Question Period Note: DEPARTMENTAL RESULTS REPORT 2017-2018

• The Departmental Results Report outlines for Canadians what our Government accomplished and the results we achieved in 2017-18.

• This report reflects our commitment to support Canada’s Veterans and their families with care, compassion and respect.

• As reflected in the report, we fulfilled several public commitments including: re-opening offices across the country, increasing the Disability and Death Benefit and implementing six new and two enhanced programs.

• Almost all (over 90%) of the $4,77M spent in 2017-18 consisted of payments to Veterans and their families.

• Veterans Affairs is committed to responding to the needs of our Veterans and their families, and in December of 2017 we announced the new Pension for Life option to address concerns made by the Veteran and military communities.

BACKGROUND – 2017-18 Departmental Results Report

The 2017-18 Departmental Results Report provides parliamentarians and Canadians with information on what we accomplished and how we achieved the results we sought to reach during 2017-18.

As a second-wave adopter of the new Policy on Results, we are not yet reporting under the new Departmental Results Framework (DRF). Accordingly, our Results Report reflects the Department’s Program Alignment Architecture. With the implementation of the new DRF in November 2017, the 2018-19 Departmental Results Report will reflect the new reporting structure.

In the Report, we describe our programs and services, our accomplishments for 2017–18, and how our work fulfilled our departmental mandate commitments and the government’s priorities.

The highlights of the Report include:

Results highlights for 2017-18
• Opened offices in Windsor and Thunder Bay, Ontario and Prince George and Surrey, B.C., and fully staffed them.
• Increased the Disability Award and Death Benefit and issued additional payments to compensate for the non-economic impacts of service related injury.
• Helped establish the Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Related Mental Health Conditions.
• Launched a joint CAF/VAC Suicide Prevention Strategy.
• Commemorated three military milestones in the centennials of the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele and the 75th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid.

We created six new and two enhanced programs and services to improve the lives of those were serve, including:
• Education and Training Benefit
• Veteran Family Program
• Caregiver Recognition Benefit
• Veterans Emergency fund
• Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund
• Centre of Excellence on PTSD and other related mental health conditions
• Enhancements to the Career Transition Services Program
• Removal of time limits for the Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program

We have made long-term care available to a larger group of Veterans at 10 former hospitals for Veterans, and we are currently discussing this possibility with eight additional facilities.

We have directly engaged the Veteran community to make sure that our programs and services are meeting their needs. Since January 2018, we have hosted 40 town halls, meetings with stakeholder organizations and regional summits across the country.

In 2017–18, we experienced a 41% increase in in My VAC Account registrations where individuals, including family members, can access VAC programs and services anywhere, at any time.

VAC spent $4,774M in 2017-18, more than 90% of which was payments to Veterans, their families and other program recipients.

The Department also had 2,730 full-time equivalents, including more than 200 new hires, most of whom provide direct service to Veterans and their families.

This Report provides information on our Programs – the sub-program level details are published separately on GC InfoBase and the results at this level are mixed.

There are a number of sub-programs that are not meeting the performance targets – most notably the performance targets for Disability Pensions and Disability Awards applications.

Our Research Directorate conducted studies to learn how Veterans transition from the military to life after service. We will use this information when making decisions about future policy or programs. These studies include:
• 2016 Life After Service Studies;
• Veteran Suicide Mortality Study;
• Road to Civilian Life. A technical report on Veterans’ Identities and Wellbeing in Transition to Civilian Life; and Well-Being of Families of Veterans with Mental Health Problems.

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