Where's VA's Report?

Last week I reported that the Veterans Affairs Department <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/10/oops_forgot_that_education_data.php>didn't include</a> education claims data in an <a href=http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/mmwr/index.asp>online report</a>, called the Monday Morning Workload Report, which details pending claims managed by the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Last week I reported that the Veterans Affairs Department didn't include education claims data in an online report, called the Monday Morning Workload Report, which details pending claims managed by the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Through the end of September, VBA presented the pending disability, education and even burial claims data in an easy-to-read spreadsheet. But starting on Oct. 5, VBA decided to provide what it called a "more meaningful and transparent look" at this pile of data. But for the past three weeks, the agency has omitted information on education benefit claims.

VA assured me the omission resulted from a technical glitch, and it would be fixed this week. Oct. 26 has come and gone, and VBA had yet to post a Monday Morning Workload Report -- with or without education claims data - as of Tuesday afternoon.

I don't mean to get overly cranky, but the Monday Morning Workload Report is the primary way the public manages to get any insight into how VBA does its job, which is processing claims for veterans who answered the call to service.

It's hard to call the new way to present data a "more meaningful and transparent" way when the data is not present at all.