VBA Provided Accurate Training on Processing PACT Act Claims but Did Not Fully Evaluate Its Effectiveness

The PACT Act prompted a rush of new toxic exposure claims and required VA to both immediately train staff on reviewing the claims and provide training at least annually. VBA’s Compensation Service and Pension and Fiduciary Service created mandatory training courses and released them to employees through VA’s online training platform starting on September 20, 2022. The OIG conducted this review to assess VBA’s development and implementation of PACT Act training to prepare staff to process claims beginning January 1, 2023.

The review team determined the online courses contained accurate information and addressed their stated objectives. The team also found the delivery method was appropriate and confirmed both that end-of-course surveys were completed by claims processors and that each course included end-of-course test assessments. However, the team discovered VBA did not have summary reports created in FY 2023 analyzing the results of surveys and assessments and detailing training effectiveness. Although VBA later completed some of the summary reports, it never completed others—in part because no deadlines had been set for submitting them. Reasons for not completing summary reports varied from focusing on other priorities and management being under the false impression the work had already been completed.

By failing to complete timely summary reports of the effectiveness of its PACT Act training, VBA could not act on the recommendations they might have contained to improve training, which could have improved the accuracy of PACT Act claims processing. The OIG recommended completing the missing reports, requiring summary reports to evaluate all levels of training and providing feedback to training staff, and requiring reports to be completed by established deadlines.