Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Working as Senior Consultant at VA through Technical Assent, I currently lead human-centered design research, evaluation, and strategy projects that strengthen the experience of Veterans and VA employees. Projects have ranged from developing high-impact tools and resources for senior leaders, to facilitating cross-functional collaboration, to designing veteran-facing resources that enhance accessibility and service delivery.
Background
The VA is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States and serves millions of Veterans annually, while also employing hundreds of thousands of professionals. Both EX and CX are critical to the VA’s mission, influencing how Veterans access services and how employees deliver them. Over the years, I have been engaged to lead projects that address pressing organizational challenges, strengthen engagement, and deliver sustainable improvements in service quality and accessibility for Veterans and employees alike.
Approach
My VA work consistently integrates:
Mixed-Methods Research: Combining qualitative and quantitative data to develop a comprehensive understanding of challenges, needs, and opportunities from multiple perspectives.
Stakeholder Workshops: Facilitating interactive sessions with leaders, employees, and Veterans to align priorities, uncover root causes, and co-create solutions.
Co-Design / Co-Creation: Partnering directly with end users and subject matter experts to design and test solutions that are practical, scalable, and grounded in real-world needs.
Outcome
Completed Projects:
Senior Executive Journey Map: Facilitated a series of workshops with VHA senior executives to visualize their experience across the organization and identify improvement opportunities via a Senior Executive Journey Map
Responsiveness Toolkit: Developed a practical job aid, the Responsiveness Toolkit, to help VA leaders and stakeholders better respond to employee feedback, addressing the lowest-scoring EX KPI.
Veteran Communications Insights: Conducted interviews with communications SMEs to identify ways VA could improve communication and engagement with Veterans across diverse contexts.
Congressional Response on IPV & Sexual Assault: Led qualitative research on barriers and best practices related to programs for Veterans and their partners on intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault, informing the VA’s congressionally mandated response under the Deborah Sampson Act.
Active Projects:
Preparing Veterans for Disability Claims Exams: Co-creating resources and tools with Veterans and staff to improve the claims exam experience, including prototype development, testing, and refinement.
Reducing Veteran Wait Times: Conducting interviews with employees and Veterans to identify root causes and design solutions, supported by prototype development and iteration.