Online: Many services are available online. SSA Has Reduced Its Physical Footprint and Expanded Remote Service Delivery

		SSA Has Reduced Its Total Square Footage and Number of Facilities Since 2012

SSA reduced its square footage and the number of its facilities from fiscal  year 2012, when the overall federal effort began to limit agencies’  physical footprint, to fiscal year 2016. SSA reduced its footprint by about 1.4 million square feet (or 5.2 percent)  from fiscal year 2012 to fiscal year 2016, according to our analysis (see  fig. 1). SSA Is Expanding Benefit Application and Management Services It Offers Remotely, but Overall Demand for Field Office Services Has Not Decreased

SSA is expanding its remote delivery of services—such as online and  other new technologies to connect with the agency—to provide more  choices to its customers and because of overall trends in Americans’ use  of online services. SSA has also  increased use of video service delivery, which allows SSA staff to take  claims or conduct hearings remotely, either in SSA facilities or in third- party locations such as senior centers. For  example, the number of in-person visits to field offices in fiscal year 2007  (42.9 million) was about the same as in fiscal year 2016 (42.7 million),  according to SSA data. SSA officials said this may  be due to increased demand for certain services and customer  preference. SSA’s Steps to Reconfigure Its Physical Footprint Do Not Fully Incorporate Changes in Service Delivery and Also Face External Constraints

		While SSA Has Developed Strategic Goals, It Does Not Always Consider Evolving Service Delivery or Collect Needed Information

SSA has developed strategic goals for expanding remote service delivery  while reconfiguring its physical footprint and is beginning to implement  initiatives that may help reduce space; however, SSA has not integrated  its facility plan with its strategic plan, provided flexibility for individual  offices, or compiled accurate facility data as suggested by standards for  internal control and leading practices for facility planning. SSA Has Taken Steps to Make Remote Services Easier to Use, but Does Not Consistently Evaluate These Services

		SSA Is Trying to Make Its Online Services More User-Friendly, but Lacks Comprehensive Data on Issues with Online Claims

The complexity of SSA’s programs can make it challenging for customers  to complete certain processes online, especially disability applications,  according to SSA officials. Customers’ difficulties with online applications  could limit SSA’s ability to shift more of its business online and further  reconfigure its physical footprint. For example, SSA is adding  new features that make it possible for online customers to interact with  SSA staff to resolve problems. SSA Has Introduced New Approaches to Enhance Access to Remote Delivery of Services, but Lacks Performance Goals

Some of SSA’s customers may have difficulty accessing online services,  according to SSA staff and data from an SSA survey, which may also limit  the agency’s ability to further reconfigure its footprint. However, SSA has not  established performance goals for all of these new approaches. Without a long-term facilities  plan for reconfiguring its field office structure as it expands options for  customers to access services remotely and in light of the wide variation in  remote service use across offices, SSA could miss opportunities to further  reduce its footprint. In addition,  unless it establishes clear performance goals and collects related data for  alternative service approaches such as desktop icons and video service  at third-party sites, SSA risks foregoing opportunities to improve service  delivery for customers. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope and Methodology

The objectives of this report were to (1) describe the trends in the Social  Security Administration’s (SSA) physical footprint and how it delivers  services, (2) assess the steps SSA is taking to reconfigure its physical  footprint, and (3) assess the steps SSA is taking to address any  challenges to expanding remote service delivery. We applied criteria previously identified by GAO for facility planning and  customer service standards, as well as standards for internal control in  the federal government.
Why GAO Did This Study

SSA has one of the largest physical footprints of any federal agency. It has about 1,500 facilities nationwide, including field offices where customers can meet with SSA staff to apply for benefits and conduct other business. SSA is re-examining its footprint in light of expanding online and other remote service options and a 2012 government-wide initiative to make more efficient use of physical space. GAO was asked to examine SSA's changing footprint and service delivery.
This report (1) describes the trends in SSA's physical footprint and service delivery, (2) assesses the steps SSA is taking to reconfigure its footprint, and (3) assesses the steps SSA is taking to address any challenges to expanding remote service delivery. GAO reviewed SSA documents and data on facilities and service delivery for fiscal years 2006 to 2016; interviewed officials from SSA and other federal agencies; and visited SSA facilities in four states, chosen for diversity in geographic location, visitor to staff ratio, and proportion of local residents with Internet access, among other factors.

What GAO Found

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has reduced its physical footprint and expanded delivery of services remotely, including online. SSA reduced the total square footage of its facilities by about 1.4 million square feet (or about 5 percent) from fiscal years 2012 to 2016, according to GAO's analysis, by applying new standards for determining the size of offices and consolidating facilities (see figure). SSA has also expanded the services it offers remotely, and online use has increased for certain services such as disability and retirement applications. Despite this increase, in-person contacts at field offices have not changed substantially, with about the same number in fiscal year 2016 as in fiscal year 2007 (approximately 43 million). This may be due to growing demand for services as well as certain services not yet being fully available online.
SSA's steps to reconfigure its footprint do not fully incorporate changes in service delivery, such as the expansion of remote service delivery. As mentioned above, SSA has been expanding the services it delivers online. While SSA has a strategic goal of re-thinking its footprint as it expands remote service delivery, it lacks a facility plan that links to this goal, as called for by facility planning criteria. Without a plan that considers the increasing use of online services and wide variation in online service use across field offices, SSA may miss opportunities to further reduce its footprint.
SSA is taking steps to make remote services easier to use, for example by adding new features to its website and offering alternate approaches for accessing services, but does not consistently evaluate them, which could limit its ability to shift more services online and further reconfigure its footprint. For example, SSA has added features allowing online customers to interact directly with SSA staff. However, SSA does not track staff follow-ups to deal with any errors in online benefit applications in order to improve them, as called for by federal internal control standards. To enhance access to remote services, SSA has introduced alternate service approaches such as videoconferencing in third-party sites; however, it does not have performance goals for these approaches. GAO has previously identified performance goals as a best practice, which may help agencies improve their customer service.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making five recommendations, including that SSA develop a facility plan for reconfiguring its footprint as it expands remote service delivery, track staff follow-ups of online applications, and develop performance goals for alternate service approaches. SSA agreed with GAO's recommendations.