WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi announced today creation of a two-pronged management structure to improve the decision-making process that affects millions of Americans receiving veterans benefits and services.
His redesign of the department's policymaking process will assure veterans and other taxpayers that policies of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are thoughtful, based in sound strategy and support performance goals across programs.
"We must keep front and center the priority of high-quality service to veterans," Principi said. "The steps we are taking today encourage VA's 220,000 employees to look beyond their individual programs and offices at the total needs of the veterans we serve."
Principi will chair a new VA Executive Board. It will be VA's senior management forum, designed to identify important issues and weigh policy options from the perspective of VA's long-range strategies and factors that influence operations, such as computer and financial resources, legislative programs and construction plans.
Meeting monthly, it will review the work of a second group, a new Strategic Management Council chaired by VA Deputy Secretary Dr. Leo S. Mackay Jr. His council will deal with day-to-day operational management of VA in addition to formulating new approaches and monitoring the effectiveness of VA programs and their financial performance.
The executive board includes the heads of VA's three administrations dealing with health, benefits and cemetery issues, as well as the VA's legal counsel. The Strategic Management Council is composed of the deputies to those officials, as well as the heads of a number of key staff offices.
The council will be the first line of review for all proposals that have major policy implications. It will review proposals both from VA offices and committees and from outside advisory groups to ensure all ideas are fully developed and meet with VA's performance goals and strategies.
Principi encouraged officials throughout VA to embrace "formalized decision-making" along with open communication. He said that bringing new structure to the policy process should never stand in the way of creative thinking or bold action.
The new panels and the management processes are not intended to dilute options or delay actions, but will heighten the visibility of new ideas and sharpen VA's accountability, Principi said.
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WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi announced today creation of a two-pronged management structure to improve the decision-making process that affects millions of Americans receiving veterans benefits and services.
His redesign of the department's policymaking process will assure veterans and other taxpayers that policies of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are thoughtful, based in sound strategy and support performance goals across programs.
"We must keep front and center the priority of high-quality service to veterans," Principi said. "The steps we are taking today encourage VA's 220,000 employees to look beyond their individual programs and offices at the total needs of the veterans we serve."
Principi will chair a new VA Executive Board. It will be VA's senior management forum, designed to identify important issues and weigh policy options from the perspective of VA's long-range strategies and factors that influence operations, such as computer and financial resources, legislative programs and construction plans.
Meeting monthly, it will review the work of a second group, a new Strategic Management Council chaired by VA Deputy Secretary Dr. Leo S. Mackay Jr. His council will deal with day-to-day operational management of VA in addition to formulating new approaches and monitoring the effectiveness of VA programs and their financial performance.
The executive board includes the heads of VA's three administrations dealing with health, benefits and cemetery issues, as well as the VA's legal counsel. The Strategic Management Council is composed of the deputies to those officials, as well as the heads of a number of key staff offices.
The council will be the first line of review for all proposals that have major policy implications. It will review proposals both from VA offices and committees and from outside advisory groups to ensure all ideas are fully developed and meet with VA's performance goals and strategies.
Principi encouraged officials throughout VA to embrace "formalized decision-making" along with open communication. He said that bringing new structure to the policy process should never stand in the way of creative thinking or bold action.
The new panels and the management processes are not intended to dilute options or delay actions, but will heighten the visibility of new ideas and sharpen VA's accountability, Principi said.
