Bridging the Gap: Improving SSA's Public Service Through Technology

摘要

The American public relies on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to deliver its services in a timely and effective fashion. Traditionally, the agency has been a community-based agency where face-to-face contact is the hallmark and primary means of delivering quality service. Currently, SSA uses a variety of technologies including telephone service, the internet, and expanding videoconferencing technology to serve its customers. The issue that the agency faces today is how to effectively expand its current use of technology to meet the service challenges of the 21st Century. While SSA has expanded its service options over the last twenty years, the agency, for a variety of reasons, has not always kept pace with the growing expectations that the American public has of the Social Security programs. This report will examine some of the problems SSA has with its current technology infrastructure, suggest changes to its governance structure, and urge a more complete integration of the agency's vision with its business and system development processes.