VA Strategic Plan FY 2010-2014 - US Department of Veterans Affairs

Page 26Chapter 2: The Strategic Planning Framework | VA’s approach to executionGuiding PrinciplesPeople-centricVeterans and their familiesare the centerpiece of ourmission and of everythingwe do. Equally essentialare the people who arethe backbone of theDepartment—our talentedand diverse workforceResults-drivenWe will be measured by ouraccomplishments, not byour promisesForward-lookingWe will seek outopportunities fordelivering the bestservices with availableresources, continuallychallenging ourselves todo things smarter andmore effectivelyStrategic GoalsImprove the quality andaccessibility of healthcare, benefits, andmemorial services whileoptimizing valueIncrease Veteran clientsatisfaction with health,education, training,counseling, financial,and burial benefitsand servicesRaise readiness toprovide services andprotect people andassets continuously andin time of crisisImprove internalcustomer satisfactionwith managementsystems and supportservices to makeVA an employer ofchoice by investing inhuman capitalVA’s approach to executionStrategic planning is not a static activity. Strategies need to be refreshed and revised asthe external environment changes and/or initiatives evolve. Nor is strategic planningpurely an intellectual or analytical exercise. Success depends on human beings – onindividual mindsets and behaviors being truly aligned with the strategy. Our executionapproach addresses the dynamic and human nature of strategy by focusing attention onthe five themes described below.1. Behaviorally-oriented communication with employees2. Coordination and accountability3. Performance management4. Program evaluation5. Risk management1. Behaviorally-oriented communication with employeesOur strategic communications process will ensure that the strategy and its implicationsare understood throughout the organization and our community of stakeholders. Thisapproach will ensure that employees throughout the organization – the people who willactually implement the strategy – understand the need for change and what is expectedof them. In this way, we will build a community invested in the success of the strategy andempowered to contribute continuously as we update and improve it.2. Coordination and accountabilityTo ensure the right level of focus and support for these strategic initiatives, a coordinatingmechanism has been created to review our progress against annual operating plans. Itis designed specifically to ensure close alignment on several management issues andwill identify potential risks or challenges. It will also recognize outstanding performanceand share underlying best practices. The majority of our management capacity will bededicated to the highest priority initiatives, as outlined in this plan.3. Performance managementWe will measure progress toward achieving VA’s strategic goals and integrated objectivesthrough performance measures associated with our Major and Supporting Initiatives.As we transform, VA continues to develop and evolve our performance measures. Theperformance measures and associated target levels of performance, listed below forour Major Initiatives, are illustrative of the ones that we are developing to promotetransformation.Department of Veterans Affairs