Resolutions Proposed For ODARMA
December 2013
Resolution 1
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will work with the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for ODAR, the Office of Electronic Services and Technology (OEST), the Office of Public Service and Operational Support (OPSOS) and Systems to develop and implement automation enhancements and policy changes that would minimize field office (FO) and teleservice center (TSC) actions needed in connection with processing third party representative workloads.
Resolution 2
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will advocate to the Deputy Commissioner for ODAR and Commissioner of Social Security (COSS), to include ODARMA in all aspects of the decision-making process as required by 5 C.F.R. Part 251, Agency Relationships with organizations representing federal employees and other organizations. All issues that potentially impact the Social Security Administration?s frontline services are appropriate topics for consultation.
As a major stakeholder, ODARMA?s consultation is necessary and required to ensure decisions are conceptually sound, appropriate for implementation, and meet the needs of the public we serve.
Resolution 3
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will advocate to the Social Security Administration (SSA) leadership that ODARMA?s unique, valuable and comprehensive perspective be included in the pre-decisional phase of any examination of the employee to management ratio. ODARMA will encourage the agency to take a measured and balanced approach prior to initiating any substantive changes to supervisory ratios.
ODARMA will emphasize that sufficient management staff is essential for proper administration and accountability in SSA. The harmful effects of reducing the number of supervisors, as we have seen in the past, will only serve to further diminish public service, have a negative effect on office morale, compromise management succession planning, minimize performance management reviews, deteriorate quality and stewardship responsibilities and hamper SSA?s ability to address program integrity workloads, fraud, and security incidents.
Resolution 4
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will advocate for representation on workgroups that are created to discuss the implementation, administration, and sustainability of telework in the field.
Resolution 5
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will undertake an aggressive grassroots campaign to support efforts to improve funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA). Special emphasis will be placed on the need to adequately fund our field offices and teleservice centers, in order to provide an appropriate and required level of service to the American public.
This grassroots initiative should include conducting a survey of the full ODARMA membership to gather empirical data to support our request for additional resources and funding for SSA. Outreach to partners and advocates will also be pursued in an effort to garner support for this critical initiative.
Resolution 6
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will work with the Commissioner of Social Security and other Central Office executives to advocate for an incremental, well-managed relaxation of the policies, which have led to barriers to multi-directional employee movement across component lines.
Resolution 7
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will work with Central Office components to design and implement a comprehensive plan in Fiscal Year 2014 to eliminate barriers that prevent the sharing and redistribution of workloads across components, including telephone calls from the public. The plan should encompass policy and procedure modifications, as well as system enhancements, to allow us to complete work at the point of first contact, and allow for the seamless distribution of workloads across regional, area, and component lines. Further, the plan should include the centralization of certain workloads, such as non-program related requests for information.
Resolution 8
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will appoint a select committee charged with reviewing organizational structure and workload priorities in Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices, teleservice centers, and other agency components. This effort will include the analysis of data available from Agency and other sources, with specific information solicited by surveying the ODARMA general membership. After completion of the review, the committee will draft a proposal outlining its recommendations for ensuring the sustainability and improved effectiveness of SSA?s service delivery platform. This strategic document will be made available to SSA leadership, as well as Congress, relevant interest groups and partners
Resolution 9
Resolved: The Office of Disability Adjudication & Review Management Association (ODARMA) will assist the 10 regional associations with a nation-wide membership drive in fiscal year 2014. The membership committee will assist as requested by the ODARMA President and Executive Committee.