Instructions Strategic Plan: Part 3 In this third part of the final strategic plan development assignment, you will follow up on the content that you developed during the first two sections by adding

Strategic Plan: Part 2

George Landry

Columbia Southern University

Strategic Plan: Part 2

The Results of SWOT Analysis

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is the department within the United States federal government that oversees veterans' benefits. The VBA is responsible for providing benefits and services to veterans and their families, including disability compensation, pension, education assistance, home loans, life insurance, and burial benefits (Fried et al., 2019). The Claims Processing Department is the division of the VBA responsible for processing and approving or denying claims for benefits. The Claims Processing Department is facing several challenges in the coming years.

First, the department is dealing with an increasing number of claims from veterans. The number of disability claims has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and the number of pension claims has increased by more than 60%. Second, the department is dealing with a growing backlog of claims (Fried et al., 2019). The average wait time for a disability claim to be processed is currently over 300 days, and the average wait time for a pension claim is over 600 days. Third, the department is facing budget cuts. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has proposed a budget cut of $3.3 billion for the Claims Processing Department for the fiscal year 2017 (Fried et al., 2019). Fourth, the department is dealing with a high rate of error in claims processing. A recent audit found that the department had made errors in nearly one-third of the disability claims it processed. These are just a few of the challenges that the Claims Processing Department is facing in the coming years. To address these challenges, the department needs a strategic plan that outlines its goals and objectives and guides its efforts in achieving them (Fried et al., 2019).

The VBA is also facing many external threats, including the potential for decreased funding from the government and increasing competition from other organizations that provide similar services (Monteith et al., 2021). Additionally, the VBA has identified several areas where they could improve, including modernizing their technology and improving their customer service. However, the VBA also has several strengths, including a large customer base and a well-trained staff. Furthermore, the department has other strengths including its large budget and its experience in processing claims. The department's opportunities include the growing number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the increasing use of technology to process claims (Monteith et al., 2021). The department's weaknesses include its lack of IT capabilities and its large number of employees. Overall, the VBA has a lot of opportunities to improve their operations, but they also face some significant threats. The Claims Processing Department should use the results of the SWOT analysis to develop a strategic plan that will address the department's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The plan should include specific goals and strategies that will help the department meet its objectives (Monteith et al., 2021).

Stakeholder Identification

The development of the strategic plan will involve input from a variety of stakeholders, including employees of the VBA and the Claims Processing Department, veterans and their families, and members of Congress (Chen et al., 2006). Internal stakeholders for the Claims Processing Department include employees of the department, as well as management and executives within the VBA. External stakeholders include veterans and their families, as well as other organizations that provide services to veterans (Chen et al., 2006). The needs and participation of these stakeholders will likely influence and contribute to the plan’s development.

For example, the VBA will need to consider the views of employees to create a plan that is achievable and realistic. Employees will need to be involved in the development of goals and objectives, as well as the implementation of the plan. In addition, the VBA will need to work with veterans and their families to understand their needs and priorities. The views of veterans and their families will help to ensure that the plan meets the needs of those who will be most impacted by it (Chen et al., 2006). Finally, the VBA will need to collaborate with members of Congress to get support for the plan and to ensure that it is funded adequately. All of these stakeholders will play a role in the development of the strategic plan and will help to ensure that it is successful. By collaborating with these stakeholders, the VBA can create a plan that meets the needs of all those who will be impacted by it.

References

Chen, J., Rosenheck, R., Greenberg, G., & Seibyl, C. (2006). Factors Associated with Receipt of Pension and Compensation Benefits for Homeless Veterans in the VBA/VHA Homeless Outreach Initiative. Psychiatric Quarterly, 78(1), 63-72.

Fried, D., Helmer, D., & Davey, V. (2019). The Methodological Challenges of Using Veterans Benefits Administration Disability Codes to Ascertain Agent Orange Exposure Among Vietnam Theater Veterans With Service-connected Disabilities. Medical Care, 57(2), 172-173.

Monteith, L., Holliday, R., Hoffmire, C., & Bahraini, N. (2021). Female Veterans’ Willingness to Seek Veterans Health Administration and Non–Veterans Health Administration Services for Suicidal Thoughts and Mental Health Concerns. Medical Care, 59, S23-S30.