In response to questions about access to veteran care, then-Secretary Bob McDonald instituted a multipronged digital modernization effort to create a more personal experience for each veteran. The effort aimed at streamlining veteran access to services and information and bringing the agency fully into the digital age.
Aimed at rebuilding trust with its customers — U.S. veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors — VEO’s mission has been multi-pronged and sustained by the dedicated efforts of VA employees, leadership, and policy.
The results were precise: VA-wide trust surveys hovered around 55% before the program’s implementation. A decade later, they were above 80% — a record high for the department.
VA’s success came from its openness to digital technologies. After making that major shift, the agency is now poised to do it again.
With further advances, technology will continue to play a critical role in bridging gaps in service delivery, ensuring that veterans receive the support and benefits they earned in a timely and effective manner. The path forward involves integrating AI-driven solutions to enhance decision-making and service delivery processes, improve outcomes, and more effectively anticipate veteran needs.
The next era of data at work
In 2012, the Obama administration launched an initiative to eliminate paper-heavy processes. Like many other government organizations, VA still relied on paper forms, traditional mail, and other analog communication methods that were neither effective nor efficient.
The creation of a digital communications strategy eliminated many of these roadblocks. VA must take another step forward, uniting its data, technology, and channels to create a personalized system that provides better services and experiences while combatting scams and proactively fighting fraud.
VA’s digital transformation will put personalization front and center in this next era.
By leveraging data from existing records, VA can develop systems that adapt dynamically to veterans’ preferences, needs, and life stages. This level of personalization aligns with Granicus’s approach to digital government communication, focusing on building trust by using data responsibly to provide relevant and valuable interactions. This shift promises a veteran experience that feels more intuitive and meaningful, reducing the friction veterans might encounter when interacting with government services.
Personalization in digital services will also allow VA to send highly individualized alerts and notifications, even notifications of formal agency notices, a practice that Granicus has pioneered in its work with government clients. Through customized messaging, each veteran can receive updates tailored to their unique circumstances — whether about health benefits, service updates, or other resources. This type of tailored outreach not only enhances communication but also empowers veterans to make informed decisions about their benefits.
Additionally, a consistent visual identity and messaging across all digital platforms will signal VA’s commitment to fraud prevention, quality service, and reliability. A unified and recognizable presence helps veterans build trust in digital interactions, while familiar branding simplifies navigation and reduces barriers to accessing services. Granicus emphasizes the importance of a cohesive digital presence to mitigate fraud and improve usability, which is critical as veterans increasingly engage with online services.
A cohesive approach to care
A well-defined brand that extends across technologies and service channels will support veterans’ transitions to digital-first solutions. By creating a welcoming, familiar digital environment, VA can reassure veterans of the security and dependability of these new systems. This approach aligns with Granicus’s emphasis on clear communication as essential to building public trust in digital services, making adopting new processes more approachable.
By prioritizing personalization, consistent branding, and effective communication strategies inspired by best practices from Granicus, VA aims to elevate the veteran experience across every digital interaction.
VA’s ongoing digital transformation is vital for expanding veteran engagement and trust through more personalized, data-driven communication. VA has achieved impressive engagement benchmarks by adopting systems like Granicus’ govDelivery. For instance, they’ve reached about 20 million active veteran subscribers, with high engagement rates and adequate click-throughs on health-related communications. These changes improve veterans’ access to healthcare updates and resources and empower VA to create targeted content that resonates with specific veteran groups.
Personalized digital services offer a proactive approach, adapting to veterans’ life changes and providing tailored alerts, which enhance the veteran experience and make it easier for them to manage their healthcare online. With a consistent digital identity across platforms, VA strengthens its brand and builds trust, making it easier for veterans to navigate services confidently. These improvements align with a more significant trend of government entities leveraging data to create meaningful, engaging user experiences. They are especially crucial now as digital transformation continues to evolve rapidly.
Looking toward the future
A unified digital identity is also central to VA’s strategy. With consistent branding across all platforms, veterans can confidently navigate services, reassured by a familiar look and feel that signals reliability and quality. This recognizable presence underscores VA’s commitment to making online interactions secure, intuitive, and accessible, breaking down barriers veterans might have previously faced in accessing services. By fostering this cohesive digital experience, VA strengthens veterans’ trust and builds a reputation for quality, responsiveness, and security in its online platforms.
A well-established digital brand, supported by cohesive communication and practical digital tools, allows veterans to engage confidently with VA services and embrace new processes. By creating an inviting digital environment, VA demonstrates that its digital-first solutions are innovative but also safe and dependable. This approach aligns with modern best practices in digital communications, emphasizing the importance of trust, clarity, and ease in making digital services approachable and beneficial to users.
Looking ahead, VA’s digital transformation is crucial to serving veterans in an era that increasingly relies on technology for effective service delivery. With the rapid pace of technological advances, this transformation allows VA to proactively address emerging challenges such as cybersecurity and fraud prevention while offering veterans more control over their healthcare and benefits.
By investing in a future-ready, digitally savvy VA, the agency reaffirms its dedication to supporting veterans, ensuring that as technology evolves, so does its commitment to those who have served. This enduring focus on personalization, security, and seamless interaction underscores VA’s ongoing mission to enhance the veteran experience in a modern, digital world.
Learn more about VA’s journey improving the veteran experience in this white paper and timeline.
