Sec. 202. Strategic plan to improve planning, management, budgeting, staffing, capacity, and performance of Department of Veterans Affairs capital asset activities
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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 strategic plan to improve the planning, management, budgeting, staffing, capacity, and performance by the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to capital assets. Such strategic plan shall be known as the Strategic Plan to Improve VA’s Delivery and Management of Capital Assets (in this subsection referred to as the Plan ).
The Plan shall consist of not fewer than two parts as set forth in this subsection. Part one of the Plan 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, including by the lead official designated under section 101(a)(3), and the steps that the Department plans to take during the 10-year period following the date of the Plan, 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; to handle future capital asset work described in subclause
(I)during such 10-year period; and to 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 of personnel, during the 10-year period following the date of the Plan; 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 or are key enablers and support functions for capital asset management 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 Plan. 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, including those resulting from implementation of section 101(b)— 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 capital asset 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, or similar successor offices, 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 description of the recommendations from the report that have already implemented; a plan and timeline to implement the recommendations from the report that have not already been implemented and the Secretary plans to implement; and for each recommendation from the report that has not already been implemented and the Secretary does not plan to implement, a description of the recommendation and a justification for the decision not to implement the recommendation. A description of how the Department will leverage, where appropriate and relevant, contract support and partnerships with other Federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other entities 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 the status of the implementation of the staffing model established under section 101(a)(4). A description of such legislative or administrative action as the Secretary considers necessary to recruit, retain, and develop a strong capital asset management workforce. Such other matters as the Secretary considers necessary. Part One shall cover all relevant staff required for the effective management of the entire life-cycle of facilities, land, infrastructure, 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 architecture and 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, nonrecurring maintenance, and leases. Individuals knowledgeable in relevant rules and procedures related to property disposal or transfer, environmental remediation, historic preservation, and other similar topics. Relevant legal counsel and staff of the Office of General Counsel needed to perform relevant duties that occur throughout the entire life-cycle of capital asset management activities. Any other position that has a critical role, including supporting or enabling functions, in the planning, contracting, delivery, maintenance, upkeep, and disposal of capital assets. Any other positions the Secretary determines relevant. Part two of the Plan 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, disposal, reuse, 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 plans to take to shorten the time it takes from project concept to completion while controlling costs and budget, and achieving established goals. A description of the steps the Department is taking or plans to take to increase the capacity and ability of the Department to complete a larger number of projects in a given year. 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 Plan, 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, accessibility, and other areas that are needed and may be greater or more stringent than private industry standards. A description of the steps the Department is taking 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 or plans to take to make all of its relevant capital assets energy efficient. The steps the Secretary is taking or plans to 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 relevant 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 plans to 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 strategic plan required by subsection
(a)is submitted pursuant to paragraph
(1)of such subsection, 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 strategic plan was submitted or the previous report was submitted under this subsection, whichever may have been more recent; an explanation of which plans, actions, and initiatives contained in the strategic plan or previous report, as the case may be, were carried out; a list of plans, actions, and initiatives from the strategic plan or previous report, as the case may be, that were not carried out and the reasons for such lack of action; a discussion of the results and performance of the Department since the strategic plan or the previous report, as the case may be, including in cost savings, faster project delivery, increased capacity to complete an increased number of projects in a given year, and reduction in the number of unaddressed priority capital asset improvements; and such other matters as the Secretary considers necessary.