Grantees provided services such as case management, transportation assistance, housing counseling and benefits navigation. However, high staff turnover and inconsistent processes created gaps in service delivery. VA needed to evaluate which grantees aligned with mission priorities and delivered measurable results. Aptive and subcontractor Fors Marsh Group helped address this need by designing and deploying surveys to collect feedback directly from Veterans.
Aptive partnered with VA to develop a multi-modal survey system to gather meaningful feedback from recipients of housing support services. Veterans shared input on satisfaction, access and outcomes using an adapted Likert scale. Aptive distributed surveys using multiple formats — live agents, interactive voice response and online forms — to accommodate Veterans with limited access to technology or facing other challenges.
Aptive analyzed results quarterly to track service delivery trends and identify high- and low-performing organizations. Each grantee received a custom report generated by automated scripts. Reports included national comparisons and highlighted actionable areas for improvement. Aptive also incorporated VA-requested refinements to survey questions, improving response quality and data reliability.
Informed by the data, VA began reviewing top-performing organizations to identify scalable practices. Grantees that fell short received targeted operational support. Aptive’s performance reporting enabled VA to shift from reactive oversight to proactive, data-informed program optimization.
Aptive distributed more than 16,000 surveys annually and supported quarterly reporting for all SSVF grantees. VA used these insights to validate high-performing partners and target operational performance improvements where needed.
The project enhanced resource allocation optimization, improved grantee accountability and helped VA build a more agile, efficient Veteran housing support program — grounded in direct service feedback and real-time data analysis.
