Although this is the final week of the Federal Government's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, ODAR [Office of Disability Adjudication and Review] decided that last week would be the final "countable" week for FY 2011 dispositions/decisions, next week will be the first week for FY 2012 dispositions/decisions, and that this week will be a "stand alone" week, with nothing that is done this week being credited to either fiscal year. My (rather obvious) prediction: this will easily be the least productive week of the year, to the obvious disservice of the claimants.
Sep 26, 2011
Really?
From an anonymous poster on the ALJ Discussion Forum:
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14 comments:
From someone with first hand knowledge...you are correct. Productivity will bottom out this week.
That being said, you will likely see a huge spike on October 3rd.
I remember this happening at least once before. As I recall, it was a September where the 30th fell on a Friday. ODAR always works against the last Friday of the month as a deadline. It is interesting that, despite the promises of the COSS to focus on weekly goals, this monthly number fetishism remains an enduring part of ODAR culture.
All that said, I would love to know the rationale for having a "lost week".
The reason for not counting this week as part of FY 2011 seems to be that it would be the 53rd week (since the last five days of September 2010 counted as part of 2011).
If FY 2012 starts on Sunday October 2nd, then the 52nd week ends on September 29th (there is an extra day in 2012 because it is a leap year). That keeps all of FY 12 actually in the fiscal year, instead of counting part of September 2011.
Of course, the smart thing for SSA to do, especially since it is so big on numbers, is to not count the last week for monthly stats if it wants to keep things at a 52 week year, but to count the dispositions issued as part of the fiscal year goal instead of rendering the work meaningless.
"the smart thing for SSA to do'...when has a manager at SSA ever done the "smart thing"?
I think one of the things they look for any manager is a complete lack of common sense.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not an SSA decision, this is an OMB thing. OMB mandates that all FY reporting periods be the same. Since there are 53 weeks in FY '11, federal agencies must only report on 52 weeks. Makes sense, right? If 1 year can have 53 weeks, then that skews numbers across all agencies making it difficult to track things.
Anon 5:15pm is totally right on the mark - this is OMB's baby. That 53rd week issue only very rarely happens (I think I specifically recall one other incidence in the last 20 years, in fact).
SSA has known about this since the first day of FY 2011 and has planned its workload processing accordingly to take it into account.
The simple fact of the matter is that work will still be done this week. They may defer some workloads which can be deferred harmlessly to the claimants (such as actually closing pending SSI redeterminations or processing system inputs on actual DDS denials) until next Monday to ensure it counts on workload reports. However, claims will still be taken and transferred to DDS as normal, appeals will be loaded and sent to DDS/ODAR, and allowances will be effectuated timely.
I know in our office, we are also planning a lot of housekeeping items (i.e. faxing post-entitlement documents into the electronic claims folders, organizing PE items, shipping folders, etc) - non-time sensitive things that desperately need to be done but that have been previously deferred simply due to manpower shortages and the fact that we get no workload credit for them.
I'm more concerned that Congress isn't getting off their duffs and passing a budget instead of sitting around poking their fingers up their @sses and threatening shutdowns.
While I have always been told that the "dead week" doesn't count, I've never seen it written down as actual policy. Actually, if you look at the FY11 ALJ disposition data public file, it says that the FY11 fiscal year started on 9/25/10 which would lead one to think that there is no dead time and that its just an ODAR urban legend
It's nice to have a week to be able to concentrate on the work that was ignored or put on the back burner for months or years because the offices are so pressed to work on cases that generate work units. There is a great deal of 'work' that needs to be done but isn't considered productive by definition, but it still needs to be done.
It could be argued that the only work the attorney does is show up to a hearing and make an arguement and that nothing leading up to that day is considered 'work', but I doubt any attorney would agree.
Poster, can you elaborate on what "faxing post-entitlement documents into the electronic claims folders" means? I never seem to find much there post award. Should notice of award eventually be in the eFolder? Thanks,
ANON 7:08: It is because FY 11 started on September 25, 2010, that there are 53 weeks for FY 11, making this week not count.
Replying to anonymous poster at 9:18. I am within SSA; I suspect you are a rep outside the agency. You likley don't know that SSA has multiple electronic locations for storing documents, not just the "e-file" for certified elctronic claims folders, but also multiple locations for non-claims material, as well as a location for electonic copies of notices. In fact, somne people, within SSA don't seem to recognize the differnce, and they fax items to the incorrect loation routinely. The reps and claimant's only get to see what SSA wants them to see, and places into the certified e-file, or copies into a paper file for a hearing on a non-medical issue; not all the facts, Ma'am. It is my experience, within the DO as well as ODAR, that the DO tends to omit items that do not support,,and in some cases mitigate against, their denial position.
It isn't a "lost week". Just think of it terms of not being part of "FY 2011" or "FY 2102", but "FY whatever".
It may be lost on the charts for goals and performance. However, this week is a gift for the PSCs who are trying to clear out any claims, appeals and other actions that were planned to be finished by last week and were not for whatever reason.
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