**CHAPTER 6.**

**WORK FLOW MANAGEMENT**

**SUBCHAPTER I. WORK-IN-PROGRESS SUBSYSTEM**

PARAGRAPH PAGE

6.01 General 6-1

6.02 Accessing the WIPP Subsystem 6-1

6.03 Status Selection Menu - W00 Screen 6-2

6.04 WIPP Status - W10 Screen 6-2

6.05 Timeliness - W20 Screen 6-2

6.06 Folder Delay Status - W30 Screen 6-3

6.07 Miscellaneous WIPP Status - W40 Screen 6-3

6.08 Maturing Pending Issues - W50 Screen 6-4

6.09 Maturing Diary Issues - W60 Screen 6-4

6.10 Appeal Cases 6-4

FIGURE

6.1 Status Selection Menu - W00 Screen Layout 6-2

6.2 Work in Process Status - W10 Screen Layout 6-3

6.3 Current Month Timeliness Status By Count - W20 Screen Layout 6-4

6.4 Previous Month Timeliness Status By Percent - W20 Screen Layout 6-4

6.5 Folder Delay Status - W30 Screen Layout 6-5

6.6 Miscellaneous Work in Process Status - W40 Screen Layout 6-6

6.7 Maturing Pending Issues - W50 Screen Layout 6-7

6.8 Maturing Diary Issues - W60 Screen Layout 6-8

**SUBCHAPTER II. MANAGEMENT APPLICATION**

PARAGRAPH PAGE

6.11 General 6-9

6.12 WIPP User Plan 6-9

6.13 Work Flow Plan 6-10

6.14 Management Analysis 6-10

6.15 Retention of Data 6-10

**CHAPTER 6. WORK FLOW MANAGEMENT**

**SUBCHAPTER I. WORK-IN-PROGRESS SUBSYSTEM**

**6.01 GENERAL**

This chapter deals with the use of the WIPP (Work-in-Progress) Subsystem
in managing education programs only. A complete description of this
subsystem, including the appeals tracking system, is found in M21-4,
Chapter 6.

a\. The WIPP Subsystem is designed to assist management in identifying
areas which require attention and analysis. Its effectiveness is highly
dependent upon the quality of information entered. Issues which cannot
be promptly completed must be placed under BDN (Benefits Delivery
Network) control as quickly and accurately as possible. The WIPP
Subsystem is an effective tool, and management is responsible for
assuring that it is being used. All personnel issued the WIPP command
should become familiar with the subsystem both by using the LERN command
for CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction) and by on-the-job usage.

b\. The WIPP Subsystem provides information from the pending issue file
on all cases in a pending status, as well as information concerning
processing timeliness by end product for current and previous calendar
month. Pending issues remain in WIPP until they have been accepted (by
authorization of an award or disallowance), cleared, or canceled. The
data on WIPP screens is current as of close of business on the previous
workday.

**6.02 ACCESSING THE WIPP SUBSYSTEM**

a\. Enter the command WIPP and your password on the Ready screen to
display the Status Selection Menu screen, W00. Operators at field
stations can enter any valid screen number on the Ready screen to bypass
the W00 screen and display the requested screen.. (Operators in VA
Central Office must enter the last two digits of the number of the
station they wish to review on the W00 screen.) Then make entries to
view the information desired.

b\. The entry fields common to all of the WIPP screens are EPC (End
Product Code), EPC TYPE, TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE and NEXT SCREEN. Once an
entry is made in a field other than NEXT SCREEN, it remains on all
screens until the transaction ends, unless it is deleted or changed by
the operator.

\(1\) [END PRODUCT CODE.]{.underline} You can enter up to five EPCs if
they are the same end product type. If specific EPCs are entered, you
cannot make an entry in the EPC TYPE field.

\(2\) [END PRODUCT CODE TYPE.]{.underline} EDU (all education benefit
programs except chapter 30) and C30 (chapter 30) are used by the
education authorization activity; LIA (liaison) and COM (compliance
survey) are used by the ESU (Education Services Unit). Enter EPC TYPE
only if you wish to review all end products of a specific type. Because
a single screen carries a maximum of 11 EPCs, entry of EDU or C30 in
this field will require two W10, W20, W50, or W60 screens to display all
EPCs of this type. After the first screen is displayed, press ALT+ENTER
to display the second screen.

*NOTE: The GL key which is found on Wang keyboards is equivalent to
ALT+ENTER.*

\(3\) [TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE.]{.underline} For authorization end
products, you can review any breakdown of consecutive terminal digits.
To review a single digit, enter it before and after THRU; to review all
work in the station, enter digits 00 THRU 99. The terminal digit range
you select depends on your responsibility under the WIPP User Plan. (See
par. 6.12.) For ESU end products, the numbers to enter represent
two-digit state codes. Since most ESUs have only one state in their
jurisdiction, entry of the code for that state in both fields will
generally show all the pending issues. However, if an ESU has more than
one state in its jurisdiction or is doing work for another station (for
example, a compliance survey), the TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE must include all
the state codes involved. Entry of digits 00 THRU 99 is therefore
recommended whenever reviewing ESU pending issues.

\(4\) [NEXT SCREEN.]{.underline} Enter the next screen to be reviewed.
To terminate WIPP processing, you normally enter END in NEXT SCREEN. (An
exception occurs when you request a detail print. See subpar. c(2)
below.)

c\. Certain screens have the additional entry fields COLUMN and DETAIL,
which are used to request detailed printed listings of pending issues.

\(1\) [COLUMN.]{.underline} The W10, W50, and W60 screens have this
field, by which you select issues pending within a specific time period
to print for review. Enter the alpha character which appears over the
column displaying the time period of interest. (For instructions on
using the individual screens, see paragraphs 6.04 through 6.09 below.)

\(2\) [DETAIL.]{.underline} To obtain printed listings of individual
pending issues from the W10, W30, W40, W50, and W60 screens, enter X or
Y in this field. The W10, W50, and W60 screens require an entry in
COLUMN as well as in DETAIL. On the W40 screen, there are three DETAIL
fields, used to select REJECTED TRANSACTIONS OVER 10 DAYS, PENDING
AUTHORIZATION OVER 5 DAYS, or CASES IN RATING BOARD OVER 7 DAYS. You can
make one to three entries on the same screen. Printed output is produced
when you press the enter key. The listings are double-spaced to allow
for annotation during review. If no cases fall within the parameters
entered for the print, the message \"No Records Available-Please
Resubmit\" appears on the screen. If the list is over 100, a message
will appear asking for different parameters. You must redefine the
parameters (e.g., reduce the number of terminal digits) to limit prints
to 100 cases or fewer. When you request a detail print and also want to
review another WIPP screen or the same screen, enter that screen number
in NEXT SCREEN before pressing ALT+ENTER (or GL). Otherwise, WIPP
processing will terminate and the Ready screen will be displayed.

W00 STATUS SELECTION MENU MM-DD-YY

REGIONAL OFFICE XX

VALID ENTRIES FOR NEXT SCREEN VALID ENTRIES FOR EPC TYPE

W10 - WORK IN PROGRESS COMPENSATION & PENSION C&P

W20 - TIMELINESS EDUCATION (OTHER THAN CH 30) EDU

W30 - FOLDER DELAY STATUS VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION VRC

W40 - MISCELLANEOUS STATUS LIAISON ACTIONS LIA

W50 - MATURING PENDING ISSUES COMPLIANCE SURVEYS COM

W60 - MATURING DIARY ISSUES CHAPTER 30 C30

APPEALS RECORD MANAGEMENT

W70 - PENDING APPEAL ISSUES VETERANS APPEALS VAR

W80 - COMPLETED APPEAL ISSUES

TIMELINESS REPORT ONLY - PREVIOUS MONTH X BY PERCENT X

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX

NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.1. Status Selection Menu - W00 Screen Layout**

**6.03 STATUS SELECTION MENU - W00 SCREEN**

a\. The valid entries for NEXT SCREEN and EPC TYPE are listed on the W00
screen. See Figure 6.1 for a representation of the W00 screen layout.
You may also enter the EPC or EPC TYPE and TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE, as well
as NEXT SCREEN parameters. When requesting the W20 Timeliness screen
(See paragraph 6.05.), you may select PREVIOUS MONTH and/or PERCENT
format from this screen, rather than waiting until the W20 screen is
displayed.

W10 WORK IN PROCESS STATUS MM-DD-YY

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

\(A\) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)

AVERAGE AVERAGE OVER

DIVISION CONTROL DAYS 00-14 15-30 31-60 61-90 91-180 181-360 360

EPC TOTAL DAYS PENDING DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS

XXX XXXXX XX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

XXX XXXXX XX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

XXX XXXXX XX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

TOTAL XXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE COLUMN DETAIL

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX X X

NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.2. Work in Process Status - W10 Screen Layout**

**6.04 WIPP STATUS - W10 SCREEN**

The W10 screen provides a comprehensive view of the total workload that
has been placed under BDN control. See Figure 6.2 for a representation
of the W10 screen layout.

a\. The W10 screen displays a count of all cases with pending issue
files, except future diaries, from the time they are placed under
control until awards or disallowances under them are accepted by the BDN
or completed using the commands PCLR (Pending issue CLeaR) or PCAN
(Pending issue CANcel) for authorization issues, or WCLR Work CLeaR) or
WCAN (Work CANcel) for education services issues. Counts are displayed
and detail prints are available for the specific EPCs or EPC TYPE
entered in the corresponding fields. The DIVISION TOTAL column indicates
the total number of cases under BDN control for each EPC that is listed.
The AVERAGE CONTROL DAYS and AVERAGE DAYS PENDING columns also show the
respective data by end product. The columns labeled (A) through (G) show
the number of cases which have been pending for the number of days
indicated.

b\. For each pending issue, the W-10 detail prints show file number,
payee, EPC, benefit, folder location and date, suspense date, and total
number of days pending. To obtain a detail print, see paragraph 6.02c.

**6.05 TIMELINESS - W20 SCREEN**

The W20 screen is a tool for viewing trends in claims processing
timelines and making comparisons of work units. See Figures 6.3and 6.4
for representations of the W20 screen layout.

a\. The W20 screen displays data concerning issues where final
disposition by the commands PCLR, WCLR, or CAUT (Claims AUThorization)
has been made within the current or previous month. You have the option
of viewing the data as counts or as percentages of cases completed
within the indicated time frames for the EPCs selected. In addition, you
can request the data for the PREVIOUS MONTH or for the CURRENT MONTH to
date. On the first of the month the CURRENT MONTH screen shows zeros.

W20 CURRENT MONTH TIMELINESS STATUS BY COUNT \* MM-DD-YY

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

\(A\) (B) (C) (D) (E) AVERAGE DAYS AVER

01-30 31-60 61-90 91-180 OVER 180 TOTAL TO COMPLETE CONTROL

EPC DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS CASES RO RDPC TIME

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX XXX XXX XX

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX XXX XXX XX

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX XXX XXX XX

TOTAL XXXXX

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE COLUMN

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX X

PREVIOUS MONTH X BY PERCENT X NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.3. Current Month Timeliness Status By Count - W20 Screen
Layout**

W20 PREVIOUS MONTH TIMELINESS STATUS BY PERCENT \* MM-DD-YY

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

\(A\) (B) (C) (D) (E) AVERAGE DAYS AVER

01-30 31-60 61-90 91-180 OVER 180 TOTAL TO COMPLETE CONTROL

EPC DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS CASES RO RDPC TIME

XXX XX.X XX.X XX.X XX.X XX.X XXXXX XXX XXX XX

XXX XX.X XX.X XX.X XX.X XX.X XXXXX XXX XXX XX

XXX XX.X XX.X XX.X XX.X XX.X XXXXX XXX XXX XX

TOTAL XXXXX

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE COLUMN

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX X

PREVIOUS MONTH X BY PERCENT X NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.4. Previous Month Timeliness Status By Percent - W20 Screen
Layout**

*\*NOTE: The W20 Screen title will be one of the following, depending on
the nature of data requested:*

• CURRENT MONTH TIMELINESS STATUS BY COUNT

• CURRENT MONTH TIMELINESS STATUS BY PERCENT

• PREVIOUS MONTH TIMELINESS STATUS BY COUNT

• PREVIOUS MONTH TIMELINESS STATUS BY PERCENT

b\. AVERAGE DAYS TO COMPLETE shows the average number of days that were
required to finish processing the EPCs, that is, the disposition date
minus the date of claim plus one. If action is completed on an issue
that was established as a \"future diary\" control, the date of claim
used for computation is the date the diary matured. Figures in the RO
(Regional Office) column are based on the regional office and terminal
digits selected. Figures in the RDPC (Regional Data Processing Center)
column are based on all digits for the selected EPCs processed by the
regional data processing center servicing the selected regional office.
A trend of excessive completion time for any end product is an indicator
of potential work flow or timeliness problems and should receive
management attention.

c\. AVER CONTROL TIME shows the average number of days that were
required to place the EPCs under BDN control, that is, the dates pending
issues were established minus the dates of claim. A trend of excessive
control time for any end product is an indicator of potential work flow
or timeliness problems and should receive management attention.

d\. Detail listings are not available from this screen.

W30 FOLDER DELAY STATUS MM-DD-YY

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

FOLDER STATUS TOTAL

TRANSFERRED-IN XX

IN PREPARATION XX

PULLED XX

OTHER DELAYS XX

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE DETAIL

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX X

NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.5. Folder Delay Status - W30 Screen Layout**

**6.06 FOLDER DELAY STATUS - W30 SCREEN**

The Folder Delay Status screen is designed to monitor problems in
transferring, establishing and pulling folders. See Figure 6.5 for a
representation of the W30 screen layout. This screen shows only
authorization issues, not ESU issues. The screen shows the number of
cases for the digits and EPCs selected in each of four status
categories: TRANSFERRED-IN, IN PREPARATION, PULLED, and OTHER DELAYS.

a\. The information for the W30 screen is obtained from the pending
issue file and is dependent on entries on the S99 (Disposition) screen.
Whenever a folder is associated with a claim, the next transaction
should have an entry on the S99 screen showing the folder is with the
claim. This screen can be accessed under the commands DISP (claims
DISPosition), CADJ (Claims ADJudication), CDAT (Claims DATa entry), or
CDEV (Claims DEVelopment). If the S99 screen is properly used, then
problems in the correspondence or files activity can be monitored
without manually reviewing the activity. See M22-4, Part II, Paragraph
6.04g for instructions on the use of the S99 screen.

b\. For each pending issue, the W30 detail prints show file number,
payee, EPC, benefit, folder location, stub name, establishment date for
the pending issue, request date, and source from which requested: TRANS
(folder transfer), PREP (folder preparation), FILES, or OTHER). The
listings are in terminal digit order, and are cannot be separated by
status category. To obtain a detail print, see paragraph 6.02c.

**6.07 MISCELLANEOUS WIPP STATUS - W40 SCREEN**

This screen shows the total number (TOTAL CASES) that have been delayed,
and the average number of days delayed in processing (AVERAGE DAYS), in
each of four categories showing why or where the delay occurred. This
screen shows only authorization issues, not ESU issues. The average
delay days information is displayed for either the EPC TYPE or one
specific EPC selected by the operator. See Figure 6.6 for a
representation of the W40 screen layout.

W40 MISCELLANEOUS WORK IN PROCESS STATUS MM-DD-YY

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TOTAL AVERAGE

DETAIL CASES DAYS

X REJECTED TRANSACTIONS OVER 10 DAYS XXX XX

X PENDING AUTHORIZATION OVER 5 DAYS XXX XX

X CASES IN RATING BOARD OVER 7 DAYS XXX XX

X PENDING ACCEPTANCE OVER 5 DAYS XXX XX

X NUMBER OF REJECTS XXX XX

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX

NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.6 Miscellaneous Work in Process Status - W40 Screen Layout**

a\. REJECTED TRANSACTIONS OVER 10 DAYS. The number of cases with
uncorrected rejects which have prevented processing.

b\. PENDING AUTHORIZATION OVER 5 DAYS. The cases where all work action
has been completed except for the decision to approve or disapprove the
action by the authorizer. Supervisors should monitor these cases closely
to insure that the number is kept to a minimum.

c\. PENDING ACCEPTANCE OVER 5 DAYS. A category not based on activities
within the regional office. Cases are identified in this category
because of overlaps in processing cycles or delays in posting completed
transaction at the RDPC.

d\. NUMBER OF REJECTS. The number of outstanding rejects is available
for all education EPC Types (EDU, C30).

e\. For each pending issue, the W-40 detail prints show file number,
payee, EPC, benefit, folder location and date, suspense date, and days
in the status category. To obtain a detail print, see paragraph 6.02c.

**6.08 MATURING PENDING ISSUES - W50 SCREEN**

There are two purposes for the Maturing Pending Issues screen. Column A
identifies issues on which action is due, to manage the workload and
assure timely processing of claims. Columns B through G identify issues
on which action is past due, to identify problem areas and help resolve
out-of-line situations in particular end products. The time categories
for issues on the W50 screen are based on the suspense date, not the
date of claim. This suspense date is automatically generated during CEST
(Claims ESTablishment) and CADJ processing to establish a new pending
issue, or when a future diary issue matures. For education end products,
the automatic suspense date is 30 days in the future. However, for
authorization issues, the generated date may be modified by the manual
entry of a desired suspense date on the claims establishment screen
during CEST, CADJ, or PCHG (Pending issues CHanGe) processing, or on the
S99 screen when accessed by the CDEV, CDAT, or CADJ commands. For ESU
issues, this can only be done by canceling the issue using WCAN, and
re-establishing it using WEST (Work ESTablishment) with the new date.
See Figure 6.7 for a representation of the W50 screen layout.

W50 MATURING PENDING ISSUES MM-DD-YY

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

\(A\) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)

MATURING ISSUES PENDING ISSUES PAST DUE

00-07 01-30 31-60 61-90 91-180 181-365 OVER

EPC DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS 1 YEAR

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

TOTAL XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE COLUMN DETAIL

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX X X

NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.7. Maturing Pending Issues - W50 Screen Layout**

a\. Column A displays pending issues which will reach their suspense
date (\"mature\") within the next 7 days. For authorization, these
include pending issues established with a date of claim and a suspense
date, as well as pending issues originally established as future
diaries, but which have passed their diary suspense date and have become
regular pending issues with a date of claim and a new suspense date.
(See paragraph 6.09 below.) For ESU, these include pending issues
established with a date of claim and a suspense date, and future diaries
nearing their diary suspense date, since there is no W60 screen for ESU
issues. Obtain a detail listing of cases from Column A weekly to assure
timely processing of issues.

b\. Columns B through G display issues which have already matured and
fall in the time categories listed. The statistical information shown on
the screen progresses from Column A to Column G as the individual issues
mature and become past due. Supervisors should obtain detail listings
from these columns at their discretion to identify and resolve problems
with particular end products or organizational units.

c\. For each pending issue, the W-50 detail prints show file number,
payee, stub name, EPC, benefit, date of claim, suspense date, and folder
location. To obtain a detail print, see paragraph 6.02c.

**6.09 MATURING DIARY ISSUES - W60 SCREEN**

The Maturing Diary Issue screen W60 also has two purposes. Column A
identifies diaries which are reaching their suspense date and will now
require action. Columns B through F and the TOTAL ISSUES column display
the

number of issues that have been diaried in the BDN system for future
action or establishment of an actual pending issue. This information
enables management to plan in advance for this segment of the workload.
This screen shows only authorization issues, not ESU issues. Pending ESU
future diaries which are not yet approaching their suspense dates are
accessible only by the WINQ (Work INQuiry) command. See paragraph 6.08
for maturing ESU future diaries. See Figure 6.8 for a representation of
the W60 screen layout.

W60 MATURING DIARY ISSUES MM-DD-YY

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

\(A\) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

TOTAL 00-07 08-30 31-90 91-180 181-365 OVER

EPC ISSUES DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS DAYS 1 YEAR

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

TOTAL XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

END PRODUCT CODE EPC TYPE TERMINAL DIGIT RANGE COLUMN DETAIL

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX THRU XX X X

NEXT SCREEN XXX

**Figure 6.8. Maturing Diary Issues - W60 Screen Layout**

a\. Column A displays future diaries which will reach their suspense
date (\"mature\") within the next 7 days. Upon reaching the suspense
date set during establishment, the future diary is converted to a
regular pending issue, with the former diary date as date of claim; a
new suspense date is set automatically. This issue will appear at the
appropriate age on the W10 and W50 screens. See paragraphs 6.04 and 6.08
above. Obtain a detail listing of cases from Column A weekly to assure
timely processing of claims.

b\. Columns B through F display future diaries which will reach their
suspense date within the time categories listed. The statistical
information shown on the screen progresses from Column F to Column A and
is dropped from the system on the day after it is due. Supervisors
should obtain detail listings from these columns at their discretion to
identify and resolve problems with particular end products or
organizational units.

c\. For each future diary, the W-60 detail prints show file number,
payee, stub name, EPC, benefit, suspense date, reason, and folder
location. To obtain a detail print, see paragraph 6.02c.

**6.10 APPEAL CASES**

See M21-4, paragraphs 6.10 and 6.11

**SUBCHAPTER II. MANAGEMENT APPLICATION**

**6.11 GENERAL**

a\. The WIPP Subsystem provides statistical data regarding current
pending claims (W10), past performance (W20, previous month and current
month to date), future workload (W50 and W60), and status of appeals
(W70 and W80); and it can indicate the existence of trouble spots (W30
and W40). Management should use this information for monitoring and
improving both work flow and the timeliness of claims processing. By
effectively monitoring the aggregate work in process and maturing issues
data, and conscientiously reviewing individual pending issues,
management can focus attention on specific problem areas.

b\. Because the WIPP Subsystem uses substantial computer resources,
supervisors should use it in a way which has least impact on other
areas. Request only those detail listings which are required for
processing (W50 and W60 Column A), or which are needed for review of
specific areas and can be reviewed over a limited period of time. Do not
request detail listings during peak processing times during the business
week or day.

**6.12 WIPP USER PLAN**

a\. The education authorization activity must devise and keep current,
based on changing circumstances, a WIPP user plan. This plan may be
included in an overall adjudication division plan, or issued separately.
This plan must be implemented to ensure effective work flow and maximum
timeliness. It must be distributed to all individuals concerned in its
implementation. A formal written WIPP user plan is not required for the
Education Services Unit. However, similar procedures for review of
pending issues should be used to assure both timely processing and the
identification and resolution of problems.

b\. The WIPP user plan should be in a memorandum format, and must
include the following elements:

\(1\) A weekly review of maturing issues (W50/W60, Column A) to assure
that action is taken at the earliest possible point, with minimal
management intervention.

\(2\) Reviews of pending issues (W10 or W50) to assure that cases
receive management attention at higher levels as their age increases.
Since the W10 and W50 screens include the same pending issues, take care
to avoid duplicate reviews. Determine the frequency of reviews based on
education timeliness standards, current station education timeliness
statistics, and goals for improvement. Take into consideration that
average processing time for education end products is generally shorter
than for compensation and pension end products.

\(3\) Reviews of folder and miscellaneous delays (W30/W40) to expedite
work flow.

\(4\) Reviews of appeal cases as prescribed in M21-4, paragraphs 6.13j
and 6.13k.

\(5\) Specific responsibilities, by position, for completing reviews on
all cases selected. This includes assignment of alternates to perform
reviews during the absence of primary assigned reviewers, and specific
directions on when to search for education folders.

\(6\) Specific annotation requirements. When the review results in
continuation of an end product, annotate a permanent document in the
education folder with the pending end product, the letter \"p\"
(pending), the date, and the reviewer\'s initials. Annotate WIPP
listings with sufficient information to quickly identify cases not
requiring folder review.

\(7\) The data retention requirements in paragraph 6.15.

c\. Base the WIPP user plan on a systematic analysis of timeliness data
covering at least 12 months. Use data from DOOR (Distribution of
Operational Resources) reports 1004 and 1016 or previous months\' W20
screens if they have been kept. Devise a realistic plan emphasizing the
review of cases in end product categories that the data shows to have
been problems. A realistic plan will not require review of very large
numbers of cases, but will require review in areas where the greatest
improvement can be expected. Review the plan at least annually and
include it in the SAO program.

d\. Reviews must be thorough. However, emphasize taking action based on
the reviews, rather than merely completing the reviews themselves.

e\. Ensure that employees properly set and update suspense dates and
folder/claim locations. (See paragraph 6.08 above; and Part II,
paragraph 6.04g.)

f\. Writing a good WIPP user plan is only the first step. Consistent and
aggressive implementation of the plan is the key to effective work flow
and maximum timeliness.

**6.13 WORK FLOW PLAN**

A written work flow plan for the education authorization activity may be
helpful in expediting claims processing, especially when used in
conjunction with an effective WIPP user plan. A work flow plan is
optional, and must be closely tailored to local circumstances. It should
be brief, and may be in memorandum, outline, or flow chart form. It may
cover all of the education claims processing activity, or one or more
sub elements; separate plans may be used for sub elements. Work flow
plans should be furnished to all individuals involved in the activity
covered. Plans may include such procedures as the following.

a\. Mail separation and routing

b\. Claims and folder establishment

c\. Transfer of folders

d\. Folder pull

e\. Drop filing

f\. Contacts within the RO (e.g., finance, ESU) or out of the RO (e.g.,
schools, service departments, other ROs)

g\. Check intercept

**6.14 MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS**

a\. Supervisors should do a monthly informal comparison of current data
and prior data to analyze trends. Consider both monthly and 12-month
cumulative data. Charts or graphs may be useful. Take the following
action based on the results of that analysis.

\(1\) Emphasize individual case reviews of end products which have been
problems for a short time (1-2 months).

\(2\) Study end products which have been persistent problems (over 3
months) to find causes and solutions.

b\. Incorporate longer-term and more formal analysis in the Systematic
Analyses of Operations program whenever appropriate.

c\. Use the results of management analysis to update and improve the
WIPP user plan, and the work flow plan(s), if used.

**6.15 RETENTION OF DATA**

a\. To assure continuity of data, establish a system to determine when
to obtain, print, and review data. Weekly detail listings of W50 and W60
Column A are required (see paragraph 6.08c and 6.09c). Generally, the
first workday of the month is the most suitable for printing monthly
data, since the previous month statistics on the W20 screen are
available. Management may designate additional points during the month
to obtain prints as required under the WIPP User Plan.

b\. Prints of aggregate statistics should be obtained for the entire
education authorization activity. Prints of statistics by organizational
subdivision (e.g., section, unit, team) are also required to allow a
comparison of data within the education authorization activity.

c\. The retention requirements listed below apply only to the education
authorization activity. Since there is nor requirement for a formal WIPP
user plan for the ESU, there are no formal requirements for the
retention of data.

\(1\) Retain prints of the subdivision statistics of W20 screen,
previous month, for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. (Maintenance of
the same monthly data, broken down by organizational subdivision, as a
record on a personal computer satisfies this requirement.) Do not retain
aggregate W20 previous month prints since this data is contained in DOOR
report 1004. Retain prints of work in process, W10, and maturing issues,
W50, for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. Maintain and destroy W30,
W40, and W60 prints in accordance with RCS VB-1, part I, item 13-052.4.
In addition, destroy W10, W20, and W50 prints in accordance with Records
Control Schedule VB-1, part I, item 13‑052.4.

\(2\) Retain prints of W10 and W50 screens and related detail listings,
annotations, and notes of case reviews by the supervisors for a period
of at least 6 consecutive months. Document any case over 180 days as to
why final action could not have been taken.