SSA to Use Customer Opinions in Strategic Plan

2. SSA should use customer opinions in its strategic planning.

SSA should obtain customer opinions on all the goals and objectives of
the strategic plan, using that input to revise the goals and objectives
as needed, set priorities, and establish interim objectives.

Obviously, while courtesy and the helpful information services in Action
1 are critical in an overall customer service program, SSA cannot
satisfy its customers without doing the job customers expect in the
delivery of benefits and other services. Action 2 addresses benefits and
other services delivery. It seeks feedback from SSA customers on the
basic assumptions of the strategic plan, and most of the plan focuses on
the delivery of specific benefits and other services. The goals and
objectives of the plan should be broadly publicized. Comment cards on
them should be placed in offices. Focus groups should be used to help
sort out the right directions to take.  Formal surveys could be done, as
well.

These tools should be used to address fundamental issues of customer
satisfaction. Are these the right objectives for SSA, or have we missed
what matters to you? What areas are most important? How do the proposed
numerical performance standards measure up to your expectations? How
does SSA performance compare to the level set out in the standard?
Answers to these and other questions will provide an improved basis for
planning and resource allocation.

Both the actions above are consistent with the SSA overall,
customer-oriented approach to the future.  For example, in the key
problem area of disability claims processing, SSA is working on a major
reinvention effort. This project will field test several new models for
disability claims processing in fiscal year 1995. The long-term goal is
to reduce processing times dramatically, consistent with the strategic
plan.