Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP)
VITA Project Committee
Meeting Minutes
February 09, 2010

Designated Federal Official (DFO)
Sallie Chavez, Acting DFO

Members Present
Raymond Buschmann
Richard Coonradt
Ken Donnelly
Gary Iskowitz
John Kim
Matthew Kosanovich
Timothy Oetken
Jeffrey Steinberg
Stephen Vanderver
Marilyn Young

Members Absent
Justin Axelrod
Edward Johnson
Eboni Moss
Swarna Vallurupalli

Staff Present
Anita Fields, Secretary
Roger Burton, IRS Program Owner
Cindy Jones, IRS Program Owner

Guest(s) Present
None

Welcome/Announcements
Stephen Vanderver welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Review of Previous Meeting Minutes
The approved meeting minutes from December by consensus.

Administrative Recap of Annual Meeting
Vanderver recapped the Annual Meeting. During the annual meeting, we discussed protocol, quorum, setting calls and dates for committee meetings. We also heard from the Program Owners about the program and the direction that we are headed. We broke into subcommittee groups and reported out. We also discussed other things that we can do to increase advertising and promotions for VITA services.

Program Owner
Roger Burton apologized for Fred McElligott for not being on the call today. Burton and Cindy Jones will represent McElligott’s interest on today’s call. Cindy Jones is on the call today she will be handling FEAB temporarily until we get a permanent analyst in position. They are trying to get someone that is a field territory manager. The VITA office want that someone to step up and assume the role of program owner or technical expert in the FEAB community. They have solicited someone that was involved on the internal side of FEAB working with procedures and policies relative to Financial Education and Asset Building. Hopefully, we will know before the end of this week. Jones is going to remain a part of the program at least in a full committee capacity.

Burton said his observation from the first meeting is that we can always improve on communication. Burton stated that the confusion about calls and information needed for meeting has been corrected. He stated that he believes we got all the learning curves out of the way.

Subcommittee Report-Out
VITA QR Subcommittee—Ray Buschmann reported the committee is focusing in on the committee issues by first trying to evaluate the quality process that is currently in place at the volunteer site. We are also evaluating tools that the IRS is using to review the sites to ensure compliance. The more difficult task is to make recommendations for improving the process. To help with the evaluation, Burton provided the subcommittee with forms 6729, 6729C, 6729R. There are job aids that go with each of the forms. The volunteer intake form, Form 13614C, which we are using at all the VITA sites.

Vanderer commented that the 13614C is a great tool, but the volunteers are not using them.

Buschmann stated that the Quality Subcommittee would be reviewing the following:

1. Roger will provide additional information on the usage and certifications in Link & Learn for the SC and the 13614-C modules, and on the results of the 6729C IRS reviews in ‘09
2. Further review of the Forms 6729, 6729C, 6729R and 13614C forms, the related Job Aides and the 10 Quality Site Requirements. The focus is not so much on word-smithing but are these the right tools? How can they be improved?
3. Evaluate the Link & Learn modules as a tool for quality improvement.
4. Are these tools of the IRS being effectively utilized? Is better education, communication, implementation needed?
5. What else should be considered by the IRS to improve quality at the volunteer site?

Burton stated there are some wonderful tools, but how do we let everyone know that the tools are there for them to use. Maybe the IRS should focus on improving the tools in the quality process. Vanderver stated that in his area they are trained to utilize the intake sheets. The training in certain area are getting laxed and just not taught how to use it. Burton said that is going to help as well, if there are best practices out there it would be great for the subcommittee to hear that and try to encourage the IRS to have a vehicle for outreach education and communication to try to get the word out.

Cindy said that now that you are looking at the tools and marketing of them, some of the reports they get from the quality team could give the subcommittee of information on if they are actually using the tools.

Bushmann stated that the quality subcommittee consists of half of the members of the full committee. He said if any other of the committee members has thoughts or ideas on ways to improve the quality at the sites with way the IRS can help the process in monitoring and improving accuracy at the volunteer sites. Please speak up and you can to join the subcommittee call, which is held the Tuesday before the full committee call.

VITA FEAB Subcommittee—Matthew Kosanovich reported that Swarna Vallurupalli apologized for not being on the call, she was confused on the time and date. Kosanovich asked Burton to clarify what exactly the program owners want the subcommittee to do relative to FEAB.

Burton stated once a permanent program owner for the FEAB committee is in place you will get more of an understanding. During the Annual Meeting, in the issue proposal, at the 30,000 foot level relative to FEAB its to evaluate how SPEC engages the partners to effectively link FEAB to VITA/TCE sites, access the goals and objectives, how we measure outcomes, how we measure success relative to SPEC involvement in the FEAB support efforts. Then the expectation is to provide suggestions/feedback on we can engage partners, on existing goals and objectives that SPEC has in place relative to FEAB, on communication and training products relative to FEAB and lastly to physically develop any FEAB related communication in training, products or tools. Burton stated that he sees it more as an outreach and education kind of task group with the sharing of best practices.

The committee agreed by consensus to hold their face-to-face meeting May 5-7 in Atlanta Georgia. Travel on Wednesday, meeting all day Thursday and ½ day on Friday and travel Friday afternoon.

Meeting Close
Vanderer thanked everyone for attending the meeting. He reminded everyone on the next call date and time.