On reforming the VA.

 Oh, it's never going to happen.  No one in the right places actually gives a proper damn.

Secretary Shinseki knows better than this. The organization does well what the boss checks. He and I grew up in the same Army. We know that if you set a reporting metric, and never do anything but accept the report at face value, the weak will prefer to game the system rather than make it work. That was one of the purposes of the Annual General Inspection. To make you prove that what you reported was true. That was the purpose of the Unit Status Report - but the AGI is what put veracity to your USR.

The Secretary has set the standard, and he is *not* the one to fix it. Sure, I accept it was broken when Mr. Obama took office. I also know it was broken when Mr. Bush took office, too, as it took me 18 months in peacetime to get rated. It was broken back in 1975 when my father retired - so broken in his case that he refused to deal with the VA up until the day he died.

So, clearly, you aren't the guy to fix it. You've had six years. It's time to admit you've failed and move on.

And it's time for a Night of the Long Knives in the VA administration.

Which will never happen.

Me, I'd take the administrators involved in the false reporting, and if I couldn't fire them direct, I would appoint them as "Special Assistants" with duty at Minot, North Dakota, no relocation assistance provided.

If I couldn't collect them all in some place so uncomfortable they wouldn't want to go, fine. Leavenworth Centurion made a good suggestion for "rubber rooming" them: A nice double-wide trailer in the back parking lot with fans and DRMO furniture, and rotary phones. And a 300 baud modem for internet access.  And a nice sign that said, "Office of the Special Assistants."

Then perhaps, I could get someone into position who actually gives a damn.

Read the complete post at http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2014/05/on_reforming_th.html