Background

As a Senior Consultant at Technical Assent, I’ve had the opportunity to lead several key projects within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These projects focus on enhancing the Employee Experience (EX) to support VA staff in delivering optimal service to veterans. This includes creating a senior executive journey map, developing a job aid to build the capacity of leaders to better support their teams, and currently, leading the development of service blueprints to improve veteran satisfaction within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

approach

In all of my work at the VA, I applied human-centered design principles to ensure the solutions were not only effective but also deeply aligned with the needs of the employees and veterans. For each project, I began by conducting in-depth stakeholder interviews and workshops to understand the experiences, challenges, and goals of the target users. I used this qualitative data to develop insights that informed the design process. For the senior executive journey map, I worked closely with leadership to capture their pain points and aspirations, ensuring the map reflected their real experiences. In creating the job aid, I gathered feedback directly from staff to ensure the tool would truly support their needs. Similarly, in the development of service blueprints, I mapped out the entire veteran journey with input from all involved, ensuring the blueprints addressed both veteran needs and internal service delivery gaps. By engaging stakeholders throughout the process, I was able to design solutions that were both user-centered and impactful, fostering improved employee and veteran experiences.

SAMPLE DELIVERABLES

• Senior Executive Journey Map: I led the development of a journey map that detailed the experiences of senior executives within the VA. This process involved gathering qualitative data through interviews and workshops with key leaders to understand their pain points, needs, and opportunities for improving their day-to-day experiences. The map provided a visual representation of their journey, which identified areas where leadership support and resources could be enhanced.

• Job Aid Development: I worked closely with VA leadership to create a comprehensive job aid aimed at building the capacity of leaders to better support and empower their teams. By leveraging insights gathered from staff surveys, interviews, and focus groups, we developed a tool that helped leaders better understand their staff's challenges, communicate more effectively, and implement strategies to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction.

• Service Blueprinting for Veteran Satisfaction: I am currently leading a project that creates detailed service blueprints to identify touchpoints in the veteran healthcare experience. This involves mapping out all stages of interaction between veterans and VA healthcare services, from initial contact to post-visit follow-up, identifying inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improving overall satisfaction. The service blueprints are designed to align service delivery with veteran expectations, ensuring a more seamless and positive experience.

These deliverables ensure that VA leadership is better equipped to support their teams and improve veteran outcomes, ultimately enhancing the quality of care and services provided to veterans. Through a combination of user-centered design methods and a focus on stakeholder needs, these initiatives contribute to a more effective and compassionate VA experience.