History of SSA 1993-2000

This is narrative administrative history of the Social Security Administration during the years 1993-2000. It was completed by SSA in December 2000.

The custom of collecting narrative histories was systematized in a formal way at the end of the administration of Lyndon Johnson. President Johnson directed each federal agency to prepare a formal administrative history of its operations. These Johnson Administrative Histories have come to be prized by historians as one of the most accessible sources of documentation regarding this period.

At the end of the Clinton Administration, using the Johnson narratives as a conscious precedent, all federal agencies were directed to develop an administrative history of their agency during the period of the Clinton presidency. In July 2000 White House Chief of Staff, John Podesta formally asked the major agencies to create administrative histories of their organizations on the model of the Johnson histories. The purpose of this effort was to have a set of administrative histories that would eventually become part of the collections of the Clinton Presidential Library.

In September, the Agency brought together a team of six SSA employees from around the organization, under the direction of SSA Chief of Staff Brian Coyne, and gave them the assignment of writing a complete narrative history of the last eight years. This document is the result of their extraordinary efforts. Although it was originally designed to be part of the collections of the Clinton Presidential Library, this 369-page book is the best summary available of the administrative history of SSA during the years 1993-2000, and as such, it takes its place here alongside other materials related to SSA's history.

Table of Contents

BACKGROUND MATERIAL

Memo from White House Chief of Staff SSA Staff Who Developed the Narrative History

THE NARRATIVE HISTORY

COVER PREFACE CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION PROGRAM IMPACT EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SSA FACES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES SSA ENTERS THE 21ST CENTURY 2010 VISION POLICY DEBATE PROGRAM SOLVENCY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESS TICKET TO WORK AND WORK INCENTIVES IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1999 MANAGEMENT OF THE SSI PROGRAM MAJOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGES A WELL-RUN AGENCY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS ACT (CFO) OF 1990 AND THE GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT REFORM ACT (GMRA) OF 1994 GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT (GPRA) OF 1993 NATIONAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW (NPR) HAMMER AWARDS MAXWELL SCHOOL RECOGNITION SSA'S NATIONAL 800-NUMBER CIO MAGAZINE Y2K TRAGEDY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THE GIFT ENDURES EXHIBIT 1: CHRONOLOGY OF SSA EVENTS 1993-2000 CHAPTER TWO: INDEPENDENT AGENCY THE EARLY YEARS THE INDEPENDENT AGENCY PROCESS OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER: 1993-2000 OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER INSPECTOR GENERAL OTHER EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS SOCIAL SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXHIBIT 1: NON-CAREER SSA APPOINTEES CHAPTER THREE: PROGRAM SOLVENCY FABRIC OF AMERICA DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES FINANCIAL CHALLENGES SOCIAL SECURITY TRUSTEES' REPORTS ADVISORY COUNCIL ON SOCIAL SECURITY CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST AND SOLVENCY PROPOSALS THE PRESIDENT'S SOCIAL SECURITY PROPOSALS AND THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE THE AGENCY'S EDUCATION, POLICY, AND RESEARCH EFFORTS REPEAL OF THE RETIREMENT EARNINGS TEST (RET) CONCLUSION EXHIBIT 1: EXAMPLES OF OPTIONS FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD CHAPTER FOUR: PROGRAM CHANGES THE CHALLENGE OF THE DISABILITY PROGRAM THE CASE FOR PROCESS CHANGE DISABILITY REDESIGN 1993 PROCESS REENGINEERING CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND RELEASE OF THE PLAN KEY FEATURES OF THE PROPOSED REDESIGN PLAN ENABLERS TO SUPPORT THE REDESIGN VISION TESTING FLEXIBILITY 1997 REDESIGN FOCUS NARROWED TO MOST CRITICAL AREAS THE FULL PROCESS MODEL REDESIGN DECISIONS INCORPORATED INTO THE AGENCY'S BROADER PLAN THE PROTOTYPES TESTING OF THE DISABILITY CLAIM MANAGER (DCM) RETEST OF THE ELIMINATION OF REQUEST FOR REVIEW PROTOTYPE PROCESS COMBINED WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HEARING PROCESS THE HEARING PROCESS IMPROVEMENT PLAN THE APPEALS COUNCIL IMPROVEMENT PLAN THE CASE FOR DISABILITY PROGRAM CHANGE TICKET TO WORK/WORK INCENTIVES ARTICULATING THE PROBLEMS AND THE SOLUTIONS: DEVELOPING CONSENSUS WITHIN THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION OTHER STUDIES AND REPORTS REACHING CONSENSUS THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FORMULATING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S BILL ACTION IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE PROVISIONS IN THE FINAL BILL SIGNING THE BILL INTO LAW THE LEGACY OF THE LAW INCREASE IN THE SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY LEVEL OTHER REGULATORY CHANGES TO ENCOURAGE BENEFICIARIES TO WORK ONGOING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT IN THE DISABILITY PROGRAM TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDER DISABILITIES EVALUATION OF TICKET TO WORK AND SELF SUFFICIENCY PROVISIONS EVALUATION OF STATE PARTNERSHIPS IN EMPLOYING INDIVIDUALS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS REQUIRED UNDER THE TICKET TO WORK AND WORK INCENTIVES IMPROVEMENT ACT INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF WORK INCAPACITY AND REINTEGRATION NATIONAL STUDY ON HEALTH AND ACTIVITY (NSHA) DISABILITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE THE CHALLENGE OF THE SSI PROGRAM DRUG ADDICTION & ALCOHOLISM (DA&A) WELFARE REFORM CHILDHOOD DISABILITY SSI ELIGIBILITY FOR NONCITIZENS SPONSOR-TO-ALIEN DEEMING-SSI ELIGIBILITY SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR NONCITIZENS SSI OUTREACH OTHER PROGRAM CHALLENGES CHANGES IN COVERAGE THRESHOLDS FOR DOMESTIC EMPLOYEES: "THE NANNY TAX" TITLE VIII QUALIFYING FOR SPECIAL VETERANS BENEFITS (SVB) SVB BENEFICIARIES SVB PAYMENT INITIATION THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT THE SOCIAL SECURITY STRATEGIC PLAN: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE 1993: THE WATERSHED YEAR 1994: PILOTING PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT 1995: PLANNING IN AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY SSA'S GENERAL BUSINESS PLAN: FISCAL YEARS 1996-1999 1996: MOVING TOWARD GPRA IMPLEMENTATION SSA'S BUSINESS PLAN: FISCAL YEARS 1997-2001 1997: "KEEPING THE PROMISE" BUSINESS PLAN: FISCAL YEARS 1998-2002 1998: INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASP SSA PLANNING GUIDE SSA PLANNING GUIDANCE-PROCESS REVISED 1999 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN (APP) INITIAL PERFORMANCE PLAN - FISCAL YEAR 2000 1999: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT EVOLVES TO A NEW LEVEL/FIRST STEPS TO A NEW VISION ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN FISCAL YEAR 2000 2000: A NEW STRATEGIC DRIVER: SSA'S 2010 VISION SSA'S 2010 VISION "MASTERING THE CHALLENGE:" STRATEGIC PLAN FY 2000-2005 STRATEGIC PLANNING 1993-2000: FROM GPRA TO THE 2010 VISION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: THE IMPROVED POLICY PROCESS EARLY CLINTON YEARS POLICY RESEARCH POVERTY DEVELOPMENTS IN PENSIONS COHORT-SPECIFIC MEASURES OF LIFETIME NET SOCIAL SECURITY TRANSFERS SHORT-TERM MICROSIMULATION MODELING WOMEN, WORK, AND SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY STUDIES DATA LINKAGES LINKED DATA FOR INTERNAL RESEARCH MARCH 31, 1995 (INDEPENDENT AGENCY) TO SPRING 1998 (THE NEW OP) NEW COMMISSIONER DISABILITY STUDIES THE NEW OFFICE OF POLICY (SPRING 1998 TO PRESENT) EXPANDED RESEARCH AND POLICY BUDGET POLICY DEVELOPMENT OP/ORES'S PUBLISHING AND STATISTICAL PROGRAM ORES STATISTICAL DATA CHAPTER FIVE: CUSTOMER-RESPONSIVE WORLD-CLASS SERVICE NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR REINVENTING GOVERNMENT SURVEY FRONT-LINE EMPLOYEES ON BARRIERS SURVEY CUSTOMERS POST SERVICE STANDARDS PROVIDE A MEANS TO ADDRESS CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS BENCHMARK CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS AGAINST THE BEST IN BUSINESS PROCESS CHANGE AND TECHNOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENTS NATIONAL 800 NUMBER NETWORK REMISSIONING PAYMENT CYCLING IMMEDIATE CLAIM TAKING UNITS (ICT) TOTALIZATION AGREEMENTS DIRECT DEPOSIT OF BENEFIT PAYMENTS - DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL DIRECT DEPOSIT DATA EXCHANGE BETWEEN AGENCIES NOTICES RESPONSIVE SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS DIVERSE CUSTOMERS NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING/LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT (NES/LEP) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAGEDIES AND NATURAL DISASTERS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN YEAR 2000 TRANSITION (Y2K) ELECTRONIC SERVICE DELIVERY INTERNET SERVICES ELECTRONIC WAGE REPORTING CONCLUSION EXHIBIT 1: STATUS OF TOTALIZATION AGREEMENTS CHAPTER SIX: PROGRAM INTEGRITY STEWARDSHIP OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FRAUD INITIATIVES/PROGRAM INTEGRITY EMPLOYEE FRAUD SERVICE PROVIDER FRAUD SSI ELIGIBILITY PROJECT SSN MISUSE FOREIGN ANTI-FRAUD ACTIVITIES PRISONERS DISABILITY PROGRAM INTEGRITY CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEWS AND REDETERMINATIONS SSI HIGH RISK PROGRAM IMPROVING PAYMENT ACCURACY COMBATING PROGRAM FRAUD NONAGENARIANS PRIVACY AND SECURITY ENHANCING THE SOCIAL SECURITY CARD INTERNET SECURITY INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY PLAN MOVING AWAY FROM MAINFRAME SYSTEMS NEW EMERGING CONCERNS CHAPTER SEVEN: PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING INDEPENDENT AGENCY 1993-1995: PRE-INDEPENDENT AGENCY 1995: SSA BECOMES AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY MAJOR INITIATIVES MEASURING COMMUNICATIONS PERFORMANCE THE SOCIAL SECURITY STATEMENT TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS STAFF AND TRAINING CHALLENGES EXHIBIT 1: SUMMARY OF PUMS-II NATIONAL RESULTS CHAPTER EIGHT: WORKFORCE INVESTMENTS DIVERSITY PROGRAMS AND POLICIES PARTNERSHIP TECHNOLOGY: IWS/LAN AND THE INTRANET INTELLIGENT WORKSTATION/LOCAL AREA NETWORK (IWS/LAN) INSTALLATION THE INTRANET OTHER ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY SUCCESSION PLANNING & TRAINING SUCCESSION PLANNING TRAINING PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE & SECURITY UPGRADE OF THE HEADQUARTERS COMPLEX FIRE PROTECTION INITIATIVES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS RECYCLING AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY EMPLOYEE WORKSTATION IMPROVEMENTS PHYSICAL SECURITY INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS EXHIBIT 1: 2000 SSA/AFGE RATIFICATION AGREEMENT CONCLUSION GLOSSARY REFERENCES