I am hearing that Social Security's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) will be changing its name to the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO). As part of this process, the Appeals Council will go to a newly created Office, where it will undoubtedly bicker with OHO.
By the way, I'm old enough to remember when what is now ODAR was the Bureau of Hearings and Appeals (BHA).
17 comments:
Now THIS is an effective use of resources/funds/meeting time... Lipstick on a pig... I really question the Agency's direction and "leadership".
One can only presume this is the "innovation" top SSA Officials and Management have reached in response to the huge backlog of disability cases they created through their ridiculous obsession with quality for a few years despite the growing backlog. In addition, there's the mind boggling destruction of the Senior Attorney Program, especially the original, very successfully STDP SA Program; and the push toward Centralization, which really has not changed efficiency, particularly when one considers the tremendous costs to taxpayers, i.e., construction or finding and renovating buildings, relocation/moving expenses, etc.
Like Mr. Hall, I have watched many of these same top SSA Officials do this before and repeat the same rodeo over again, etc. The only changes these repeat rodeos have produced in the past is to Office names and Position/Job Titles. Substantively, none of these repeat rodeos has done anything to change the root problem causing the inefficiencies in the processing of disability appeals cases, which include discouraging innovative ideas from well experienced line employees, deferring to stale, top down, often punitive, management techniques, as though it is nothing more than a widget factory with production numbers and quotas; disrespectful treatment of professional employees with advanced degrees; and promoting mediocre, but like minded favorites into management, etc.
The bottom line is it's the same old rodeo with the same old bosses, and the only changes are the names of Offices, and Positions/Job Titles. One would think that after changing the rodeo over and over with the same results, reasonable persons would finally recognize these "restructurings" are congruent with the definition of insanity, i .e., doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, and that it is top Agency leadership which has to change before any substantive changes and improvements in efficiency can really occur.
Wow....way to address the real problems, SSA...sheesh. This couldn't be more pointless
The new office will be called the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight (OARO).
more details on what I sent you earlier today:
the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight (OARO) – which will be implemented October 1, 2017. The six offices involved that will form this organization are as follows:
From the Office of Budget, Finance, Quality, and Management:
Office of Anti-Fraud Programs;
Office of Business Improvement;
Office of Quality Review; and
Audit Liaison Staff
From the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review:
Office of Appellate Operations
From the Office of the Commissioner:
Analytics Center of Excellence
Integration of these organizations with complementary missions provides an opportunity to mature our anti-fraud efforts, institutionalize and foster data analysis in our programs, improve coordination to provide oversight of the disability adjudication system, and communicate a unified message within and outside the agency. This restructuring presents an opportunity to maximize our resources and better organize efforts to explore and develop the future of analyses and oversight. I said in my first communication January 23rd that we will be mission focused and mission driven. The establishment of this organization further demonstrates a commitment to maximizing our performance and employee engagement while enhancing and improving agency policies and processes so that we provide quality public service.
Pat Jonas will be Deputy Commissioner, OARO and Amy Thompson will serve as Acting Assistant Deputy Commissioner, OARO.
In addition to this new organization structure, the Office of Budget, Finance, Quality, and Management will be the Office of Budget, Finance, and Management (OBFM). The Office of Disability Adjudication and Review will be the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO).
Ruh row, Scooby, it wasn't just a lipstick on a pig session it seems, but Charles buried the lead? Because the new organization will take over aspects done in ODAR, ODAR gets renamed. But only because a new organization is being birthed out of a couple existing ones, who also get renamed. Given the budget emphasis on anti-fraud and the use of analytics in that activity as well as business analysis, making this organization does seem to satisfy a couple of needs. Puts quality and fraud review into the hands of a different org than the ones doing the work is a good start.
Great way to create new management positions to reward your political friends instead of putting money down to reduce the backlog.
I propose Office of Resoundlingly Excellent Operations (OREO).
BHA, OHA, ODAR - at some point, I'm convinced the acronym will be changed to OSHT.
i would laugh at the name if it wasn't a complete waste of time and money!
I remember an ALJ complaining about the expense of changing everything from BHA to OHA. This is getting silly. You got it right 8:23.
Maybe 45 will find a sucker to take over the administration, we still do not have a commissioner.
@ 7:38, exactly! Protect those highly paid friends and relatives while hanging everyone else at the hearings level to fend for themselves.
Are the ALJs going to become administrative law "operators"?
I remember when it was the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA). I kind of liked ODAR. Really Office of Disability Adjudication would suffice. There really is no review going on.
More beauracracy...smoke..and ..mirrors...sometimes a simple denied...just takes all parties involved out of their misery!
2:24 AM. A single shot to the head could take each of us out of our misery. Being denied, at least in most cases, actually prolongs the misery. Even being approved just would make the misery less miserable. People, including doctors and lawyers, just don't really understand how debilitating chronic pain and mental illness can be! Doctors who have experienced a medical issue that you have, even at a lesser extent, are so much more sympathetic to what you go through. Too many just don't understand whenever the drugs don't work.
As for the name changes, it is like rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic! Except, that the name changes have additional expenses.
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