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Social Security Administration: Software Development Process Improvements Started But Work Remains

AIMD-98-39 Published: Jan 28, 1998. Publicly Released: Mar 12, 1998.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of the Social Security Administration's (SSA) software development process improvement efforts.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Social Security Administration To strengthen SSA's software process improvement program, as part of its recently initiated pilot projects, the Commissioner of Social Security should direct the Deputy Commissioner for Systems to develop and implement plans that explicitly articulate SSA's strategy and time frames for: (1) developing baseline data; (2) identifying specific, measurable goals for its improvement initiative; and (3) monitoring and measuring progress in achieving these goals.
Closed – Implemented
SSA agreed with this recommendation, and established a Software Measurement Team to work closely with its Software Process Improvement Team to ensure that proper measures and goals are put into place for its software process improvement effort. In July 1998, SSA completed a plan that delineates the types of baseline data that it will collect and the methodology and timeframes for collecting the baseline data. SSA also began to implement its software process improvement measurement plan. In 2000, SSA reported that it had defined 16 software measurement goals in the areas of predictability, productivity, and quality for its software process improvement initiative. In addition, it implemented a system in July 2001, to store data on measurable goals. However, as a result of an evaluation requested by the new Deputy Commissioner for Systems, SSA has determined that it needs to reevaluate its goals. Although SSA does not currently have plans to monitor and measure its progress in attaining the initial goals, SSA is in the process of reassessing the 16 measurable goals to determine whether or not new goals are needed.

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Topics

Computer networksSoftwareSoftware verification and validationFederal agency reorganizationManagement information systemsPerformance measuresSocial security benefitsSystems conversionsBioaccumulationSoftware development