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IT Reform at the Social Security Administration
Last month, SSA made news when we announced that we would put the Social Security Statement online, and discontinue mail delivery of paper statements. The statement was mailed annually to every American 25 and older who has contributed to Social Security. Not only is the agency saving a significant amount of money - approximately $70 million - we are improving customer service. Indeed, this step is precisely what was envisioned in President Obama's Executive Order on Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service. This marks a major turnabout for our agency, and is one indication of the importance of information technology to fulfilling our mission of "delivering Social Security services that meet the changing needs of the public." The 25 Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal IT Management and its forward-looking initiatives have come at a perfect time for SSA as we consider how to evolve our delivery of crucial services to the American people.
The "Cloud First" policy has been an important component of the first six months of IT Reform. We have found a way to apply this cloud strategy to our agency's unique needs. SSA receives over 85 million calls per year regarding Social Security, disability, and other benefits. The sheer volume can be overwhelming. By moving telephony to a cloud-based system, we will be able to better manage our call volume, allowing us to provide a higher level of customer service while cutting operational costs. As we look forward, we are researching moving our email systems to the cloud as well—a move we believe will further allow us to focus on our core mission of providing services to the public.
Our agency held its first TechStat session in March, and it was a success. We identified specific issues with our signature Disability Case Processing System and created a framework to address them. We provided additional training to the Project Manager and addressed the issues created by a delayed contract award. I am pleased to report that we anticipate this project will be back on track with a green rating on the IT Dashboard by August of this year.
I am particularly proud of the agency's best-practices research, which we recently shared with the Federal community. I believe this will be useful to other Federal agencies as they attempt to manage the complexities of implementing IT Reform. That research, a case study on SSA Program Manager Development Practices, is a concise guide to the processes that SSA uses to train and certify in-house staff for Program Management. Better Program Management is a critical component of the 25 Point Plan, and I know that our in-house PMs play a vital role in managing and developing high-quality IT projects.
While I am very satisfied with the reform activities we have accomplished so far, I recognize that we still face significant challenges in ensuring that we invest in systems that move us forward, and that we manage our operational costs as well as any other world-class enterprise. As we continue with implementation of IT Reform, I look forward to tackling the complex issues and tough decisions ahead, and I am sure that my colleagues on the CIO Council and at the agency will be working hard to provide the necessary information, insight, and guidance as we move forward.
Frank Baitman is the Chief Information Officer at the Social Security Administration.
