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In the approved 2008-2011 Audit and Evaluation Plan, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) identified the Residential Care Program at Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Building (CHVMB) for audit. The Chief Audit Executive of VAC engaged Audit Services Canada (ASC) to plan and conduct the audit. CHVMB is a part of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre under the Capital District Health Authority (CDHA) of the Province of Nova Scotia. It is the largest Veterans facility in the Atlantic Region providing, under contract with VAC, long-term beds on a priority access basis to eligible Veterans under VACs Residential Care Program.

In accordance with the Veterans Affairs Canada Evaluation Plan (2011 -2016) approved by the Departmental Evaluation Committee, the Audit and Evaluation Division was tasked with conducting an evaluation of Salute! VAC's Client Newsletter. Salute! is a quarterly, bilingual newspaper produced by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to provide Veterans and their families with information on departmental policies, programs and services.

The Ex Gratia Payments Audit was recommended for inclusion in the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Multi-Year Risk-Based Internal Audit Plan 2010-2013 by VAC’s Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) on March 18, 2010. The purpose of the audit was to examine the adequacy of controls put in place for the processing of applications for ex gratia payments. The audit fieldwork was substantially completed on December 15, 2010. Ex gratia payments are one-time payments for a fixed duration of time and stringent pre-set eligibility and entitlement criteria are applied.

The Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Disability Benefits Program provides eligible Veterans and other qualified individuals with benefits under the Pension Act and the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act. Hearing Loss is the most claimed service-related medical condition under each of these Acts. In September 2014, in response to findings presented to the Minister regarding the number of Hearing Loss claims being approved in one region of Nova Scotia, the Minister requested an audit of Hearing Loss decisions be conducted by VAC’s Audit and Evaluation Division. The objective of this audit was to assess Veterans Affairs Canada’s compliance of Hearing Loss first decisions with applicable legislation, regulations, policies and processes.

The purpose of the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) is to assist recipients in maintaining their independence through the provision of home and community care. As per the VIP Terms and Conditions, Veterans and other recipients in receipt of funding for VIP services must be contacted at least once annually to confirm the benefits are meeting the recipient’s needs. In January 2013, Canada Post, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and a third-party contractor became part of the Annual Follow-up and Survivor Renewal process. The objective of the audit was to assess the management control framework, the compliance with applicable policies and processes, and determine performance against the Annual Follow Up and Survivor Renewal service standard.

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) provides a wide range of health care benefits and services to eligible program recipients as specified under the authority of the Veterans Health Care Regulations. These entitlements are made available under the Treatment Benefits Program and Veterans Independence Program (VIP). The objective of these programs is to ensure program recipients are provided, according to their treatment eligibility, with reasonable and timely services that the Department considers to be an appropriate response to their assessed health needs. This audit was recommended for Deputy Minister approval by VAC’s Departmental Audit Committee on September 17, 2010.

The Centralized Mail initiative was designed in 2011 to direct all incoming Veteran documents to a central location in order to reduce Veteran and staff confusion resulting from multiple address choices. The Centralized Mail project commenced in 2011 and was fully operational by April 1, 2016. Through a partnership with Public Services and Procurement Canada in Matane, QC, (PSPC Matane) documents are received there, digitized and uploaded to the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Client Service Delivery Network (CSDN) system. Approximately 1.5 million pages of mail were scanned in the 2015-16 fiscal year.

The Accountable Advances Regulations (AAR) permit departments to establish petty cash funds to assist in meeting specific operational needs. Each petty cash fund can be set up to a maximum of $2,000; individual transactions shall not exceed $200. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) currently has 78 petty cash funds in place. The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Directive on Accountable Advances states that the petty cash funds should only be used when it is more cost-effective than using acquisition cards or staff travel cards.

In the fall 2012, some family members raised concerns related to: the quality of care provided, complaints being ignored, room changes without notice, and staffing levels. All areas of concern were investigated; however, family dissatisfaction persisted. The Department’s expectation is that all Veterans will be treated with respect by any and all who serve them and will receive quality care in provincial long term care facilities. The seriousness of the concerns prompted the Minister to announce that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) would conduct an audit of the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre (SBVC).

An effective and efficient phone system is crucial to providing Veterans, their families, and service providers with access to information from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) staff. The National Contact Centre Network (NCCN) provides a central point of contact for external callers to obtain general information and request benefits and services. NCCN Analysts either answer questions or immediately transfer callers to staff who can better respond to a caller’s inquiry. The objective of the audit was to assess the management control framework, compliance with applicable policies and processes, and performance against the service standard.