2023-2024 Operating Context
The Board is a small tribunal with a small, dedicated staff. The Chairperson, appointed by the Governor in Council, is the Board’s Chief Executive Officer and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Veterans Affairs.
The Board can have up to 25 full-time Members (including the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson). Members hear Veterans’ cases brought forward for appeal. They then decide whether the evidence meets the requirements of the legislation to award new or increased levels of disability benefits.
Workload
The Board’s operating environment is directly influenced by the nature and volume of applications. A good indicator of how many applications the Board is likely to receive in a given year, is the volume of Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) disability benefits decisions from the previous year. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the Board’s workload, largely as a result of VAC’s efforts to reduce the disability benefits backlog.
To ensure Veterans and their families obtain access to the disability appeal program, and ultimately benefits, more quickly, the Board continues to evaluate its operating procedures and processes, and ensure the necessary resources are in place to support its program. In 2023, the Board put forward a request for additional resources, to help address the increased workload, and was successful in obtaining resources towards this objective, on a temporary and permanent basis. Looking ahead, the Board will focus on maintaining this enhanced capacity to hold hearings and issue decisions, and addressing the increase in workload.
Even though the Board’s caseload is primarily correlated with VAC decision volumes, it can fluctuate from year to year due to other factors. One factor is that there is no time limit to bring forward an appeal, so Veterans can request an independent review of their VAC or VRAB decision at any time.
Human Resources
The Board relies on its Members and staff to provide Veterans and their families with a fair and timely appeal process. As a small tribunal, it faces unique challenges in workforce management and makes ongoing efforts to maintain knowledgeable and skilled Members and staff to deliver its program.
Board Members are Governor-in-Council (GIC) appointees selected from a pre-qualified pool of Canadians. As the membership is dynamic, it is both a challenge and a priority for the Board to maintain a balance of experienced and new Members for expertise and knowledge transfer. The Board’s capability to effectively deliver on its mandate hinges upon an adequate complement of Members appointed through the open and transparent merit-based GIC selection process.
Due to the complex and changing environment under which the Board operates, the Board must ensure there are adequate resources in place, with the necessary skillsets and competencies to meet the organization’s evolving operational goals. The Board faces significant operational pressures to support the increasing workload. Key priorities for the Board are to continue to work with the Minister on the Board’s appointments that reflect the diversity and linguistic duality of Canada; recruit strategically to respond to organizational resource and skill needs, such as official language requirements and new skillsets to support a digital-first approach; and continue our focus on learning and professional development by strategically investing time and resources into learning activities that will enhance its workforce and ability to deliver on its mandate.