Federal Daily - November 20, 2008

VA Announces Special Procedures for Vets with Missing Paperwork

Some veterans will get the benefit of the doubt should some of their claim documents turn up missing, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Nov. 17. VA changed its procedures in the wake of a VA’s Inspector General (IG) report which revealed an incident in which some veterans’ claims documents inadvertently were slated to be shredded. If the documents had been destroyed, those vets’ benefits could have been affected, the IG found. Under new special procedures, if documentation of certain veterans is missing, VA will assist vets and survivors in establishing that an application or other document was previously submitted to VA, but was not properly acted upon and was not retained in the veteran’s records. The special procedures cover missing documents submitted by a veteran or other applicant for VA benefits during the 18-month period between April 14, 2007, and Oct. 14, 2008. VA will process any missing applications or evidence resubmitted under these special procedures as if the document had been originally submitted on the date identified by the claimant, the agency said in a statement. Vets and other applicants have one year, or until Nov. 17, 2009, to file previously submitted documents under these special procedures. Veterans not covered by these special rules who believe relevant materials are missing from their files can submit additional documentation at any time. To avoid disposing of important documents, VA has placed all regional office shredding equipment and operations under the control of the facility records management officer. Before any claims document can be shredded now, it must now be reviewed by two people and the facility records management officer, said VA Secretary James Peake.  To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1618.

:: Back to Top ::

More Highly Engaged Workers Enhance Efficiency, Report Says

Federal agencies can improve efficiency, enhance retention and reduce lost time by fostering “employee engagement”—the workplace connection between the agency and employees tasked with working there, said a Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) report released Nov. 17. Competitive pay and benefits, along with a healthy work-life balance, help employees feel better about working for the government, said the report. But, unless employees feel a special bond with the employing organization, they will not be highly engaged and may not put forth the extra effort that improves organization results, the report said. Employees are considered more engaged when they find personal meaning in their work, take pride in what they do and where they do it, and feel their organization values them. In general, engaged workers help agencies improve efficiency ratings, stay on the job longer even if they are retirement-eligible, take fewer sick days and file a smaller number of equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaints, the report said. By MSPB’s measure, about one-third of federal employees are fully engaged, almost one-half are somewhat engaged, and the remaining 17 percent are not engaged. There were differences in the level of employee engagement among the different levels of federal employees, the report said. For example, more members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) were more fully engaged than supervisory employees, who were, in turn, more engaged than non-supervisory employees. In addition, there were wide differences in the engagement level of employees of different agencies—in some agencies almost half of the employees were fully engaged, while in others only about one-quarter were engaged. “Federal supervisors and managers have an important role to play in engaging employees,” said MSPB Chairman Neil A. G. McPhie. “By establishing a link between employee engagement and agency outcomes, we hope to refocus attention and energy on management practices that can increase the level of employee engagement.” To see more, go to: www.mspb.gov/netsearch/viewdocs.aspx?docnumber=
379024&version=379721&application=ACROBAT.

:: Back to Top ::

The Makings of a Federal Police E-Academy

Federal Computer Week—Training for federal law enforcement officers might soon incorporate many of the online technologies that universities have been using to make instruction more accessible, comprehensive and affordable. John Besselman is leading a program at the Homeland Security Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center that is exploring using virtual and digital learning capabilities to improve the education of the more than 60,000 students who receive training at the center’s campuses each year. He said he hopes the program, named Train 21, can help the center save space and time, make more efficient use of its employees, and improve the overall effectiveness of its training. “We have an opportunity to take advantage of the Digital Age,” he said. To read the rest of this story, go to: www.fcw.com/online/news/154409-1.html.

:: Back to Top ::