What began as “just words on a page” – a bold idea to prototype an institute inside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – has grown into a thriving community that is transforming how more than 400,000 employees design and deliver services to Veterans.
The VA Veterans Experience Office (VEO) hired Technical Assent, together with our partner Deloitte, to take the concept of the Customer Experience Institute (CXi) from vision to reality. Through this collaboration, the team brought structure, strategy, creativity, and passion to an effort that would ultimately redefine how VA employees learn, connect, and lead. Last month, that work was recognized on the global stage as the VACXi was named a finalist for the prestigious international Service Design Award, highlighting the Institute as a model for how human-centered design can drive real transformation in government.
At its heart, the VACXi is about more than training. It’s about building a culture where employees don’t just provide services – they actively design and improve service experiences. This shift in mindset is unlocking new possibilities for Veterans and their families across the nation.
The Impact
- Participation is growing fast: more than 450 employees completed VACXi programs as of FY2024, with demand so strong that courses often fill within 24 hours
- Programs like Human-Centered Design Basics, the CX Certificate, and CX Essentials for Leaders (CXEL) are equipping employees with practical skills and confidence to apply customer experience tools on the job
- The work is paying off: VA’s trust score reached 80% – up from 55% just eight years ago
What Makes It Special
The design philosophy we used for this project stands out because it blends instructional design and human-centered design – creating learning experiences built with employees, not just for them. This collaborative approach earned national recognition from the International Society for Performance Improvement’s Outstanding Human Performance Intervention Award.
Beyond the design itself, VACXi’s culture emphasizes creativity, curiosity, and fun.
As Technical Assent Program Manager, Evelyn Quinn, put it:
“We take having fun very seriously. You cannot do creative work if you are rigid or fearful. Fun creates trust, and trust makes innovation possible.”
That spirit extends through programs like the CX Fellowship, which develops in-house leaders who bring this mindset back to their teams – scaling the impact across every corner of VA.
Why the Recognition Matters
For the VACXi team, the global recognition isn’t just a milestone – it’s validation of years of commitment, experimentation, and belief in the power of design within government. As VACXi’s leadership shared, the award shines a light on the people behind the programs – the facilitators, the learners, and the partners who kept pushing the boundaries of what was possible inside a federal agency.
Evelyn Quinn, shared that the recognition carries deep meaning for the team and for the movement they’ve built:
“When you’re working on something like this, you’re so close to it that you sometimes forget how big it actually is. So, to step back and see the impact – how far it’s come, and how much it resonated with people – it is really special.”
She added that the award also sends an important message about what’s possible in the public sector:
“This kind of acknowledgment helps legitimize customer experience work inside government. It shows that this isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s fundamental to how we deliver better outcomes for Veterans.”
For the VACXi community, the recognition is both a celebration and a catalyst – a moment to pause, reflect, and then push even further.
“It’s exciting, but it’s also a reminder that there’s still so much we can do,” Quinn said. “We’ve proven the model works. Now it’s about continuing to grow it and share it with others.”
Why It Matters Across Governement
This isn’t just about one program – it’s a proof point that government can innovate differently. By empowering employees through VACXi, VA creates a ripple effect that reaches every Veteran’s service experience. As one report put it: “VACXi can be a force multiplier for the bold creativity needed to turn the tide on CX.”
Takeaway
Big change happens when you design with people, celebrate creativity, and create space for fun along the way.
The VA Customer Experience Institute is proof that when government invests in its people, the results reach all the way to the communities it serves.
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