Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 30th, 2017

[Michel Doiron]

Thank you for the question. I hope I do as well with this answer as I did with the last one.

As the honourable member mentioned earlier, we have challenges. I'm not going to hide it and I didn't the last time. When it comes to production and our numbers, we have challenges with the numbers going up. However, the programming and the surveys we have done in relation to the programming have demonstrated that we're trending in the right direction.

Our survey of 1,500 randomly chosen veterans of different categories—traditional veterans, CAF veterans, and RCMP veterans—has demonstrated that our staff is respectful. We are trying to meet their needs. We're helping them advance and get what they need.

Can we do better? We can always do better. We know there are areas such as in mental health in certain parts of the country where it is a challenge, so we're working on all those areas. However, this has provided us with some insight we did not have before. It's okay to ask ourselves what it looks like. I know that people here talk to veterans, and I talk to a lot of veterans, but to actually go out and randomly just ask people what they think and come back, it gives us this insight and helps us concentrate on where to look.

In addition, when we did the service delivery review, which we're now calling “service excellence” because the review is finished and we're trying to implement some of the stuff, it demonstrated that we're still too bureaucratic. We have to improve our documentation.

Communication was raised with the minister earlier. How do we improve that communication with veterans so that they understand? How do we go to a push system and not a pull system, meaning that Veterans Affairs does the heavy lifting and not the veteran, and do the chart and all those things? How do we simplify that so veterans know what they're entitled to and they can actually get it? Those are all things we are working on.

We still have a lot of work to do on simplification. However, at least when we did the survey, which was anonymous so they could say what they wanted and there would be no repercussions, the veterans who were surveyed were pleased with the services. They were pleased that it was providing them with a level of financial security to help them deal with the day-to-day things.

There are still some irritants, some areas we have to work on, some work to be done on rehab. Some of them are still not quite happy with the rehab, and there is some work to do on the case management side, but all in all, we're trending in a different way. I'm not sitting back and saying everything is nice and rosy, because I still get, on a daily basis, complaints from veterans, so how can we improve that?

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Is it fair to say that our push to improve the communications has resulted in higher...?

[Michel Doiron]

Absolutely. It's a multitude. I guess sometimes you're the victim of your own success.

Improved communications, the reality where we're giving more benefit of the doubt to the veterans, and a host of new programming have made it so that we've gone from approximately 36,000 applications a couple of years ago to finishing around 53,000 last year. We're probably going to have close to 60,000 applications this year, which means people are coming forward looking for help, and we're giving them help. We've increased our production by 22%, and I'm not even talking about the other gateways, such as rehab. This is really on the disability and financial side.

The reality is even though you're improving production by 22%, when your incoming increases by close to 30%—or 27%, 28%—you're sliding backwards, and that's where this backlog is coming from. An increase in communications, such as through My VAC Account, has helped us a lot. An increase in benefits that are easier to understand than some previous more complex ones has made it so that people are coming forward for help.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Is there any information or data on the reintegration of veterans to the civilian workforce?

We want to provide training for veterans, to get them back to work. We've talked about this in testimony past, that there's sometimes almost a stigma about taking a former military person into the civilian workforce, for whatever reason. Can we speak to that at all?

[Michel Doiron]

We don't have clear studies on it. Let's be clear. This is what the career transition service—the new program that's coming in that the deputy talked about earlier—is going to be working on. It will not only give us the data, but also work with employers to make sure there is no such stigma.

The military people are good employees. Yes, some of them may have mental health issues. Some of them may not be ready to work, but a lot of them are good employees, ready to work, very devoted, and very dedicated to their employer, whether it's the Government of Canada or a new employer.

With the new CTS program, the hours of counselling and the job placement are actually to make sure that is there. There's also a follow-up component to make sure there's no misunderstanding. What we are noticing—I don't have stats on this, so it's more anecdotal—is that it's a difference in communication. It's the translation of the terminology. A military person speaks in a certain way—those who've served in the military know exactly what I mean—and is used to certain ways. In the private sector and the public sector, it's a different lingo and a different way of doing business. There's an adaptation that is needed, and we have to make sure we help the member and the veteran adapt to that new environment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you.

Ms. Mathyssen.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for being here. I have a couple of questions. The first has to do with the caregiver benefit. In supplementary estimates (B), there was an additional $1,032,000 and change requested for the new caregiver recognition benefit that was announced in budget 2017. Since the monthly grants of $1,000 won't start until April 2018, what do the operating costs of this new benefit cover in 2017-18, and how many benefit applications do you anticipate receiving in 2018-19?

[RAdm Elizabeth Stuart]

Thank you, Vice-Chair. I will commence by addressing your first point, the caregiver benefit. As with most of the new initiatives announced in budget 2017, these supplementary estimates really cover what I would describe as preparation and implementation costs that the department needs to undertake in order for the benefit to be in a position to come into force on April 1.

For example, there's $450,000 that we've costed for information technology development costs. There's another $40,000 in salary for service delivery, work that has to take place, and various operating costs, including a threat and risk assessment, office accommodations, and information technology fit-up costs. When these are announced, there are system developments, system design, and user testing, and we ensure that on the coming-into-force date, the implementation of the new benefit will be smooth, accurate, and timely.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Okay, thank you.

There was an additional $2 million plus requested for government advertising programs to cover advertising unique to veterans affairs. Is it a transfer from the department to a central fund for any government advertising, or is it specific to veterans affairs?

[RAdm Elizabeth Stuart]

The $2.1 million for advertising is within Veterans Affairs Canada. I should add that the advertising amount is done annually as a horizontal government initiative, but specific to Veterans Affairs, the $2.1 million is for a special purpose allotment for outreach, for promotion to veterans and their families, in the areas of commemoration and mental health.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Okay, thank you.

Finally, an additional $600,000 for the critical injury benefit is listed in table 90, under grants and contributions, but it's not included under vote 5b of the supplementary estimates, which also covers grants and contributions. Is this an error? If the amount is not included under vote 5b, was it included under vote 1b, even though it is a grant?

[RAdm Elizabeth Stuart]

May I have a few minutes to get back to you on that one, please?

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Yes, that would be fine. I know it's a bit complicated.

Finally, I want to get back to my question regarding Charlottetown. I understand that some of the reorganization was around Phoenix—and good luck with that—but I had heard that there was some construction going on, some physical changes to the plant. What are they, and what is their purpose, cost, and benefit?

[RAdm Elizabeth Stuart]

Part of my responsibilities on the corporate side of life includes human resources support. I must say that our department has really reached out. Obviously, we have challenges with the new pay system for our own employees, but further to that, we are working very closely and collaboratively with Public Services and Procurement Canada. We have on-boarded 24 of our own compensation advisers and admin personnel, with a national target across the federal government upwards of 300 personnel for the foreseeable future.

We are using our learning centre at Veterans Affairs—it's an interdepartmental learning centre—to train the employees in the Phoenix system. We are on-boarding, together with PSPC, to support the pay centre in Miramichi. We have additional folks in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and also in Kirkland Lake, where I have quite a few support staff.

We have a phased approach, and we've developed a pod approach—that's what it's called—whereby we are assessing files according to a prioritized schedule, somewhat akin to case management, that is established by PSPC.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Okay, thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

You have another 20 seconds.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

I offer my condolences around Phoenix.

The indication from the department was that there will be better data and that you'll be able to get data in regard to hiring within the public service by January. Are you on target there? Are you feeling confident that you will be able to collect this data about hiring?

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Be as quick as possible on that, please.

[RAdm Elizabeth Stuart]

Pardon me? Are you referring to the hiring of veterans in the public service?

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Yes.

[RAdm Elizabeth Stuart]

Okay. We work together with the Public Service Commission. You may recall the Veterans Hiring Act, which has statutory provisions for medically released veterans. The Public Service Commission has the data as to statutory hires. With respect to the rest of the federal government, we do not have the capability established in the Phoenix system as yet, but we are working together with HR systems and the Phoenix system.

I can tell you that many departments have questionnaires when individuals arrive. I myself am a veteran of 32 years. I just retired last year—

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

I'm sorry, we're out of time. We're going to have to keep going here.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Mr. Eyolfson, go ahead.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, everyone, for coming.

Just to reference what I had talked about before with this commemoration for Passchendaele that I attended, we do have a commitment to veterans to commemorate their service over the years, from past and even from present service and present events. Could you elaborate on what Veterans Affairs has done over the last couple of years in commemoration, and what it intends to do in the coming years?