Veterans Affairs Committee on May 29th, 2012

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Just on that, how many more months or years do you anticipate it will take to scan the rest of these documents, then?

[Charlotte Stewart]

I want to clarify that point. What we do is scan documents as we require them. When a veteran is applying for a benefit or a service and we need the medical records, we ask for their file from Library and Archives Canada or from DND, we scan it, and then we have an electronic version.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Just so I'm clear on that, because it's interesting, you're saying that when you scan the records in a veteran's file, you don't scan them all at one time and put them in a file, but scan them one at a time as they are required.

[Charlotte Stewart]

No. Generally what we do is that we ensure that the key medical information, and only the key medical information that is needed, is scanned. We don't need most of what's on the file. That's a very important point to make relative to the privacy and security of data. We're very careful, and we work closely with DND and with our privacy colleagues in central agencies to understand exactly how to extract just what is needed and to create an electronic file.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Getting back to the original question, then, when we get to 2013, what are we talking about? You said the scanning of the files is the real area in which we're saving time. But you're giving me the impression that they're scanned. So why is it 2013-14? Why isn't it happening right now?

[Charlotte Stewart]

It is happening now. It was one example. By 2013—

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Is it completed, though?

[Charlotte Stewart]

We are able now to scan and to extract the electronic info we need for those who are applying for benefits and services today; that's correct. In the future, we're going to be able to expand that, and we'll continue to do it.

We're working also to improve services on our “My VAC Account”. That's a technological enhancement that we'll have in place. My VAC Account is up and running, but we'll continue to develop it, and that's another milestone that would be indicated by 2013.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Okay, we're past our time.

Mr. Harris, you can have four minutes.

You're on the list here. I can go on to Mr. Lizon. It's up to you.

[Dick Harris, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

No, I'll pass.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Or Mr. Lobb can use some of your time. It's up to you, whichever way.

[Dick Harris, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Go ahead.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Mr. Lizon, it's your four minutes.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, witnesses, for coming here and for your patience.

Maybe we will continue on electronic data or records. The last time we spoke, I didn't have a chance to ask this question. I understand that you will not be scanning all of the records of the current veterans; you will be scanning what is currently needed, and therefore there will be a mixture of paper files and electronic files. Would that be correct?

[Charlotte Stewart]

Most of them will be paper-based; that's right. As DND moves more towards establishing electronic records for all of its members, then obviously Veterans Affairs Canada will be able to take advantage of them as they build those electronic systems.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

How will this actually help veterans in the process? Why would a veteran care whether he or she has a paper or an electronic file? How would this improve the system?

[Charlotte Stewart]

With respect to our perspective in Veterans Affairs Canada, the reason they would care is that it will reduce the amount of time it will take us to adjudicate on decisions.

I'll just give you a practical scenario that actually happens. When everything is paper-based and we have to request the file from Library and Archives Canada, for instance, and depending on where it's needed by an adjudicator or another decision maker in the department, it would be transported to that individual. There will a courier. It will be carefully done, but it will still take time. Then, the pertinent pieces of information are photocopied by a group of people who spend their day pulling the file apart, photocopying key pieces, and putting it back together.

If you now think about using an electronic approach, once the document is scanned and it exists in an electronic record, we anticipate that it will shave weeks off of the existing turn-around time using paper files, and it will allow us to have many users using it at the same time. If you are applying for two different benefits as a veteran, we will be able to scan the document, and then an individual in Charlottetown can make a decision at the same time as a front line case manager. If the individual happened to be in western Canada, they will be able to use the same data and make a decision on a rehabilitation decision.

It becomes an extremely streamlined way to improve service.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Thank you.

On another topic, I would like to ask Ms. Locke a question. You mentioned in your presentation a new telephone system that you have implemented. Can you explain how it is different from what was used before and what kind of services are offered for veterans over the phone?

[Krista Locke]

Okay, sure.

Our former system was very disjointed. For example, in the Atlantic region there was one telephony system, whereas western Canada would have a different type of telephony system. Callers would call in from the geographic area. The new telephony system is adopted across Canada. It's a system that is used by other departments, and as well now, as I mentioned in my remarks, the caller goes to the first available agent. A caller could be calling from Newfoundland, and an analyst could be answering the phone in Vancouver. It works very well as far as efficiency is concerned.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

So it's one system across the country. Is that correct?

[Krista Locke]

Yes.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

How many phone centres are involved?

[Krista Locke]

We have four client contact centre sites: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Montreal, Quebec; Kirkland Lake, Ontario; and Winnipeg.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much. We're past time.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.