Thursday, February 02, 2012

SSA a Model for Online Operations at FSA

Social Security Administration wanted to have 44 percent of retirees sign up for SS payments online.  That was their announced goal:
The actual percentage who filed online was 41 percent, states the SSA Performance & Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2011.
I applaud SSA for setting the goal and announcing it, even more for the followup report.  If and when USDA aims to have farmers to do more stuff online with FSA, I'd like to see USDA specify what the goals are and what the results are.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

All I have ever heard for the argument against change (use of newer technology) is the older farmers will never get on a computer. This information nullifies that argument. I think most of the resistance to change is from within the Agency, due to the age demographics of the Agency. Some of it could also be a lack of understanding or imagination as to the application of technology. I guess time will take care of it if nothing else.

Bill Harshaw said...

It's complicated. Why do "age demographics" in FSA mean resistance to computers when 40+ percent of 62+ year olds will use computers to apply? I think the answer is we all fear change and need an incentive to try things. In the case of retirees, the attraction of avoiding a trip to the SSA office and the waiting line is sufficient. But there's no real incentive for an FSA bureaucrat to try something different, particularly if things go ka-blooey and you end up on the wrong end of a Congressional hearing.