Observations
The SSA is very valuable to U.S. citizens. It provides a foundation of income on which workers can build their retirement plans. The agency provides social security to retired and disabled workers through the Social Security Act. Since it was enacted in 1935, the Social Security Act has remained to be one of the nation's most successful, effective, and popular programs (SSA, 2010). Most of the SSA's success pertains to the administration of social security. The agency provides both life insurance and disability insurance protection to millions of U.S. citizens every month. The agency has also been successful in providing guaranteed, progressive benefits that keep up with the increasing living costs.
The SSA is arguably the most successful program in the U.S. In dollar terms, the agency has paid out trillions of dollars to millions of people (SSA, 2010). Using the funding from the Federal government, the agency has dramatically reduced poverty among the elderly. The aged and disabled population lived in some form of economic dependency. In the late 1900s, poverty among the elderly living in the United States was less than 10 percent (SSA, 2010). Today, more than 30 percent of the elderly rely on Social Security for retirement income (SSA, 2010). Clearly, for decades, the SSA has been central to America's way of life.
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However, there are some areas that the SSA needs to improve. First, the agency faces a wide range of challenges with regard to its database conversion and long-term services ( Osterweil et al., 2007) . To maintain its success and improve its service delivery, the SSA should address this challenge by drawing on a broad range of technical expertise and put systematic mechanisms. Besides, the current SSA Web site is limited in a number of ways. First, only a subset of information on the agency's website is available in a language other than English ( Osterweil et al., 2007) . Secondly, the online application for social security benefits is only available in English. Besides, the benefit application pages do not support Apple or WebTV systems. Thus, the agency should update and improve its website since it is a primary access point for many users.
Strategies for Improvement
The SSA can adopt a number of strategies to improve its service delivery and organizational performance. First, the SSA should embrace technology. New technologies offer new possibilities. The SSA should adopt and implement innovative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and blockchain technologies. These technologies will improve any aspect of the SSA, from support provision, through communications with the client, to collection of donations and financing. Technology will connect the SSA and its clients. However, when adopting this strategy, the SSA needs to address vital concerns such as cyber-attack threats. T
The SSA should also improve the Representative Payee Program by recruiting and retaining eligible representative payees and ensure appropriate third-party monitoring and oversight. This way, the agency will be able to protect vulnerable seniors. Another recommendation is to improve the agency's screening criteria to ensure all eligible beneficiaries are well screened and receive appropriate appropriations. Lastly, the agency should improve its online delivery services. The SSA provides most of its services online. To ensure fast and efficient service delivery, the SSA should update and advance its technology infrastructure. By adopting the recommendations outlined above, the SSA will be able to improve its service delivery while maintaining its success.
Experience in Researching the SSA
This project's principal focus was to research the SSA, an independent federal agency that administers social security. I have experienced a lot while undertaking this project. First, I was able to learn more about the SSA, including its organizational structure, the programs it administers, and its ethics, cooperation, leadership, and legal decision. Besides, I was able to evaluate the SSA's human resources management and budgeting, and cumulative report. Overall, I have learned a lot about the agency. I have also managed to interview key members of the agency, including top officials.
This project is very valuable to my career. As a public administrator, it is important to learn about federal agencies like the SSA. Having background knowledge about such agencies helps one understand how federal agencies operate, funded, and the organization's leadership influences, ethics, and human resources. However, completing this project was not easy. I faced several challenges, the main one being Covid-19. This project entailed interviewing people within the agency. Due to the negative effect induced by this global pandemic, I faced a lot of challenges when conducting this project. Among them is difficulty in meeting the interviewees due to travel restrictions and social distancing. This forced me to conduct the interviews online.
References
Osterweil, L., Millett, L. I., & Winston, J. D. (2007). Social security administration electronic service provision: a strategic assessment . National Academies Press.
SSA. (2010). The development of the Social Security in America. [Online]. Retrieved March 15, 2021, from https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v70n3/v70n3p1.html
