IPC at DROCs

3. DROC Team Structure and Work Processing

Introduction

This topic contains information on DROC team structure and work processing, including

• Intake Processing Center (IPC) at DROCs
• Cross-Functional Teams at DROCs
• Quality Review Teams (QRT) at DROCs
• Informal Conference Telephone Line
• Attorney Fee Coordination
• Designated Specialized Claims Processors
• Training and Signature Requirements for MST Development and Decisions
• Training and Signature Requirements for TBI Decisions
• Training and Signature Requirements for ALS Decisions
• Second Signature Log and Memorandum for Specialized Processors

Change Date

June 11, 2026

1.A.3.a. IPC at DROCs

The Intake Processing Centers (IPC) at the DROCs are primarily responsible for processing and controlling mail received in the Centralized Mail (CM) portal, managing outgoing paper mail, and controlling claims under end products (EP).

For additional information on IPCs, please refer to M21-1, Part I, Subpart ii, 1.A.1.b.

1.A.3.b. Adjudication Teams at DROCs

Adjudication team responsibilities include, but are not limited to

• claim development
• rating and non-rating decision activities
• award promulgation
• award authorization, and
• decision notification.

Examples of cases handled by adjudication teams are

• HLRs
• Legacy or AMA Board remands, and
• Legacy or AMA Board grants.

The composition of an adjudication team is structured and staffed to process claims for benefits in support of the overall mission of VBA. Adjudication teams may be cross functional or position based. The team is typically composed of, but not restricted to

• a Coach, and
• one or more
• Veterans Service Representatives (VSR) that have been trained in claim development and award promulgation
• Senior VSRs (SVSR), (i.e., GS-12 VSRs and/or certified, GS-11 VSRs),
• Rating VSRs (RVSR),
• Decision Review Officers (DRO)

Note: As a local option, DROCs may add to a team one or more

• CAs, and/or
• Assistant Coaches.

1.A.3.c. QRT at DROCs

DROCs must establish a Quality Review Team (QRT) to

• perform quality reviews, and/or
• identify and address error trends.

Each QRT is composed of

• a Coach, and
• one or more:
• Assistant Coach(es) and
• Quality Review Specialists (QRS)

The QRT is comprised of Rating Quality Review Specialists (RQRS) and Authorization Quality Review Specialists (AQRS) and is responsible for conducting the following:

• Individual Quality Reviews (IQR) for all CAs, VSRs, RVSRs, DROs, and QRSs
• In-Process Reviews (IPR)
• Veteran Benefits Management System (VBMS) Deferral Mitigations
• Office of Administrative Review (OAR) mandated and/or local reviews, as necessary
• Error trend identification and resolution
• Mentoring and training, as workload permits, and
• VBMS-R Override review, as outlined in M21-5, Chapter 3, Section A, 8.b.

For additional information on QRTs, see M21-5, Chapter 3 and M21-4, Chapter 6.

1.A.3.d. Informal Conference Telephone Availability

DROCs conducting informal conferences are responsible for ensuring telephone access for informal conference scheduling. The phone must include a functional voicemail accessible by employees to account for time zone differentials.

1.A.3.e. Attorney Fee Coordination

Agents or attorneys may charge claimants fees for representation after an agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) has issued notice of an initial decision on a claim.

Each DROC is responsible for adjudicating whether an agent/attorney representative is eligible for direct payment fees.

Reference: For more information on Payment of Attorney or Agent Fees, see M21-5, Chapter 8.

1.A.3.f. Designated Specialized Claims Processors

Each DROC is responsible for designating specialized groups of trained personnel to ensure high priority and complex processing of claims related to

• military sexual trauma (MST)
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• herbicide exposure claims (i.e., Blue Water Navy (BWN), Nehmer, BWN- Nehmer)
• pension claims
• non-rating claims
• Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) impacted claims, and
• special mission claims which include:
• Manila - Philippine (excluding Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation)
• foreign and U.S. Territory
• Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water (CLCW)
• radiation, and
• Mail processing.

Each DROC must designate specialized processors in the WIT according to the following guidance. For workload requiring WIT input in Special Teams or Team fields, please select from the dropdown list available.

Notes:

• DROCs should only designate employees as specialized processors for MST, TBI or ALS in the WIT after meeting all training requirements, as outlined in M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.g, M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.h., and M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.i.
• Once training requirements are met, specialized processors should be added to the WIT while the employees are working toward completion of the single-signature requirements outlined above.
• AQRSs and RQRSs are authorized to second sign on specialized cases while still on second-signature (excluding MST, which second signature reviews must be conducted by authorized single-signature designated reviewers).
• OAR Operations has authority to edit the minimum designations outlined in the table below, based on workload demand.

Scroll sideways to see the full table.

Important:

• DROCs must assign relevant specialized training to these designated personnel, per M21-5, Chapter 2.
• These specially trained employees should be the only individuals processing specialized claims; however, should also receive other types of work as needed. When there are no specialized claims to distribute, DROC management must provide these employees a non-specialized distribution of work.
• Unless otherwise specified, VSR refers to all VSRs GS 7-12.
• Journey-level VSRs have been in the position for at least 25 months.

Reference: For more information on updating the WIT, see M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 2.b and the WIT Tool User Guide.

1.A.3.g. Training and Signature Requirements for MST Development and Decisions

Only a VSR, AQRS, or RVSR who meets the below requirements is authorized to complete development actions that address MST, and only an RVSR, DRO, or RQRS who meets the below requirements is authorized to complete a decision on MST.

• Designated by the DROC as an MST claims processor
• Meeting or exceeding performance and quality standards, and
• Completed MST training requirements, as identified in M21-5, Chapter 2, Topic 4.h.

Development actions completed by a VSR require two signatures (i.e., a second signature review) until the VSR demonstrates an accuracy rate of 90 percent or greater based on a review of 10 consecutive MST cases. Reviews of development actions completed by an AQRS require two signatures until the AQRS demonstrates an accuracy rate of 90 percent or greater based on a review of 10 consecutive MST cases.

For a decisionmaker, MST grants and denials are evaluated separately for purposes of single-signature authority. A decisionmaker may be released to single-signature authority for MST grants upon demonstrating at least 90 percent accuracy on a review of 10 consecutive MST grant decisions, and for MST denials upon demonstrating at least 90 percent accuracy on a review of 10 consecutive MST denial decisions. MST grants or denials for which the applicable accuracy standard has not been met require second-signature review. For an RQRS, all MST decisions require second-signature review until the RQRS demonstrates at least 90 percent accuracy on reviews of both 10 consecutive MST grants and 10 consecutive MST denials.

Notes:

• OAR requires DROCs to keep a memorandum of record confirming completion of the requirements and designation of single-signature authority for all MST claims processors and quality review specialists. See M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.j. for specific requirements the DROC should include in the memorandum. The memoranda and associated logs must be saved on the "Special Mission Memos and Case Reviews Logs Repository," as mentioned in M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.j.
• MST second signature reviews must be completed by an authorized single-signature designated reviewer.
• All designated reviewers are required to meet the quality standard outlined in their individual performance standards. Any reviewer whose quality falls below the minimum level in their performance standard is prohibited from conducting second signature reviews until their accuracy rate returns to fully successful or better.

1.A.3.h. Training and Signature Requirements for TBI Decisions

Only an RVSR, DRO, or RQRS who has met the below requirements is authorized to complete a decision on TBI.

• Designated by the DROC as a TBI claims processor, and
• Completed TBI training requirements, as identified in M21-5, Chapter 2, Topic 4.j.

Decisions on TBI cases completed by decisionmakers require two signatures until a decisionmaker demonstrates an accuracy rate of 90 percent or greater based on a review of 10 consecutive TBI cases, including a mix of grants, denials, and evaluations.

In addition, only a VSR who has met the below requirements is authorized to develop a TBI claim:

• Designated by the DROC as a TBI claims processor, and
• Completed the training requirements for TBI determinations, as identified in M21-5, Chapter 2, Topic 4.j.

Note: OAR requires DROCs to keep a memorandum of record confirming completion of the requirements and designation of single-signature authority for an RVSR, DRO, and RQRS. See M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.j. for specific requirements to include in the memorandum. The memoranda and associated logs must be saved on the "Special Mission Memos and Case Reviews Logs Repository," as mentioned in M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.j.

1.A.3.i. Training and Signature Requirements for ALS Decisions

Only an RVSR, DRO, or RQRS who has met the below requirements is authorized to complete a decision on a case where the Veteran is either claiming or has been granted service connection for ALS, even if the current issues under decision are not directly related to the service connected ALS.

• Designated by the DROC as an ALS claims processor, and
• Completed the training requirements for ALS determinations, as identified in M21-5, Chapter 2, Topic 4.i.

Decisions on ALS cases completed by decisionmakers require two signatures until a decisionmaker demonstrates an accuracy rate of 90 percent or greater based on a review of 10 consecutive ALS cases, including a mix of grants, denials, and evaluations.

In addition, only a VSR who has met the below requirements may promulgate and/or authorize a case involving an ALS rating:

• Designated by the DROC as an ALS claims processor, and
• Completed the training requirements for ALS determinations, as identified in M21-5, Chapter 2, Topic 4.i.

Note: OAR requires DROCs to keep a memorandum of record confirming completion of the requirements and designation of single-signature authority for an RVSR, DRO, and RQRS. See M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A.3.j. for more information on the memorandum and requirements. The memoranda and associated logs must be saved on the "Special Mission Memos and Case Reviews Logs Repository," as mentioned in M21-5, Chapter 1, Section A, 3.j.

1.A.3.j. Second Signature Log and Memorandum for Specialized Processors

OAR requires DROCs to maintain a log of claims processors on second signature review for specialized processing to include MST, TBI, and ALS. DROCs must also maintain a memorandum for each claims processor who has completed training and second signature requirements.

The log must contain an entry for each specialty case reviewed and each entry in the log must contain the following information:

• Employee name,
• Employee position,
• Date action was taken,
• Benefit claim ID,
• Date of case review,
• Reviewer name,
• Case accuracy percent (100 for correct or 0 for incorrect),
• Corrective action required, if necessary,
• Date corrective action was taken, if applicable.

For any reviewed cases that are incorrect, the log must also contain columns to indicate additional date(s) reviewed following corrective action, reviewer name(s), and any further corrective action needed.

All special processing cases must be second-signed and reviewed for accuracy by authorized single-signature designated reviewers until the individual processing that case has achieved at least 90 percent accuracy over no less than 10 reviews. DROCs must provide each claim processor who is designated to have single-signature authority for special processing to include MST, TBI, and ALS with a formal memorandum confirming completion of training and second signature requirements. Refer to the Delegation of Single-Signature Authority Memorandum template.

The DROCs must add signed memoranda and corresponding logs on the Special Mission Memos and Case Review Logs Repository SharePoint, maintained by OAR.