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SEPTEMBER 2022

Commemorate

Hispanic Heritage Month

VA joins the Nation in commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) this September 15 to October 15. This year’s national theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.”  VA managers and supervisors are encouraged to support events and activities that recognize Hispanics and their many contributions to American society.

During National Hispanic Heritage Month, VA commemorates Hispanic cultures and histories, and significant contributions Hispanics have made to American Society and to our Nation.  In 1968, Congress passed Public Law 40-498 to honor the achievements of Hispanics in America with histories and cultures from ancestors who came from Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Congress, by Public Law 100-402, as amended, authorized, and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as “National Hispanic Heritage Month.”  These dates are significant as they commemorate the independence of various Latin American countries among them are Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  In addition, Mexico declared independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

To promote awareness and engage VA’ers about cultural diversity, the VA Central Office HHM Planning Committee will host two virtual HHM observance programs.  The opening event will be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. (EST) until 1:00 p.m., and a closing event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. (EST) until 1:00 p.m.  More information about these events to follow.

For more information about the Departmental Hispanic Employment Program, visit Hispanic Employment Program - Office of Resolution Management, Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI) (va.gov). 

Customer Experience (CX)

Providing consistent exceptional Customer Experience (CX) is VA’s top priority and the underpinning of the organization. The Department understands that  to provide the highest level of care and benefits to our Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors, the same attention and commitments must be accorded to each of its teammates, because CX will never outpace the Employee Experience (EX). 

The Department is committed to the principles and ideals of Inclusion, Diversity,  Equity, and Accessibility and ensuring all its employees feel safe and welcomed to bring their whole selves to work.  VA recognizes that many of our fellow teammates have more than identity which they hold dear.  The purpose of this first-ever initiative is to help understand the unique bright spots and pain points of our employees using an intersectional lens.

In 2021, the Veterans Experience Office’s (VEO) Employee Experience Directorate (EXD) and the Office of Resolution Management, Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI) partnered to launched Phase I of an Identity Insights Initiative.  Identity Insights centers on building a base of knowledge associated with pain points that employees experience within, amongst, and across identity groups framed by six EX relationships (Work, Technology, Place, People, Organization, and Well-being).

The initial project outcomes are the development of an intersectional approach to examining EX across the six EX relationships through an efficient methodology and the identification of clear action points based on key insights on which VA can conduct service design to address EX pain points. The long-term intended impact of the project is measurable improvement in employees’ sense of belonging characterized by VA policies, processes, and procedures which promote Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility across identity groups.

By identifying opportunities to improve employees’ experience – and thus sense of belonging – employees will feel supported and motivated and can better serve our Veterans.

Through 16 two-week sprints of human-centered design (HCD) interviews and focus groups, VEO EXD and ORMDI engaged VA employees to identify pain points, needs, and opportunities for VA to address impediments to belonging and improve EX at VA.

The goal of these confidential interviews was to identify tangible and actionable opportunities for VA to focus on to improve employee experience within and across identity groups.

Phase I of the project engaged employees from eight identity groups that have either been historically underrepresented and/or faced discrimination and bias in the VA workplace:

• American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN)
• Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)
• Black/African American
• Hispanic
• Individuals Born between 1946 and 1964 (Baby Boomers)
• Individuals with Disabilities (IWD)
• LGBTQ+
• Women

To learn more about Phase I - Identity Insights Initiative, access, and review the Final Report, please visit:

1. Click https://vaww.va.gov/orm/ on the VA Intranet to download the presentation file, or
2. Click https://www.va.gov/ormdi and scroll down to the Information section to download the presentation file.

 Phase II begins in August 2022 when recruitment for volunteers to sign-up (ORMDI VA Intranet Site and look for the ORMDI CX Strategy Office’s logo) will take place. Phase II will focus on engaging employees from the following identity groups:

• Employees Who Are Veterans
• Born between 1965 and 1980 (Generation X)
• Born between 1981 and 1996 (Millennials)
• 1997 – 2003 or 1997 – 2004 (Gen Z) – range of years pending confirmation
• Middle Eastern/North African
• Caucasians
• Jews (Anti-Semitism) 
• Employees who experience pain points related to religion

TDY Travel Tips and Reminders  

FSC TDY wants you to be successful with all your travel needs, and since travel has resumed, we would like to provide you with some travel tips and reminders to help you along the way.  Ensure all travel complies with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and VA Travel Policy.

Travel Tips: 

Ensure you have an approved authorization and ticketed itinerary before traveling.  All Reservations MUST be booked using ConcurGov

Transportation:

• Selected airfare should be most advantageous to the government (Travel Policy 030503)

Lodging:

• First consideration for lodging should be given to FedRooms®
• Tax-exempt forms should be provided at check-in (forms can be located here)
• Parking must be self-parking unless there is no other option available, then it must be what is most advantageous
• The use of a rental car must be most advantageous and require prior approval and sufficient justification (Non-reimbursable expense: GPS, Insurance, pre-paid fuel, etc.)

Airport parking:

• Must be the most advantageous (onsite economy parking)
• Must be compared to the cost of a taxi or other ground transportation to/from the terminal

Vendor Codes:

• Due to vendor codes being purged for non-use, ensure your Vendor Code is updated using the Self-Service Portal. Submit the vendor code you were emailed from CUSTOMERSUPPORTDONOTREPLY@VA.GOV to your Federal Agency Travel Administrators (FATA) to make any necessary updates to your user profile
  • If you have changed positions since you last traveled, contact your FATA to make necessary updates to your user profile (e.g., routing list, address and profile transfers, etc.)

Verify your Government travel card is active and increased before travel.  Contact your Agency/Organization Program Coordinators (A/OPCs) for further assistance.

Confirm all required documents are uploaded to authorizations and required receipts and documentation are uploaded to the voucher (Travel Policy Chapter 1 pg. 57).

Travelers must submit their travel claims with required receipts and documents within five business days of the travel end date or every 30 calendar days on continuous or extended TDY.

Reminders:

FSC TDY is here to assist you:

• Assistance with travel authorizations/reservations contact Concur Tier1 Support at 1-855-857-4059
• Assistance for FATAs 1-866-533-0188 or email at vafscetravel@va.gov
• Helpful Information/Job Aids: FSC Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel Services Division

Travel Card Operations contact is travelcardops@va.gov

• If you are in travel status and become incapacitated (e.g., COVID, illness, hospitalized, etc.) DO NOT make changes to your reservations. Reach out to your FATA/Local Admin, or your Approving Official for guidance

We Gain Some and We Lose Some

LOSSES: 

Bryant Warren

SED Equal Employment Specialist (Investigator) – Last day 9/10/22

St. Petersburg, FL

Retirement

Clifton Coates

Employee Development and Training– Instructional Systems Specialist (Last Day 08/29)

Washington, DC

BIAS: Lets Talk About It!

Office of Resolution Management Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI)

1575 I Street NW Washington DC 20005
202-461-4064  /  https://www.va.gov/ormdi/