Military Disability System: Improved Monitoring Needed to Better Track and Manage Performance

Since 2007, DoD and Veterans Affairs VA have jointly operated the Integrated Disability Evaluation System IDES -- which is intended to expedite benefits for injured servicemembers. IDES replaced the departments separate processes for evaluating servicemembers for fitness and disability. Initially a pilot at 3 military treatment facilities, IDES is now in place at military treatment facilities worldwide. In previous reports, GAO identified a number of challenges as IDES expanded to more facilities, including staffing shortages and difficultly meeting timeliness goals. In light of IDES expansion, GAO was asked to examine the following 1 the extent to which DoD and VA are meeting IDES timeliness and servicemember satisfaction performance goals, and 2 steps the agencies are taking to improve IDES performance. GAO analyzed IDES timeliness and customer satisfaction data, visited six IDES sites with varying performance, and interviewed DoD and VA officials. To improve monitoring of IDES timeliness and satisfaction, GAO recommends that DoD and VA work together to do the following 1 develop plans for completing the ongoing business process review and implementing any resulting recommendations and 2 improve the accuracy of case information at the point of data entry and that 3 DoD consider alternative approaches to measuring satisfaction. DoD and VA concurred with GAOs recommendations.