Without clearly defined outcomes, analysis is impossible.

Ottawa, ON – May 19, 2016

Last week, I had the opportunity to present to 90 Veterans stakeholder groups’ representatives at the Minister’s Summit in Ottawa. I spoke to them about the unique opportunity before us to re-think the outcomes we want to achieve for Veterans and to design and deliver benefits that can achieve those outcomes.

There were a number of break-out discussions at the Summit on topics such as medical marijuana, life-long pensions, and service delivery. Regardless of the issue, however, a focus on outcomes and a clear understanding of what we hope to achieve is needed to shape a better tomorrow for our Veterans.

I spoke to stakeholders about the current challenges facing Veterans – about complex and fragmented benefits, and about service delivery that is program-centric as opposed to Veteran-centric. I also shared my vision of what tomorrow could look like – where decisions are clear and timely, benefits are simple and meet the needs of the Veteran, and where a single point of contact helps to navigate Veterans through the system.

Once we know where we want to go, it will be easier to chart a path to get there. Take a look at my presentation.

Presentation: http://ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/eng/transparency/presentations/veterans-outcomes-shaping-tomorrow

Guy Parent
Veterans Ombudsman