital belongings, (2) VA’s communication amongst places of work concerned in and supporting capital asset administration, and (3) VA’s evaluation of its efficiency in capital asset administration. GAO reviewed VA documentation and prior GAO and different studies about VA’s capital asset administration. GAO additionally interviewed officers at VA headquarters places of work concerned in asset administration, VA officers at a non-generalizable choice of eight geographically dispersed VA medical facilities and 7 regional places of work that managed the varied forms of VA capital initiatives, and representatives from 4 veterans service organizations.