OIG Review of Veterans Health Administration Staffing Models

Congress directed the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) to review Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) progress in developing a comprehensive staffing model. While VHA reported staffing models exist for all occupations, VA plans to develop the first iteration of staffing models that will determine staffing requirements by FY 2022. Limited staffing resources were reported as a barrier to staffing models. VA and VHA define staffing models differently, and the associated program office directors reported inconsistent staffing model roles and responsibilities. The governance of staffing models could be improved. Validated staffing models can provide consistency in how staffing requirements are determined, which can then be used to inform VHA’s budget and workload analysis. However, most facilities used facility-developed methods to determine requirements and prioritized staffing within the constraints of available budgets. Veterans integrated service network (VISN) directors were generally satisfied with the quality of staff hired during the pandemic and hoped the flexibilities used for hiring would become permanent. Although VA and VHA reported net increases in VHA staffing levels during the pandemic, the reported increases differed making it difficult to quantify pandemic hiring. The OIG made three recommendations to the VHA Under Secretary for Health to coordinate with VA to 1. review the roles, responsibilities, and number of staff required for VA and VHA offices involved in the development, validation, and implementation of staffing models, and ensure that staffing model-related efforts are prioritized and supported; 2. evaluate the status of, and provide a timeline for, the development, validation, and implementation of VHA staffing models for all occupations; and evaluate the status of, and provide a timeline for, implementation of HR Smart-related requirements referenced in VA and VHA policy, with a specific focus on authorizations, vacancies, budgeted positions, and unbudgeted requirements at the facility, VISN, and national levels.