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

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

GAO found that SSA can save millions of dollars annually by improving the management and productivity of its field offices. Gains can be achieved by: (1) establishing field office productivity goals and increasing management focus on potential productivity gains; (2) improving field office management information systems to improve the management and monitoring of goals; (3) improving headquarters communications to field offices, including improving the design and control of forms used by field offices; and (4) increasing automation of field office clerical tasks, program eligibility decisions, and benefit computations. SSA measures three dimensions of field office work: processing time, quality, and productivity. Some of the improvements in processing time and quality are attributable to improved computer support and new techniques. Management interest in productivity would achieve improvements in that area. Field office personnel need simple and clearly written operating instructions. GAO tested the readability of several instructions by applying a fog index, which approximates the number of years of education needed to read and understand SSA instructions. To understand the material required at least 15 years of education. However, GAO believes that the continuing problems that SSA has with instructions demonstrates a need for more field testing of and increased controls over the instructions. The lack of data and design standards for SSA forms result in inconsistencies between forms, which hamper productivity and lead to errors.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Joseph F. Delfico Team: General Accounting Office: Human Resources Division Phone: (202) 512-7215