Won't this have the reverse effect and limit the Social Security Administration's flexibility to reallocate those resources which might not be used for automated data processing (ADP) and telecommunication activities, to other critical areas in fiscal 1992? Answer. We have requested this earmark to underscore our commitment to continuing to modernize SSA's data processing equipment and to automate many tasks which are now performed manually. Question. Will your investments in 1991 and 1992 result in significant workyear savings in 1992 or 1993? Answer. SSA's ITS investments will ensure that our systems expand as needed to support growing workloads, and they will lay the foundation for future efficiencies required to offset workload growth and improve public service. SSA's FY 1992 budget request reflects about 1,100 workyears of savings over the 2-year period, FY 1991 and FY 1992, related to management, procedural and systems initiatives. This includes about 400 workyears of savings related to further enhancement of our modernized claims system and modernized enumeration system, resulting primarily from earlier investments in modernized hardware and software. SSA is continuing to pursue other areas of modernization which will pay off in the future in terms of improved service and increased efficiency. For example, we have accelerated the schedule for modernization of the SSI claims system in a mainframe environment, with software development continuing in FY 1991 and pilot testing of the modernized initial claim-taking system planned for FY 1992. When completed, this system will provide for taking and processing SSI claims using online interactive data collection, computations and automated workload control functions which parallel those developed for title II Social Security program claims. NEED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL TO PROCESS DISABILITY CASES Question. By the end of fiscal 1991, you are projecting a backlog of 553,000 disability cases. That compares to 293,000 pending cases in December of 1989--an increase of 260,000 cases. This means it will take an average of 16 weeks, instead of 8 weeks, to get a determination from the Social Security Administration on eligibility for disability benefits. How much would be needed to reduce the fiscal 1991 backlog down to the level of December 1989? Why didn't the administration request a supplemental to address this problem? Answer. We developed our estimate of 741,614 Social Security and SSI disability cases pending in field offices at the end of FY 1991 based on the assumption that the contingency reserve for FY 1991 would not be released. Based on this estimate, to return to the December 1989 level of 429,542 cases would require SSA to clear 312,072 cases. The FY 1990 agency unit cost, based on the field office count, for processing Social Security and SSI claims to completion runs roughly $442 per claim. Based on this information, the additional cost of appeals, and built-in unit cost increases, we estimate the cost of returning FY 1991 end-of-year disability pending cases to the levels of December 1989 would require approximately $200 million. We have not requested a supplemental to address this problem because we have requested release of contingency funds to assist us in processing this increasing workload. Release of $100 million from the contingency reserve will enable us to curtail the growth of this increasing workload. FUNDING FOR THE DISABILITY STATE AGENCIES Question. If you exclude the resources requested for the State agencies for the Zebley supplemental, the table on page 102 of your budget request shows the State agency budget is being increased by nearly 9 percent in 1992--$868 million in 1992 compared to $800 million in 1991. This is a significant increase. However, you may say that the number of disability claims pending in the State agencies at the end of fiscal 1992 will increase by more than 80 percent from the level pending at the end of fiscal 1990. With resources going up, why will the backlogs grow? Answer. Increasing State agency costs reflect only a portion of the significant growth expected in SSA's disability workloads in FY 1991 and FY 1992. In spite of the increases projected in processed workloads in FY 1991 and FY 1992 for the Disability Determination Services, receipts are expected to increase at an even greater rate. The rapid rate in filing plus the increased Zebley cases and the prospect of implementing new regulations will make backlogs unavoidable. Even with productivity improvements and increased resources for the Disability Determination Services, pending workloads area expected to increase significantly. Question. Is bringing down the backlogs a question of money, management or technology? Answer. In addition to the increased funding SSA has requested, enhanced management and technology will help to avoid a build up in disability backlogs. As I indicated, additional resources have been requested for the Disability Determination Services to fund mandatory cost increases, and to enable them to process more cases. However, in spite of the increases projected in processed workloads, receipts are expected to increase at an even greater rate, thereby making higher backlogs unavoidable. Technology has played a role in helping the Disability Determination Services control backlogs in recent years, and additional funding has been requested in FY 1992 for automated data processing equipment and services for the State agencies. Finally, SSA will continue to work with the States towards improving productivity and controlling medical costs. EMERGING STAFFING ISSUES Question. Recent legislation requiring that SSA provide the telephone numbers and addresses of about 800 local field offices and other issues, such as SSA's agreement to commit additional resources for SSI outreach raise questions regarding the adequacy of SSA's current staffing. Does SSA have the right amount of staff to work its workloads and serve the public adequately and effectively? How do you know if you have too little or too many? Answer. Let me explain briefly how SSA develops its national budget estimates. SSA develops its national budget estimates on the basis of the work we have to do. The budget estimates reflect the best judgement of how much work we will process and the amount of resources required to process that work. SSA develops what have been called "did take" times for each major workload through the use of work sampling. SSA examines the "did take" time developed for each workload to identify any portions which should not be accepted without adjustment. This adjustment is based on years of work experience with production rates for each of nearly 150 workloads processed in SSA's major operating components. Factors evaluated for adjustment include systems enhancements, procedural simplifications, mix of work, substance or work, employee productivity, etc. After all adjustments to the "did take" time are completed, the resulting "should take" time is then used for projecting future Agency-level resource needs. SSA's FY 1992 administrative budget request also recognizes the need for fiscal constraint as well as the need to address the significant workload increases which SSA faces. SSA will focus its limited resources on critical public service workloads. While in general the present level of service will be maintained during the budget period, we may see the number of cases pending increase and processing times grow. There are separate questions whether SSA has the right amount of staff in place to process its workloads, or whether SSA delivers the right levels of services to the public adequately and effectively. SSA is vitally concerned with improving operating effectiveness and efficiencies and takes steps to insure that staff are in the right place through ongoing assessments of workforce needs. SSA is working to develop and utilize new tools and methods for workforce planning. For example, SSA is just beginning to examine application of computer modeling techniques to help determine the relationships between our current service measures and staffing levels for different types of field offices. Efforts are also underway to make available to operations managers additional data which may be useful in workforce planning decisions. Since the desired level of service to be provided to the public is a key factor against which the efficient use of SSA resources should be measured, SSA's strategic planning process has led Agency management to more clearly define the services we provide and to establish quantifiable long-term goals and objectives for service delivery. Once the Strategic Plan is issued, during the summer of 1991, the Agency will then be developing shorter-term tactical objectives. These objectives, which will be reflected in the Agency's shorter-term (5 year) tactical plans, will reflect quality standards as well as the more traditional measures of quantity and timeliness. SSA's tactical plans are expected to be completed in early 1992. The results of this effort will, among other things, enhance SSA's ability to evaluate the performance of field offices and the allocation of staff resources. WORKLOAD STANDARDS Question. What progress has SSA made in developing workload standards in order to determine what its total staff needs are and whether additional resources are needed or whether existing staff can be redistributed to meet the emerging staffing issues? Answer. Under any system of SSA work force planning, it is critical to keep in mind that our employees need to take the time to make sure the Government is serving the needs of its most vulnerable citizens. A single stopwatch measure of what it should take to process a Social Security claim is inconsistent with our mission. SSA's methods and procedures are not static, but continuously evolving. Our 1,300 field offices differ in physical layout, staff mix, clientele, demographics, etc. For example, a survivor's claim involving an elderly, illiterate widow who is hard of hearing is likely to take longer to process than a claim involving a younger, healthy, highly educated citizen. As I have indicated, we do need and are working on better ways to improve workforce planning. WORKFORCE PLANNING Question. Where does SSA stand on developing a workforce plan for the future as part of its agency-wide planning process? Answer. The Agency Strategic Plan (ASP), to be published early this summer, will include a description of the workforce needed to support our long-range vision for SSA and the major steps we plan to take to attain this workforce. We expect to complete a workforce plan, describing in detail how we will move towards achieving our workforce of the future following publication of the ASP. EMPLOYEE MORALE Question. Morale at SSA had been characterized by GAO and the studies done under the previous Commissioner as very low. What have you done to gauge the current level of employee morale? What measures have you taken to address present employee concerns? Answer. Current SSA morale is being gauged by Secretary Sullivan's Departmentwide assessment of organizational climate. This longitudinal assessment process includes surveys of a 5percent sample of SSA employees several times a year. The first quarterly questionnaire was distributed to SSA employees in late January, and we hope to see those results this spring. Since the core questions on the Secretary's surveys are identical to those SSA used in April 1989, we expect the results will indicate trends over time. In addition, we are now developing a supplemental survey process to solicit the underlying causes of employee perceptions. Given that the HHS process lets us know what employees think, we want to know why. Some of the measures already taken to address the employee concerns include: The creation of "strike teams" which made on-site visits to Appointment of an ombudsman to identify and assist in SSA's first child care centers will open in 1991 at our largest sites--Woodlawn and Metro West in Baltimore. We are also exploring the possibility of establishing additional centers and offering elder care services, as well; Acquisition of additional terminals and personal computers; Increased recognition of employees through on-the-spot cash awards; Training and career development programs are in place for GS-4 through GM-15 employees. New first-level supervisors receive training at SSA headquarters. A career development handbook has been issued to identify projected vacancies and let employees know about qualification requirements for career advancement; Positive, constructive dialogue with employee unions; and As a result of reorganization, the employee relations TECHNOLOGY-RELATED SYSTEMS ISSUES Question. A key factor in managing SSA's operation is a planning process which guides policy, budget, and ADP modernization, in both the short and long term. While SSA has developed a long-range plan, it has not completed those planning activities it considers essential for determining the most costeffective ADP design to meet future operational requirements. These activities include: determining what functions the agency wants to perform to support the type of public service envisioned by the long-range plan, determining the level and type of resources needed to achieve its plan, and determining the levels of timeliness and accuracy associated with its public service goals. When will these activities be completed? |