Sec. 202. Reports on capital asset planning, management, budgeting, staffing, and performance of Department of Veterans Affairs
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Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the planning, management, budgeting, staffing, and performance by the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to capital assets. Such report shall be known as the Strategic Plan to Improve VA’s Delivery and Management of Capital Assets (in this subsection referred to as the Report ). The Report shall consist of not fewer than two parts as set forth in this subsection.
Part one of the Report shall focus on the human capital needs for the capital asset and related areas workforce of the Department (in this subsection referred to as Part One ). Part One shall include the following: A description of the steps being taken by the Department, and the steps that the Department plans to take during the 10-year period following the date of the Report, including a specific timeline, to ensure sufficient capital asset personnel at the local, regional, and central office levels of the Department are available and prepared to— execute the current level of capital asset work, including maintenance, delivery of new facilities, disposal, and reuse; handle future capital asset work described in subclause
(I)during such 10-year period; and perform any other capital asset activities as identified by the Secretary. A plan that addresses the needed capital asset workforce of the Department by— identifying and describing the staffing needs and status of such workforce, including— the number of currently authorized positions; the number of filled positions of those positions authorized; the number of unfilled positions of those positions authorized, including reasons why those positions are not filled and steps the Department is taking to fill those positions; the number of current positions needed above the level currently authorized; and future needs, including expected growth or reduction, during the 10-year period following the date of the Report; providing the data under subclause
(I)at the Departmental level, disaggregated by relevant divisions of the Department and by— data for the Veterans Health Administration, broken out by field, Veterans Integrated Service Network, and central office, including the Office of Healthcare Environment and Facilities Programs; data for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, broken out by field, region, and central office; data for the National Cemetery Administration, broken out by field, region, and central office; data for the Veterans Benefits Administration, broken out by field, region, and central office; data for the Office of Asset Enterprise Management; data for the Office of Information and Technology, broken out by field, region, and central office; and data for all other offices of the Department not covered under items
(aa)through
(ff)that have capital asset staff or significant capital asset responsibilities at the field, regional, or central office level; and including an estimate of the funding required to accomplish filling the unfilled and future positions specified under subclause
(I)during the 10-year period following the date of the Report. A description of the efforts taken and planned to be taken by the Department to recruit, retain, and develop the existing and future capital asset workforce of the Department. A description of any changes needed to the qualifications, standards, position descriptions and other related matters to ensure the qualification standards of the workforce— match the needs of the Department; and align where appropriate with relevant Federal Government and industry standards and best practices. A description of how the Department will coordinate the human capital efforts of the Department across the Veterans Health Administration, the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, the National Cemetery Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Office of Asset Enterprise Management, and other entities of the Department so as to leverage collective efforts, reduce unnecessary duplication, and identify opportunities for collaboration and efficiency. With respect to a Department-wide succession plan for leadership and mission-critical occupations in the capital asset workforce of the Department— if such a plan is not already developed, a timeline for the development of such a plan; and if such a plan is already developed, the current implementation status of such plan. An assessment of different regional challenges in rural, suburban, and urban areas to recruit and retain the necessary capital asset workforce of the Department and steps to be taken by the Department in response to such challenges. With respect to the report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on December 24, 2019, entitled Facilities Staffing Requirement for VHA-Resource Planning and Methodology for the Future — a plan and timeline to implement all recommendations from the report; and if the Secretary decides not to implement a recommendation of the report, a description of why such decision was made. A description of how the Department will leverage contract support and partnerships with other Federal agencies, nonprofits, and other stakeholders to meet the short-, medium-, and long-term human capital needs for infrastructure to ensure that the Department has the experience and workforce needed to match the current and future projected infrastructure workload of the Department. A description of any improvements to training or curriculum of the Department that are needed to enhance the education of the capital asset employees of the Department to ensure they are as proficient as possible in their jobs. A description of such legislative or administrative action as the Secretary considers necessary. Such other matters as the Secretary considers necessary. Part One shall cover all relevant staff required for the entire lifecycle of facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets of the Department, including the following: Individuals who keep facilities clean, such as janitorial and housekeeping staff and housekeeping aids. Individuals who maintain facilities, such as through repairs and preventative maintenance. Groundskeepers. Planners, engineers, and architects. Project managers. Individuals with expertise in real estate, acquisition, leasing, and easements. Energy or utility experts, including experts with respect to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Individuals who work in— capital asset management; healthcare engineering; environmental management; or occupational safety and health. Individuals who conduct contracting, including contracting officers, related to capital assets locally, regionally, or nationally for all various types of construction or infrastructure work, such as minor construction, major construction, non-recurring maintenance, minor leases, and major leases. Individuals knowledgeable in relevant rules and procedures related to property disposal or transfer, environmental remediation, historic preservation, and other similar topics. Any other position that has a critical role in the planning, contracting, delivery, maintenance, upkeep, and disposal of capital assets. Any other positions the Secretary determines relevant. Part two of the Report shall cover the methods undertaken by the Department to accomplish changes to improve the planning, execution, and delivery of capital asset projects of the Department, such as maintenance, renovations, land acquisition, or new construction or leasing, including through better planning, project management, cost, and schedule performance (in this subsection referred to as Part Two ). Part Two shall include the following: A timeline for accomplishing the changes described in subparagraph (A). A description of the steps the Department is taking or will take to shorten the time it takes from project concept to completion while controlling costs and budget, meeting schedule, and achieving established goals. A description of what new or modified contracting or other services, arrangements, strategies, contract vehicles or mechanisms, innovations, pilots, and partnerships the Department is planning to use during the five-year period following the date of the Report, including— a timeline of how and when the Department will test and implement those approaches; and a description of any limitations under current law (including regulations) that would prevent or are preventing the Department from using innovative contracting vehicles, services, arrangements, administrative action, or other agreements and strategies and what legislative changes are needed to facilitate use of those approaches, including a description of whether each limitation is a limitation for all Federal agencies or only for the Department. A description of the costs incurred or added to meet Federal or Department standards, including those for resiliency that are needed and greater or more stringent than private industry standards. A description of the steps the Department has taken or plans to take to improve capital project delivery by standardizing facility design, modularizing facilities components, and taking other steps to accelerate project delivery while maintaining flexibility, agility, and quality, including a timeline for the completion of such steps. A description of steps the Department is taking to make all of its relevant capital assets energy efficient and climate resilient. The steps the Secretary will take to ensure the Office of Information and Technology and the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction of the Department, or similar successor offices, are integrated into all relevant aspects of the capital asset planning and implementation process of the Department, including at the earliest stage of every capital asset project in the field so as to improve communication, coordination, and project scope, cost, and schedule. A description of any other actions the Department is taking or will take to improve its delivery and management of capital assets. A description of such legislative or administrative action as the Secretary considers necessary to more effectively manage and deliver needed capital assets of the Department. Such other matters as the Secretary considers necessary. Not later than three years after the date on which the initial report required by subsection
(a)is submitted, and once every three years thereafter for a period of six years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report including— a description of any changes with respect to the matters described in paragraphs
(3)and
(4)of subsection
(a)since the previous report was submitted; an explanation of plans under the previous report compared to actions taken since that report was submitted; and a discussion of the results and performance of the Department since the previous report including in cost savings, faster facility delivery, or reduction in the number of unaddressed priority capital asset improvements.