Description of the Program
Veterans are a significant part of the population that needs various kinds of support from the community. For many people, the transition from army to civilian life is fraught with many difficulties associated with their past. The list of possible problems includes both actual health issues that impose restrictions on ordinary life and the need for social support. Studies show that although most former military personnel are reintegrated into society without any problems, there is a significant minority that needs additional job search programs (Perkins et al., 2020). One such program at the moment is the Veterans Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E). This evaluation plan aims to describe, analyze, and evaluate this initiative to achieve the planned and stated results.
The name of this program has changed several times over the years, reflecting various aspects that are being emphasized with veterans’ assistance. Although this initiative is also known as the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, the current variation of the name more accurately reflects the nature of the actions being taken and the primary purpose of helping to prepare, find, and retain a job (Absher, 2021). The complete list of services provided under this program is moderately broader. Nevertheless, the design of this program can be formulated as a set of measures aimed at improving the quality of life of veterans through assistance in getting a job. In this context, various activities are considered that can help a person, depending on their needs. The need to apply specific measures is usually decided by the results of an appointment with a consultant, except for cases of severe injuries during active-duty service (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2021). This allows for a more personal approach to the veteran, taking into account his needs.
The list of goals and services provided within the framework of this initiative is quite broad. Primarily, VR&E consultants conduct a detailed assessment of the veteran’s current condition, which may also include a physical examination (Absher, 2021). Within the framework of such consultations, a person’s abilities are also determined, as well as their capabilities, needs and wishes. These components are fundamental for the subsequent formation of a rehabilitation plan. Depending on the situation, it may include general means of assistance: training in job search and resume writing skills, connecting specialized communication programs with employers. VR&E also provides training and mentoring services to help veterans acquire the necessary skills to develop further in more critical situations. In any of the described cases, the purpose of the personalized plan is to set a specific task and formulate ways to achieve it. One of the so-called Five tracks of services is selected as a goal: reemployment, independent job search, job search in the context of short- and long-term services, and independent living services (Absher, 2021). All measures to be implemented in the future are aimed at the implementation of the selected purpose.
One of the essential details about VR&E is the context in which these services are delivered and who can be part of the initiative since not all veterans can apply for such assistance. First of all, those wishing to become part of this initiative and receive appropriate support must undergo an assessment, which can be carried out under the coincidence of certain conditions. A veteran must be dismissed from service in a way other than dishonest and must have a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent based on a particular rating (Absher, 2021). In some cases, they can bypass the last requirement and not wait for the rating results by filling out the form on the official website if there are additional circumstances. In any case, services are provided only to veterans with disabilities related to service or employment as a result of requiring additional aid in rehabilitation after the army. However, if, according to the results of the assessments, a person does not fit the VR&E criteria, this initiative’s specialists help the person find alternative resources that are suitable for them.
Logic Model of the Program
Inputs
VR&E is a government program, and this allows its specialists to have reasonably extensive and reliable funding. Due to state connections, requests for necessary funds and resources are made within the Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations (Collins, 2021). The supplies requested by the program are divided into two parts: mandatory and discretionary. Among the first, expenses directly related to the services provided are taken into account: the cost of teaching aids, funds for direct assistance to the veteran in the form of daily payments, and tuition fees. Discretionary resources include payments to program staff, training costs, and all associated organizational costs.
Outputs
As the main activities of VR&E, it is necessary to highlight the assessment of veterans following the eligibility criteria, the analysis of the needs and capabilities of the individual, as well as the preparation of a personal plan. Thus, the first step is to develop a list of individual services, which will be implemented in practice. Considering the situation’s peculiarities, one of the Five Tracks approaches is chosen that is most suitable for a person (Absher, 2021). Within the framework of the developed plan, various types of training, consultations and rehabilitation complexes are implemented. These outputs aim to improve the lives of veterans, who are the only possible participants in this program.
Outcomes
Within the framework of short-term outcomes, it is possible to distinguish the receipt of initial consultations, which helps determine the veteran’s status and situation. At this point, there is either drawing up a rehabilitation plan for further work or redirecting a person to another, more suitable program. Thus, the veteran gains knowledge and information about their opportunities. Intermediate outcomes involve working according to a plan, obtaining the necessary job search skills, building relationships with an employer, or undergoing special training. At this stage, actual efforts are taken to improve the veteran’s life by providing income and opportunities for self-realization. Finally, long-term outcomes mean complete rehabilitation of a person, which includes receiving the necessary medical care, consultations, support, and getting a stable job. As a result of passing VR&E, the veteran must be fully reintegrated into society and able to live comfortably, providing for themselves and their loved ones.
Assumptions
The success of this program lies in several substantial advantages over other initiatives. First, VR&E is a state program that automatically puts it above others in scale. While various non-profit organizations are forced to look for sponsors to implement their initiatives, VR&E has government resources. In addition, such a scale and a centralized approach ensure high qualifications of personnel and their even distribution across regions. While private organizations can often only function in a specific area, VR&E extends to all regions, reaching more people.
External Factors
Among the factors supporting the development of this initiative, one can single out many veterans of the armed forces in need of support. Since candidates for this program can be people who graduated from service 12 years ago, a reasonably large base of people who need help is formulated. In addition, veterans who defended their homeland are more likely to trust government programs than outside organizations. Finally, the current situation with the spread of COVID-19 makes the work of private entities more complex, while the state has the resources to keep the initiative running.
Situation
The most important factor shaping the current situation is the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes the work of almost all services significantly more difficult. The existing epidemiological situation affects the social and economic sphere, in connection with prices rising and the number of unemployed people increasing. In this context, there are many more people in need of VR&E, and it becomes more challenging to assist them due to possible problems with funding and reallocation of resources. In addition, the imposed rules regarding social distancing and teleworking prevent the provision of necessary services to veterans. There have been adopted changes to VR&E to combat pandemic restrictions, mainly related to increasing assistance to veterans whose plans cannot be adequately implemented in the existing conditions (Collins, 2021). However, these measures are temporary and do not solve the entire spectrum of problems.
Priorities
The program’s main priority is the fight against unemployment among veterans and their rehabilitation and reintegration into society through consultations and various assistance measures. These two points form the basis of the VR&E mission, which can be seen in all the actions taken. This initiative was created to eliminate the existing service-connected disabilities or at least allow people with these problems to become capable members of society. Since the situations of different veterans are radically different, among the main priorities and values of VR&E, an individual approach to each person through an analysis of needs and opportunities can be distinguished. For this, a vast network of state resources, both material and social, human, is involved.
Evaluation Questions of Interest
Despite the many points that can be assessed within the framework of this program, when composing the questions, the focus was made on the study of the very process of VR&E functioning. Such an analysis of the program allows one to understand how it is structured and functioning at the moment and identify opportunities for growth and further development. When choosing and composing questions, the criteria of utilization-focused research were taken into account (Patton, 2012). This not only allows for clarity in the wording but also for more reliable and reliable results. Evaluation questions are presented below and grouped according to purpose.
Questions regarding the current implementation of the program:
- Are there enough activities with the target audience?
- Are the main objectives of the program being achieved during the implementation of the program? If not, why not?
- What qualifications do program staff needs to work effectively? Do staff have sufficient education and training to interact with the target audience and achieve their goals?
- How do participants in the program interact with and respond to it? What factors are noted as valuable and essential, and what are causing adverse reactions?
Questions regarding opportunities for further development:
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?
- Have there been any activities in recent years to improve the services provided? Are there any similar events planned?
- Is there a need to improve any individual VR&E components in the opinion of the program staff? In the opinion of the participants and the target audience?
- Is there actual room for further improvement of the program at this time? How do staff and participants think they can be created?
Description of Intended Users
The primary intended users of this study include several categories at different levels of this program. The most relevant stakeholders are those interested in the assessment results and its results: participants, performers, and decision-makers (“Identifying and determining involvement,” n.d.). Accordingly, three categories are distinguished as intended users. Firstly, the research results will be helpful to the target audience, veterans who either have not yet taken part in the program or are in the process of interacting with it. Their interest, in this case, is dictated by the possibility of obtaining a detailed compilation of information regarding the structure of the program and its weaknesses. It will allow them to be more prepared for personal interaction with VR&E.
In addition, by being aware of potential shortcomings, veterans can take the initiative to correct them and improve the overall program by expressing their opinions and grievances as consumers. The informing of this group will occur during personal communication since the veterans are one of the groups planned to be interviewed during the collection of information. After the interviews, communication with the interviewed individuals will be maintained, reducing distrust of evaluation and obtaining more reliable results (“Identifying and determining involvement,” n.d.). This will also allow veterans to receive new knowledge and feedback about the evaluation process and results.
The second group of intended users is program staff members who interact directly with the initiative’s target audience. Their interest in evaluation and its results lies in the fact that they are the most active stakeholders in the program, people with whom veterans often contact. These specialists have to solve most of the problematic issues related to the history of the program participants and the structure of the initiative. Therefore, knowledge of weaknesses and strengths will allow them to improve their day-to-day performance and provide an opportunity to contribute to potential program improvement from a lower level. Since, as in the case of veterans, these specialists are one of the groups that must be interviewed to collect data, they will be contacted privately. This will allow them to timely inform them about all new finds, maintain interest in the assessment, and promptly receive feedback.
Finally, the third intended user group is the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is directly leading this initiative. The conducted research may be of the most significant interest specifically for them since it will reflect the actual state of affairs at the level of implementation. Such information will help to demonstrate whether the program is effective enough in practice. In addition, these stakeholders have fundamental tools to make changes to this program in accordance with the information received. The role of the Department of Veterans Affairs in evaluation will be to disseminate the results. This group will be briefed during the assessment process to establish a contact in advance and after the study is completed to communicate the evaluation results to this organization.
Description of the Data and Methods to be Used
Several methods will be used at once to obtain the information necessary for analysis and evaluation. First, an document analysis will be conducted to study the available printed official sources. This approach has several unique advantages: there is no need to disturb employees and program participants; it is possible to analyze historical data when using it. In addition, the cost of conducting such an analysis is meager, which facilitates the evaluation process as a whole. The documentary analysis will be limited to the period from the beginning of 2019 to the end of 2021. Such a limitation will allow obtaining quantitative information from reports in combination with qualitative information in the form of textual narratives regarding the program’s work a year before its name change and a year after. According to official sources, the title replacement was not related to changes in the services provided, and such an assessment will confirm or deny this statement (Collins, 2021). Additionally, the actual data obtained can be correlated with information obtained using other methods.
Since the documentary information reflects only the official state of affairs and may be incomplete, there is a need to use additional funds. Therefore, to obtain more practical information, surveys based on evaluation questions will be used. Their main advantage is efficiently disseminating questions and quickly collecting relevant information in a volume that depends only on the number of people interviewed. With the help of this method, it is expected to obtain primarily qualitative information about people’s attitudes towards the program. The questionnaires will be distributed evenly by mail between veterans and VR&E specialists to avoid bias or prejudice. Thus, information should be obtained regarding the interaction of the target audience with the program and the initiative’s work from within. As a time interval, as in the previous case, it is supposed to use the years 2019-2021. This will allow comparing the perspectives of people who have interacted with the program at different stages and situations.
However, this method also has several disadvantages, primarily in the possibility of bias and the lack of sufficiently high-quality answers. Therefore, in addition to the widespread anonymous distribution of polls, it is proposed to use a combined method. Studies show that combining different methods allows for clearer triangulation and more detailed evaluation (Taylor-Powell & Steele, 1996). Therefore, the survey method in this context will also be partially combined with the interview method, which will make it possible to convey the critical questions in a more targeted and focused manner. In addition, such a study will provide a more personal perspective on the program from both sides: veterans and staff members. The resulting qualitative information will represent personal views and opinions on the existing features of VR&E and possible prospects for the program. The period of the surveys is the same as that used in other methods to ensure the correlation of the results. In this context, this means that people who have interacted with VR&E in both 2019 and 2021 will be interviewed.
Finally, all information received will be compiled and combined to draw parallels between documentary information, anonymous survey responses, and information obtained through personal interviews. Compliance with ethical standards and principles of confidentiality and personal information will be observed when receiving information. Despite the fact that interviews, unlike surveys, will be conducted with specific people, their identities will remain classified in order to avoid possible leaks of personal data.
References
Absher, J. (2021). Veterans readiness (vocational rehabilitation) and employment. Military.com. Web.
Collins, B. (2021). Veterans’ benefits: The Veteran Readiness and Employment Program. Congressional Research Service. Web.
Identifying and determining the involvement of stakeholders. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Patton, M. Q. (2012). Essentials of utilization-focused evaluation. Sage.
Perkins, D.F., Aronson, K.R., Morgan, N.R., Bleser, J.A., Vogt, D., Copeland, L.A., Finley, E.P., & Gilman, C. (2020). Veterans’ use of programs and services as they transition to civilian life: Baseline assessment for the Veteran Metrics Initiative. Journal of Social Service Research, 46(2), 241-255. Web.
Taylor-Powell, E., & Steele, S. (1996). Collecting evaluation data: An overview of sources and methods. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service. Web.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2021). How to apply for Veteran Readiness and Employment. Web.