What this means
m21-4:appendix-f.1 explains purpose of development activities. In plain terms, the official guidance says the purpose of development activities is to control receipt or non-receipt of specific information requested from the fiduciary, beneficiary, or other information provider within an end product (EP). It also addresses users may add multiple development activities at a time on the EP OVERVIEW screen to track all necessary development while completing work associated with the pending EP.
How this may help with a claim
Use m21-4:appendix-f.1 as a lookup tool for purpose of development activities. Match the exact label, code, condition, or table row in your records to the official entry; one useful point is: The purpose of development activities is to control receipt or non-receipt of specific information requested from the fiduciary, beneficiary, or other information provider within an end product (EP). Users may add multiple development activities at a time on the EP OVERVIEW screen to track all necessary development while completing work associated with the pending EP. Keep the notice or screen that uses the term so you can distinguish an internal status label from a filing deadline or entitlement rule.
What to review in your file
- Check the file against this official condition: The purpose of development activities is to control receipt or non-receipt of specific information requested from the fiduciary, beneficiary, or other information provider within an end product (EP).
- Confirm that the record or notice addresses this source point: Administrative tasks should not be created when the receipt of requested information, action, or evidence can be tracked using a development activity associated with an EP.
- Document how this stated step or exception applies: Claim level suspense reasons provide a concise explanation of the pending action taken on a claim within a particular claim status.
Important limits
m21-4:appendix-f.1 helps decode purpose of development activities, but a code, tracked item, or table entry is not proof that VA has granted or denied the underlying benefit. Use the governing notice and controlling law for rights and deadlines. The official context includes: The purpose of development activities is to control receipt or non-receipt of specific information requested from the fiduciary, beneficiary, or other information provider within an end product (EP). When acting on an EP, all users are responsible for updating each development activity’s status with the appropriate date(s) and disposition.
Search terms when useful
Phrases that may help when searching your claim file or this library.
- Purpose of Development Activities
- m21-4:appendix-f.1
- Purpose Development Activities
- Fiduciary Workflow Stage Indicators
- purpose
- development activities
- claim level suspense reasons
- index
Original VA guidance
The official VA text of this section
1. Fiduciary Workflow Stage Indicators
Introduction
This topic contains information about fiduciary workflow stage indicators, including
- purpose of
- development activities, and
- claim level suspense reasons
- index of
- development activities
- development activity fields
- claim level suspense reasons, and
- fiduciary claim statuses, and
- updating
- development activities, and
- suspense dates.
Change Date
November 1, 2021
F.1.a. Purpose of Development Activities
The purpose of development activities is to control receipt or non-receipt of specific information requested from the fiduciary, beneficiary, or other information provider within an end product (EP).
Development activities also control for the completion of interviews with the fiduciary, beneficiary, or other individuals.
Administrative tasks should not be created when the receipt of requested information, action, or evidence can be tracked using a development activity associated with an EP.
F.1.b. Purpose of Claim Level Suspense Reasons
Claim level suspense reasons provide a concise explanation of the pending action taken on a claim within a particular claim status. Claim level suspense reasons and suspense dates are controlled by pending development activities or actions, claim statuses, or other variables. Claim level suspense reasons not automatically generated must be properly updated to indicate the pending claim action.
F.1.c. Index of Development Activities
Use the table below to identify the development activities and the corresponding claim level suspense reasons.
Users may add multiple development activities at a time on the EP OVERVIEW screen to track all necessary development while completing work associated with the pending EP.
Generally, when a development activity is added to a Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)-Fiduciary EP), the suspense date defaults to 14 days.
Scroll sideways to see the full table.
| Associated EP and Claim Label | Development Activities | Associated Claim Level Suspense |
| 590 Initial Appointment Field Exam 590 Expedited Initial Appointment Field Exam 590 Successor Initial Appointment Field Exam 590 Scheduled Follow-Up Field Exam 590 Telephone Follow-Up Field Exam 590 Unscheduled Follow-Up Field Exam 590 Fund Usage Field Exam 590 Non-Fiduciary Program Field Exam | Interview - Beneficiary Interview - Fiduciary Interview Other Individual or Entity Interview Complete - Additional Info Needed Second Attempt - Beneficiary Interview Second Attempt - Fiduciary Interview VA Form 21P-4703 VA Form 21P-4718a Bank Statements Miscellaneous Evidence Bank Locate Letter Locate Letter Telephone Development - Beneficiary Telephone Development - Fiduciary Telephone Development - Other Third Party Credit Report Request Credit Report Mitigation Evidence Criminal Background Check Mitigation Evidence Telephone Development - Proposed Fiduciary Properly Titled Account/Direct Deposit Request Bond Request Court documents | In Development |
| Criminal Background Investigation (CBI) | CBI Required | |
| 290 FID-Fund Usage Review 290 FID-Accounting Federal 290 FID-Accounting Court | VA Form 21P-4718a Bank Statements Bank Statements Second Request Properly Titled Account/Direct Deposit Request Expense Verification Miscellaneous Evidence VA Form 21P-4706b VA Form 21P-4706c Additional Information Request Bank Locate Letter Bond Verification Credit Report Fee Re-Payment Request Locate Letter Past Due Letter Past Due Letter – Second Request Telephone Development - Beneficiary Telephone Development -Fiduciary Telephone Development - Other Third Party VA Form 21-3537a | In Development |
Notes:
- Users should only use the Miscellaneous Evidence development activity when the specific development action is unavailable in VBMS-Fiduciary. When adding the Miscellaneous Evidence development activity, the user must specify the type of evidence being sought. Avoid the use of local jargon and abbreviations so that the type of information being sought is clear.
- The fiduciary EP 930s mirror the workflow of its associated fiduciary EP 590 or 290.
References: For more information on
- adding development activities, see the VBMS Core User Guide, and
- updating suspense dates, see M21-4, Appendix F, 1.h.
F.1.d. Index of Development Activity Fields
Use the table below to identify development activity fields.
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| Field Name | Definition |
| Claim ID | Unique identifier associated to each EP established in VBMS. |
| Development Activity | Title of the specific development activity type added by the user. |
| Status | Reflects whether the development activity is either open or complete. |
| Actions | Provides options for the user to initiate an action that updates the development activity status from OPEN to COMPLETE, and edit the development activities fields' START DATE DUE DATE, and RECEIVED DATE. |
| Start Date | The date that the development activity is added to the EP. |
| Due Date | The next date that the information is due, or follow-up is required. |
| Close Date | The date that the development activity is indicated by the user as complete. |
| Received Date | The date that the user indicates that the information or evidence is received. |
| Date of Contact | The date(s) that the user indicates contact has been completed with a beneficiary, fiduciary, or other party associated with the development activity. Note: This field is associated with the selection of interview and telephone development actions. |
| Link | Provides a link to an administrative task associated with the CRIMINAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION development activity. |
F.1.e. Index of Claim Level Suspense Reasons
Use the table below to reference claim level suspense reasons, the controlling element, claim status, and corresponding default suspense date.
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| Associated EP | Claim Level Suspense Reasons | Suspense Reason Set By | Claim Status | Claim Level Suspense Date |
| 290 Fiduciary Accounting Court 290 Fiduciary Accounting Federal | Accounting Due | Claim Establishment | Open | 30 days |
| Accounting Received | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| In Development | Development Activity Generating the Spanish accounting call letters or accounting past due letters | Open | Development Activity Suspense Date Rules | |
| Pending Concur | Request Accounting Waiver Development Activity | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Waiver Approved | Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Accounting Approved | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Accounting Disapproved | Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| 590 Initial Appointment Field Exam 590 Expedited Initial Appointment Field Exam 590 Successor Initial Appointment Field Exam 590 Scheduled Follow-Up Field Exam 590 Unscheduled Follow-up Field Exam 590 Fund Usage Field Exam 590 Non-Fiduciary Program Field Exam | Field Exam Assigned | Claim establishment | Open | 30 days |
| In Development | Development Activity | Open | Development Activity Suspense Date Rules | |
| Typing Field Exam Report | Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Field Exam Assigned | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Field Exam Validation | Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Returned by Other User | Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Whereabouts Unknown-1 st Attempt | Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Whereabouts Unknown-2 nd Attempt | Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| CBI Required | Development Activity | Open | Development Activity Suspense Date Rules | |
| Field Exam Assigned-Dual Jurisdiction | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Promulgate EP-Generate Award | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Promulgate EP-Suspend Benefits | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| 590 Scheduled Follow-Up Field Exam 590 Unscheduled Follow-up Field Exam 590 Fund Usage Field Exam 590 Non-Fiduciary Program Field Exam | Fiduciary Whereabouts Unknown | Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules |
| 290 Fund Usage Review | Awaiting Bank Statements | Development Activity Generating Fund Usage Past Due Letter | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules |
| Pending Review | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Review Complete | Development Button | RTW | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Fund Usage Review Rejected | Development Button | RTW | 14 Days | |
| In Development | Development Activity | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| 290 Misuse Note: The suspense reasons for all misuse actions are set by the ACTION button or by selecting the appropriate development activity. | Allegation Received | Claim Establishment | Open | 30 days |
| Allegation Pending Concur | Decision to Investigate Memo is Ready For Review | RFD | 14 days | |
| Investigation Warranted | Concur with Decision to Investigate Memo | Open | 14 days | |
| No Merit | No Investigation Warranted | Closed | N/A | |
| Investigation Assigned | Misuse Investigation Required | Open | 14 days | |
| Field Exam Required | Open | 14 days | ||
| Investigation has Insufficient Evidence | Open | 14 days | ||
| Investigation Complete | Investigation Complete | RFD | 14 days | |
| Determination Pending Concur | Misuse Determination Memo is Ready For Review Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Determination Pending Concur HUBMGR | Misuse Determination Memo is Ready For Approval Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Determination Signed | Approve Misuse Determination Memo Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Misuse Determination Complete | Misuse Found | Open | 30 Days | |
| Closed | Misuse Not Found | Closed | N/A | |
| Reconsideration Received | Reconsideration Received | Open | 14 days | |
| OIG Referral | Reconsideration Not Received | Open | 14 days | |
| Reconsideration Pending Concur | Misuse Reconsideration Determination Memo Ready For Review Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Reconsideration Pending Concur HUBMGR | Review Decision for Misuse Reconsideration Determination Memo Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Reconsideration Pending Concur RODTR | Misuse Reconsideration Determination Ready For Approval Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Reconsideration Signed | Approve Misuse Determination Memo Development Button | RFD | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Misuse Not Upheld | Closed | N/A | ||
| Returned by Other User | Disapprove Misuse Determination Memo Development Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules | |
| Disapprove Misuse Reconsideration Determination Memo | Open | |||
| Do Not Concur With Decision to Investigate Memo | Open | |||
| Reconsideration Complete | Misuse Upheld | Open | 14 days | |
| OIG Referral | Misuse Reconsideration Determination Memo Should Be Sent For OIG Review | Open | 14 days | |
| OIG Hold | OIG Requests For a Hold | Open | 14 days | |
| Debt Collection | Debt Memo For SSD | Open | 14 days | |
| Debt Collection Admin Task Has Been Created | Closed | N/A | ||
| Determination Signed | Approve Misuse Determination Memo Development Activity Button | Open | Development Button Suspense Date Rules |
F.1.f. Index of Fiduciary Claim Statuses
Use the table below to determine the appropriate fiduciary claim status.
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| Claim Status | Definition |
| Open | Default status for claims not in any other status. Typically stays in this status during development. |
| RFD | Signifies that the claim is ready for a fiduciary activity decision. |
| RTW | Signifies that the claim is ready for a fiduciary activity action. |
| Closed | The claim is complete with no further action possible. |
| Cancelled | The claim is cancelled with no further action possible. |
F.1.g. Updating Development Activities
It is the responsibility of all users to ensure that the necessary development activities have been generated.
When acting on an EP, all users are responsible for updating each development activity’s status with the appropriate date(s) and disposition.
Use the table below to determine the appropriate actions to take for updating development activities.
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| If the evidence or information being sought is... | Then... |
| received or obtained, and there is an open development activity | the RECEIVED DATE field must contain the date of receipt the DATES OF CONTACT field must contain the dates of contact, if applicable, and the individual development activity must be marked complete. |
| not received or possible after all appropriate requests, and submission timelines have expired | the RECEIVED DATE field should be blank, and the development activity must be marked complete. |
| unsolicited, or the appropriate development activity is not of record | determine if the evidence or information should be associated to an EP add the appropriate development activity, and update all applicable development activity fields. Note: If an EP is necessary and not pending, establish the appropriate EP. References: For more information on the purpose of a development activity and when to establish a development activity see M21-4, Appendix F, 1.a, and an administrative task, see M21-4, Appendix F, 2.b. |
Note: Ensure all development activities are complete prior to moving the EP to the next stage of the EP workflow unless the EP is being cancelled.
Reference: For more information on editing, updating and completing development activities, see the VBMS Core User Guide.
F.1.h. Updating Suspense Dates
The system may automatically update the suspense reason based on an action by the user within the EP workflow.
It is the responsibility of the fiduciary hub (hub) personnel reviewing or taking action on an EP to ensure that suspense dates
- are accurate, and
- reflect the next actionable review date to ensure timely action.
Important: Suspense dates must always align with existing procedural requirements or predefined system timeframes corresponding to the action. Suspense dates may not be arbitrarily extended.