2022 Veterans Affairs Canada National Client Survey
Executive
Summary
Research
supplier: Forum Research Inc.
Contract
number: 51019-184027/001/CY
Contract
value: $188,190.00
Contract
award date: 2022-02-16
Delivery
date: 2023-01-20
The client
department or agency sponsoring the research: Veterans Affairs Canada
For more
information on this report, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada at: commsresearch-commsrecherche@veterans.gc.ca
Ce
rapport est aussi disponible en français.
2022
Veterans Affairs Canada National
Client Survey
Final Report
Prepared for Veterans Affairs Canada
Supplier name: Forum Research Inc.
January 2023
This public opinion research report presents
the results of a CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) and CATI
recruit to CAWI (computer-assisted web interviewing) survey conducted by Forum
Research Inc. on behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada. The research study was
conducted with 3,427 VAC clients between May 24th–August 17th, 2022.
Cette publication est aussi disponible en
français sous le titre : Sondage national de 2022 auprès des clients d'Anciens
Combattants Canada.
This publication may be reproduced for
non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Veterans
Affairs Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Veterans
Affairs Canada at: commsresearch-commsrecherche@veterans.gc.ca
Catalogue Number:
V32-343/2022E-PDF
International Standard Book Number (ISBN):
978-0-660-46225-7
Related publications (POR 033-19):
Catalogue Number V32-343/2022F-PDF (Final
Report, French)
ISBN 978-0-660-46226-4
© His Majesty the
King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Veterans Affairs, 2023.
Contact at: commsresearch-commsrecherche@veterans.gc.ca
Executive
Summary
Research purpose and
objectives
The purpose of this
research project is to measure Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) clients’ levels of
satisfaction with Service Delivery and to measure VAC client health and
well-being. The survey provides valuable results on program effectiveness,
Veteran well-being, satisfaction with Service Delivery and various service
elements, and preferred service channels.
The research results of
the 2022 VAC National Client Survey allow VAC to strengthen its performance
measurement and ensure that its work is informed by evidence and feedback from
Veterans and all of those served by VAC.
The objectives of the VAC
National Client Survey are to:
1.
Assess satisfaction with Service Delivery;
2.
Determine preferred service channels;
3.
Measure client health and well-being; and
4.
Support improvements to Service Delivery.
Summary of key
findings
In general, respondents are satisfied with VAC
programs, services, and benefits. Among the six key strata of VAC
clients—Veterans 85+, Veterans 65–84, Veterans under 65 (case-managed),
Veterans under 65 (not case-managed), RCMP, and Survivors—a consistent pattern
is observed. Survivors and Veterans 85+ tend to be the most satisfied of the
six strata. Veterans under 65, particularly case-managed clients, report being
the least satisfied. This striking pattern holds throughout much of the survey
and shows up as a recurring sideways “U”-shaped pattern in the stacked bar
charts visualizing elements of client satisfaction.
A consistent trend regarding clients who are
members of marginalized groups is also observed. Throughout the survey,
Indigenous and visible minority respondents are generally less satisfied and
less well-off compared to their counterparts. Whether it be service experience,
programs, or health and well-being, Indigenous and visible minority respondents
tend to rate their VAC experience less positively across the board.
Gender differences are also revealed in the
data. Compared to males, females are more likely to give positive responses
about their satisfaction with VAC programs, experience with VAC staff, and
their relationship with others. This might be connected to the high
satisfaction among Survivors, a stratum which is predominantly females.
A positive relationship between age and
satisfaction is often seen, with older respondents generally feeling more
positively than younger respondents across a range of different areas. This is
consistent with the paradox of aging, in which older respondents report higher
levels of life satisfaction despite declining health and income.
Although the majority of
respondents are satisfied with life in general, their satisfaction in some
areas has dropped from 2020, including their well-being, financial situation,
activities, and relationship with others.
Methodology
Forum Research administered a quantitative
study, which was conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviewing
(CATI) and computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI). Respondents were reached
using contact information from a sample file provided by VAC which included six
strata of interest: Veterans 85+, Veterans 65–84, Veterans under 65 (split
between case-managed and not case-managed), RCMP, and Survivors who were either
in receipt of benefits or who had applied for a benefit in the previous 12
months. This included Veterans who applied for benefits in the previous 12
months but who had been declined or who were still awaiting a decision.
A total of 3,427 VAC clients 18 years of age
and older were interviewed: 2,007 were interviewed via CATI whereas 1,420 were
interviewed via CAWI. The average
response rate for CATI respondents was 26%, while the average response rate for
CAWI respondents was 56%. The average duration of the questionnaire
administered in CATI was 33 minutes whereas that in CAWI was 20 minutes.
The margin of error (at the 95% confidence
interval) for the full sample is +/− 1.7%. For the six aforementioned
strata, the margins of error are +/− 4.6% for Veterans 85+,
+/− 3.9% for Veterans 65–84, +/− 3.9% for case-managed Veterans
under 65, +/− 2.4% for Veterans under 65 who are not case-managed,
+/− 4.1% for RCMP, +/− 5.2% for Survivors.
Fieldwork was conducted between May 24th–August
17th, 2022.
As shown in the appendix,
it does not appear that non-response bias significantly impacted the results,
and this data can be generalized to populations with the same characteristics
as the sample file of VAC clients.
Contract value of
the POR project
$188,190.00
