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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Resource allocation and DVS's approach to maximizing limited resources
0:09:11
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170 sec
Commissioner Hendon discusses DVS's approach to resource allocation, emphasizing the department's ability to innovate and execute effectively despite limited resources. He explains how DVS leverages partnerships and focuses on adding unique value in fulfilling its charter mandate.
- DVS is the smallest department in NYC government but achieves significant results with available resources
- The department focuses on leveraging partnerships and resources to maintain and attain capabilities
- DVS aims to be a catalyst for change, not the end-all solution, by offering direct services, providing referrals, and executing 'synergies' with partners
James Hendon
0:09:11
Theme one, resource allocation.
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It is important to note that we, the NYC Department of Veterans Services, are a municipal government entity.
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As a public organization, DVS, the smallest department in New York City Government does all that we can to execute the laws that are written using the budget that we have provided.
0:09:29
Our task per chapter 75 of the New York City charter is to assist and inform members of the uniformed services community, including allies and stakeholders in the areas of health care, housing, benefits, culture, education, and employment.
0:09:43
When recommendations are written, which circle back to the comment, paraphrasing, DVS doesn't have enough resources.
0:09:49
Note that we, along with all agencies, must operate within the budget that we do have an environment where citywide financial resources are finite, and we are able to achieve great work with the staff and resources that are available to the department.
0:10:02
We can always do more with more is a statement that we've uttered several times during past city council hearings throughout the years.
0:10:08
When resource changes can be made, we embrace them.
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Needless to say, when we do not have the resources, when the city is going through tough times like the COVID nineteen pandemic and the migrant crisis, We do not stop and feel sorry for ourselves.
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We do not retreat and complain.
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Our veterans, all of them, including their families, sacrificed so much for this country doing more with less.
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We can function too.
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Our challenges relative to those overcome by our community are small.
0:10:34
That said, in the face of adversity and extreme scarcity, DVS innovates and executes.
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I tell our team all the time, strategically, DVS's work is like football.
0:10:43
We move left, right, or forward.
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We do not stop or go backwards.
0:10:47
Being that this is the norm for DVS, we focus very much on how to leverage the resources and partners around us to maintain to attain certain capabilities.
0:10:56
For each of our charter mandated areas, questions that we ask are, what are the community's needs in this space?
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How can DVS leverage the resources and goodwill that we have as a government entity to ensure that those needs are met?
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And how do we add value in a way that is unique and efficient?
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DVS is not the end all be all.
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We are a catalyst for further change.
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From a military standpoint, we aim to ensure that certain capabilities are present in the landscape.
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We enact that approach by offering direct services where needed, providing referrals, and executing what we call synergies.
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Synergies are situations where we collaboratively work with partners to ensure that, for the value delivered to veterans and their loved ones, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
0:11:38
We do our best to foster a dynamic where we punch above our weight class such that inclusive of partners, one plus one equals three.
0:11:46
The takeaway, I ask that discussions of resource allocation be realistic, focused on the end state first.
0:11:52
In other words, how do we reverse engineer an environment that looks like x and factor in all players and resources available?
0:11:58
Theme two, expectation management.