We must lead with vision, connected to plans, connected to execution. We must return to a focus on the fundamentals and become better at providing reliable, consistent IT products and services that build trust among our stakeholders. We must institute a culture of continuous prioritization, efficient resource allocation, and stewardship. We must implement a rigorous security strategy to safeguard vital VA infrastructure and sensitive Veteran information. And we must celebrate and promote the talent and diversity of our workforce, while reciprocating our employees’ commitment to public service with fulfilling career pathways.
While these priorities reflect the fundamentals that we need to focus on today to transform into the organization VA and our Veterans need, getting this right does not mean we’ll be able to say, “We have completed the transformation.” Transformation is a journey. Noted earlier, the harder work of any transformation is to execute it with excellence, with rigor, and with consistency.
Everything we do must be mission-driven, focused on the IT products and services we deliver to VA and the Veterans we serve, and making them a delight to use.
Early wins must be sustained. We must be able to communicate these wins to stakeholders and tell our story, with transparency and authenticity. We must be able to demonstrate our responsible stewardship of the resources we have, so we can effectively advocate for the additional resources we need.
At OIT, our only mission is to deliver IT products and services to VA and our Nation’s Veterans. If we focus everything we do on that purpose, not only will the Office of Information and Technology become the best IT organization in government, but we will have honored the faith and trust that VA staff, our Veterans, and their caregivers place in VA — delivering them the exceptional customer experiences they deserve.
