Article 61. Why the Federal Government is Unlikely to fix the VA

The government has known about the shortcomings of the VA for thirty years and has done little to fix its problems.  Now with the alleged deaths of 40 Vets in Phoenix the public has demanded that the VA be fixed.  The VA OIG is scrambling to get to the bottom of what they think is the “problem” fixing the VA appointment schedule.  The reason for their attention is that this is what the public is focused on and as soon as the appointment schedule problem is solved then the public will forget about all the VA’s other problems.

But the question that needs to be answered is “What about the other problems the thousands of, what the VA has determined to be minor problems affecting individual Vets”.  The VA is a toxic bureaucracy that has systemic problems.  It is like a hot potato which gets passed from Congress to the President to the VA and back again with little progress.

The Main False Assumption by our government Leaders

The main false assumption by our government Leaders is that only the VA can fix its problems. The standard solution is to find the right leader of the VA to implement reforms.  But this ignores the fact that nearly the entire VA bureaucratic management is against reform.  This is the vary management at VA Facilities that must implement the reforms proposed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs reforms that are either ignored or are very slow to be implemented.  The truth is that no organization's management, private or public will voluntarily undergo major reforms.  Nor will they voluntarily accept reform from outside their organization. But to bring true reform to the VA it must be done from the outside.

Definition of the VA’s Problem:
The major problem within the VA is it’s Bureaucratic Management.

This does not imply that all of the VAs Management need to be replaced many are excellent managers but simply The Bureaucratic environment entraps all of the VA's managers.
This is why Systemic Bureaucracies such as the VA will not reform themselves leaving but one option the reform must come from outside the organization.

Therefore my proposal to the Senate Veterans Affairs and the House Veterans Affairs Committees for a Consulting Agreement.  This proposal can only be accepted by the VA Committees by enacting legislation.  Because the Federal Government does not accept proposals from the public by its vendor laws.  Listed Vendors cannot make originating proposals to the Federal Government they can only make proposals to calls for proposals from government agencies.  Simply put an agency is most unlikely to call for proposals from outside Consultants to reform itself.
But this can be turned around if congress passes legislation allowing outside contractors to implement reforms in the VA.
See my Article 56. Congressional Veterans Affairs to Tap the GAO to Fix the VA

The Proposed Consulting Agreement Cover Letter:
Lawrence Rosier & Associates
Management Consultants Government Reform
12143 Cedar Grove Rd. Rolla, Missouri 65401
Phone (573) 364-8789  Cell (573) 578-4716

Cover Letter  May 28, 2014
To: Chairman Bernie Sanders,  Richard Burr Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and
Chairman Jeff Miller, Mike Michaud House Veterans Affairs Committee

From: Lawrence Rosier Principal Consultant Government Reform

Subject:  Example Consulting Agreement Addressing VA Hospital Reform

I am proposing a major breakthrough solution in government reform using VA Hospital employees to implement Enterprise Lean, originally developed by the Toyota Corp. This is the first step of my General Reform Model which leads to the highest possible effective and efficient organization, develops the data needed to manage, adjusts staffing levels to meet public appointment requirements and replaces the Bureaucratic organization structure with a Team Management organization.  The Lean Team data is collected in a Database of Management Standards to be made available to all VA hospitals.

I recommend that the Senate and the House Veterans Affairs Committees have joint oversight of this Agreement with the GAO contracting with Lawrence Rosier & Associates to implement the agreement at the Phoenix VA Hospital Facility.  The Principal Consultant will manage the implementation of the General Reform Model at the Client VA Phoenix facilities. The VA Inspector General’s Office will supply from Five to Ten VA Analysts who will be trained and lead by the Principal Consultant during this Agreement.  The VA Analysts are expected to replicate VA Phoenix reforms in other VA facilities after this Consulting Agreement has been completed.

My proposal as an independent Consultant makes the necessary changes that the current VA management Can not or Will not do.  The proposal: empowers VA Employees through Lean Teams; changes the current Bureaucratic management to a Team Managed organization;  determines the actual cost and staffing required to meet appointment standards; replaces incompetent and corrupt managers; and provides for cultural change that protects employees.  Legislation may be necessary to implement this proposal.  The Consulting Agreement is expected to achieve successful returns within three months and will be completed within six months to one year.   This is a demonstration of a permanent fix for VA problems.

Suggested Approach after approval of the Consulting Agreement by Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees and the GAO’s contracting with Lawrence Rosier & Associates.

I. The Principal Consultant will arrive the Client's Phoenix VA Committees facilities June 23, 2014 (or an agreed upon date) to begin organizing for the implementation of the General Reform Model.  Preliminary planning will be coordinated with the VA’s current Management.  The Inspector General's VA Analysts should arrive on the same date and will be briefed with an overview their role in the implementation of the General Reform Model.

2. The reform begins with the implementation of Enterprise Lean with all employees of the Phoenix VA hospital being trained in the Lean process.  It organizes employees in to Lean Teams and empowers them to find to the most effective way to do their jobs with an analysis of each process of the system they are working on.

3. During the above steps the Principal Consultant will be training and leading VA Analysts in making the implementation of the General Reform Model at the Phoenix VA Hospital.  The implementation is expected bring changes to the processes done within the hospital and to its bureaucracy by implementing Team Management.

Please Review the following Example Consulting Agreement.  The document is intended to be used to promote understanding and to start discussion on consulting activities and not as a final document.

Kindest Regards
Lawrence Rosier Principal Consultant

For the Proposal for a Consulting Agreement (less boiler plate) see my Article 56. Congressional Veterans Affairs to Tap the GAO to Fix the VA