SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

Call it the Small Change Act, the most a person would ever have to contribute on a single transaction would be 9 cents.

I once read that the cost of making the penny and nickel, both outweigh the actual value of the coin.

My proposal is similar to what some banks are starting to offer, in a keep the change program.

On all *CASH* purchases, the total price, after sales tax, would be rounded up to the nearest amount,... more »

Skip the trip to DC. Give the winner of this contest $500 (less than the airfare, per diem, and fees to IdeaScale for running this website).

We need to shift to commodities and solid assests in regions where suitcases of cash are regular occurances. If we are not able to secure standards in accounting for liquid assets we cannot verify proper use of resources.

If my information is correct, the US Government has had trillions of dollars in cash printed with no sure way to shore up the value of the US dollar. While done early on in the whole credit debocal the inflation which would normally step in an hurt the value of our currancy was offset. Right now with the amount of paper money in the system, and banks still not loaning it out, I believe it is time for the Fed to start... more »

When I began working for VA over 20 yrs ago we operated out of computer system under the (BDN) Benefits Delivery Network. This system was tied into all parts of VA. The main part we used was to pay deserving veterans benefits for their lost wages due to a slightly to completely debilitating disability. This disability being due to their service for their country. This system was in the DOS format and slightly cumbersome... more »

In the VA, every employee has access to at least 2 computer systems requiring separate unique passwords that must be changed frequently. These include a general log-on to access a computer terminal, VISTA (where vacation and sick leave must be entered), the Talent Management System (for required training at least annually). Additional systems include the travel management system, CPRS, VINCI, etc. If we could just... more »

Use an online system that allows employees to enter, request, and have approved all leave requests. This system could be tied into the current Vista, ETA, and MyPay systems.
Organizations could input top workload days in the calendar and block certain weeks/days to require employees to be present at the office/workstation.
Employee enters the system having limited access and reviews calendar for 'available' time periods... more »

A lot of boys and girls grow up and want to serve their country. These children see their parents working hard, paying their bills, being honest, and respecting each other. When some of these children grow up, they decide that they want to run for political office. Some of these big children get elected to the Congress in Washington DC.

WHAT HAPPENS??? A lot of these big children forget the importance of paying their... more »

In private industry, powerful customers sometimes unilaterally impose extended payment terms to improve their cash position, often to 60 or even 90 days. Currently, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), as well as the Prompt Payment Act of 1998, mandate paying contractors in 30 days. This limits our ability to better manage cash by negotiating extended terms. Given the enormous daily volume of Federal payments... more »

Eliminate the VA as a separate entity, by rolling the Dept. of Veterans Affairs into the DOD, to provide care for all active duty forces, their families and Veterans.

Cost reductions include eliminating redundant department and services. Eliminating the VA central office in Washington DC.

Lower costs of supplies and pharmaceuticals due to the combined purchasing power of the VA and DOD.

Improved inefficiencies in... more »

Make every VBA service representative a rater that manages the case from start to finish. There is too much redundant work and not enough accountability in the VSR(veterans service representative) job. This is demonstrated by the fact that they review Service Treatment Records for screening etc and then the RVSR (rating VSR) does it again because their name is the one on the rating and they are held responsible for the... more »

Today, now, VA has networks and programs mature enough to POTENTIALLY ACHIEVE completely PAPERLESS PROCESSING for many COMPENSATION CLAIMS on the COST-AND-TIME-INTENSIVE FRONT END.
This can be done by PUTTING THE claims processor (VSR) and THE VETERAN claimant TOGETHER by phone, Internet, or face-to-face from the very beginning of the claim process, creating a REAL-TIME, TRANSPARENT COLLABORATION with TRUE TIMELY OUTCOMES..... more »

When a veteran's claim is proscessed for either in education or compensation benefits we have to print multiple documents that are already available in an electronic formate. Examples of this is that when developing a veteran's claim for compensation benefits we have to print documents from the Social Security Administration, medical treatment records from VA medical centers, and now private medical records as well.... more »

We use these tags one time and discard them in the trash after we have completed a rating decision for our veterans. I suggest that we print multiple stamps on the tag and instead of only being used once, we can get a minimum of 5 more usages out of them. Imagine the money we could save just by doing this. I know it is a small thing in our budget overall but we would really help our RO's budget. Just a thought. Thank... more »

Eliminate the wasted resources used by having veterans bounce back and forth between Ch 30, Ch 31 and Ch 33. Creating one educational program that is for all veterans with a set amount of money and/or a grade requirement would save millions! Some people have been "going to school" for twenty years.