Improving Operating and Staffing Practices Can Increase Productivity and Reduce Costs in SSA's Atlanta Region
GGD-85-85
Published: Sep 11, 1985. Publicly Released: Sep 11, 1985.
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Highlights
As part of a series of reviews of productivity in government claims processing, GAO reviewed field office productivity in the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Atlanta Region.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Region IV, Atlanta, GA | The Commissioner of Social Security, Atlanta Region, should develop and implement a time-phased strategy to include designating responsibility at the regional level to ensure that productivity is improved. |
Closed – Implemented
A regional executive-level position was established to oversee the implementation of productivity improvement initiatives.
|
| Region IV, Atlanta, GA | The Commissioner of Social Security, Atlanta Region, should require area directors to improve the regional staff allocation process by using the more productive offices as indicators of appropriate staff-to-work-load ratios. |
Closed – Implemented
Regional management established a continuing program of evaluating operating practices. A private management consulting team was hired to assist in this endeavor. The methodology appears to parallel and enlarge the GAO work. The first round of evaluations have been published in a manual.
|
| Region IV, Atlanta, GA | The Commissioner of Social Security, Atlanta Region, should require area directors to establish procedures to identify the best operating practices used in the various field offices and disseminate information on the best operating practices to local field managers for their use, where appropriate. |
Closed – Implemented
Regional office review teams are visiting highly productive offices to identify the best practices which could be widely disseminated and adopted.
|
| Region IV, Atlanta, GA | The Commissioner of Social Security, Atlanta Region, should require area directors to provide field office managers with training in analytical tools which would enable them to improve operating practices. |
Closed – Implemented
The region is conducting training for field managers to assist them in analyzing work load processing procedures and improve productivity.
|
| Region IV, Atlanta, GA | The Commissioner of Social Security, Atlanta Region, should hold area directors and field office managers accountable through their merit pay plans for improving field offices' operating practices and, as operating practices are improved, hold these managers accountable for staffing offices in accordance with their staff-to-work-load ratios. |
Closed – Implemented
Productivity was included in the merit pay work plans of field managers and regional office line managers.
|
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Topics
Claims processingStaff utilizationProductivity in governmentTraining utilizationSupplemental security incomeMerit compensationPerformance measuresQuality controlBest practicesHuman capital management