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Social Security's Field Office Management Can Be Improved and Millions Can Be Saved Annually Through Increased Productivity

HRD-82-47 Published: Mar 19, 1982. Publicly Released: Mar 19, 1982.
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Highlights

GAO reviewed selected Social Security Administration (SSA) field office operations.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Social Security Administration The Commissioner of Social Security should establish productivity goals for field operations along with accurate and reliable systems to monitor them.
Closed – Implemented
SSA established productivity goals for its regional offices in fiscal year 1987.
Social Security Administration The Commissioner of Social Security should develop and implement an automated field office work-load control and management information system for managing the work load and appraising individual employee performance.
Closed – Not Implemented
Implementing automated management information systems at SSA is likely to be a long-term service, which GAO will address in its future work at SSA. Accordingly, there is no need to keep this recommendation open.
Social Security Administration The Commissioner of Social Security should establish in the central office a focal point accountable for the quality and utility of instructions and forms, and the focal point should be responsible for assessing the impact of changing instructions and forms on field office operations and personnel and for field testing instructions and forms.
Closed – Not Implemented
SSA stated that there is one organization responsible. The assessment of ongoing impact of changes should be and now is the responsibility of those using the documents.
Social Security Administration The Commissioner of Social Security should establish and enforce standards for common data. Handling common data in a consistent manner may reduce operational complexity, the number of forms currently in use, and the potential for errors.
Closed – Implemented
The SSA Data Resource Management System now incorporates facilities to establish common data standards. It uses a central data dictionary that defines common data elements and their usage. Forms now in use are being replaced with automated systems that will ensure standardization of common data elements nationwide.
Social Security Administration The Commissioner of Social Security should aggressively pursue opportunities to improve field office productivity through increased automation of field office tasks, and achievement of these opportunities should be an integral part of any SSA plan for resolving computer system problems.
Closed – Implemented
The Field Office Systems Enhancement Project, providing increased automation of field office work loads, was implemented in 2 district offices on a pilot status in May 1985. The project was expanded to 20 offices in January 1986.

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Topics

CommunicationCost controlFederal formsManagement information systemsOffice automationOffice managementPerformance measuresProductivity in governmentSupplemental security incomeData automation