VA Can Strengthen Appeals Processing and Tracking by Improving Caseflow Program Management

Veterans can submit compensation claims for disabilities associated with active service, and if they disagree with VA’s decision on the claim, they may appeal it. The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA) was passed to improve the processing of these appeals. The AMA also required the VA Secretary to submit an initial comprehensive plan to Congress for implementing a new appeals system. To support this new appeals system, VA adopted a technology system called Caseflow. The VA OIG conducted this audit to assess the Office of Information and Technology’s (OIT) program management of Caseflow.

Overall, the OIG found VA lacked an enterprise-wide governance structure over Caseflow, which limited oversight during development and led to inefficiencies in reporting and functionality. This lack of clear direction made it difficult to implement requirements during development. Caseflow functionality was also affected by the contractor’s development process, which involved lengthy timelines and limited communication between developers and users. Furthermore, the team discovered contractor staffing was inconsistent with the requirements of the Caseflow contract. As a result of these program management concerns, some VA offices have either questioned using Caseflow or decided not to use it.

The OIG made one recommendation to the assistant secretary for enterprise integration, in conjunction with the assistant secretary for information and technology and chief information officer, to evaluate whether VA should establish an enterprise-wide governance structure for Caseflow development. The OIG also made two recommendations to the assistant secretary for information and technology and chief information officer to develop a roadmap for future Caseflow development and enforce contract requirements. VA concurred with these recommendations.