Recommendations for Executive Action

1. Status: Open

   Comments: In August 2018, SSA said it had initiated a Space Acquisition Review Board (SARB), which meets at least quarterly and focuses on efficiently using the agency's resources to reduce its real estate footprint and operating costs. The goals, results, and future plans of the agency's real estate strategy for consolidating or downsizing field offices are documented in its annual Real Property Efficiency Plan. However, GAO reviewed SSA's Real Property Efficiency Plan for 2019-2023 (dated September 2018) and found that it does not address plans for adjusting the physical footprint in light of expanding remote service delivery. To close this recommendation as implemented, SSA will need to demonstrate that it has developed a long-term facility plan that links to its strategic goals for service delivery and includes a plan for adjusting its field offices in light of increasing use of and geographic variation in remote service delivery.

   Recommendation: The Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration should direct the agency to develop a long-term facility plan that explicitly links to SSA's strategic goals for service delivery, and includes a strategy for consolidating or downsizing field offices in light of increasing use of and geographic variation in remote service delivery.

   Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

2. Status: Open

   Comments: In August 2018, SSA said it continues to align its three space allocation standards to ensure consistent space utilization across business lines. SSA anticipate having a plan in place for aligning its three sets of standards by the end of fiscal year 2018. To close this recommendation as implemented, GAO will need to see evidence that SSA at least considered revising--and potentially actually did revise--its field office space allocation standards to allow more flexibility for growth in demand and new service delivery methods.

   Recommendation: The Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration should direct the agency to reassess and, if needed, revise its field office space standards to ensure they provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate both unexpected growth in the demand for services and new service delivery technologies.

   Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

3. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: In August 2018, SSA stated that its Division of Furniture Support (DFS) implemented the Space Acquisition Module of RealT in January 2018. This module allows regional offices to upload their space requirements at 36 months from lease expiration. Once these requirements are approved at headquarters, the regions send them to the GSA. According to SSA, this functionality allows the regions to track individual projects through the space acquisition process at the project level, while enabling DFS to manage the agency's real property at the portfolio level. Furthermore, SSA said it completed and implemented an Office Code/Building Code utility in September 2017, which enables the agency to identify and maintain one-to-many relationships (in cases where multiple offices exist in one building) to establish where its offices are located. When combined with other facility data maintained by SSA, this information yields more detailed breakouts by office type and allows for the development of an inventory of buildings by office type.

   Recommendation: The Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration should direct the agency to ensure the Real Estate and Lease Tracking application has the capacity to accurately track the composition of SSA's office inventory over time.

   Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

4. Status: Open

   Comments: In August 2018, SSA said it is conducting internal meetings in order to determine the best approach to analyze the common issues that need follow-up actions. SSA said it still need to complete its analysis and determine a final approach. The agency has no estimated timeframe for completion at this time. For GAO to close this recommendation as implemented, SSA will need to demonstrate that it has started to collect data on common issues with online benefit claims and is using these data to inform improvements.

   Recommendation: The Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration should direct the agency to develop a cost-effective approach to identifying the most common issues with online benefit claims that require staff follow-up with applicants, and use this information to inform improvements to the online claims process.

   Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

5. Status: Open

   Comments: In August 2018, SSA said it continues planning efforts to determine the best approach to develop performance measures for alternative customer services. The agency has been working to update the Management Information (MI) data collection for the Desktop Icon project to collect better data about customer usage. It also is working with the User Experience Group to create a national survey to better understand its customer needs and to evaluate its goals. Both will allow SSA to analyze the impact its service delivery methods have on customers and the third-parties. For GAO to close this recommendation as implemented, SSA will need to demonstrate that it has implemented performance measures for these alternate service delivery methods and is collecting related data.

   Recommendation: The Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration should direct the agency for its alternative customer services approaches, including desktop icons and video services in third-party sites, to develop performance goals and collect performance data related to these goals.

   Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

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