VBA’s and NCA’s Personnel Suitability Programs Need Improved Governance

In March 2018, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported on deficiencies within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) personnel suitability program, concluding that neither VA nor VHA effectively governed the background investigation process to ensure requirements were met at medical facilities nationwide. In September 2023, the OIG reported on similar deficiencies during a follow-up audit of VHA’s personnel suitability program. These prior audits identified issues that could affect the entire VA enterprise, prompting the OIG to conduct this audit of the background investigation process for Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and National Cemetery Administration (NCA) staff and determine whether investigation actions were completed on time and recorded reliably.

VBA and NCA did not effectively govern their personnel suitability programs to ensure that background investigations were completed within required time frames or recorded reliably. The team found problems at every stage of the process: completion by candidates of questionnaires that the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency must have to begin background investigations, on-time initiation of background investigations, resumption of discontinued investigations, adjudications on schedule, and investigation documentation in employee personnel folders. Delayed adjudications were especially problematic. The OIG team estimated that 71 percent of VBA employees and 58 percent of NCA employees were not adjudicated by VA within the required 90 days of the date of the final investigative report.

These issues occurred because VBA and NCA prioritized prescreening over adjudicating investigation results for newly hired staff. Further, whereas each administration tracked metrics for the prescreening process, neither tracked metrics for background investigation adjudications. As a result, both administrations assume unnecessary risk by allowing staff who are not fully vetted to handle sensitive personal information and interact with veterans.

The OIG made two recommendations to the under secretary for benefits and two recommendations to the under secretary for memorial affairs.