Crisis in the Social Security Administration

As an advocate for the Social Security Administration (SSA), I would like to suggest the following proposal for your examination and potential action. The SSA, one of Americas leading organization that serves to the benefit of the public, is undergoing a series of crises. The agency functions through a top-down system of authority. Although, at first this may seem as the best method of running such a large entity, in reality it creates a problem of leadership in the administration. The top-down structure of the bureaucracy is problematic because the executives of the organization change once a new president takes office, creating a burden on the agencies ability to accomplish specific goals. Another issue that the agency is faced with is a decrease in the budget and the workforce, while experiencing an increase in the caseloads. The decrease in the budget and the workforce causes a backlog in cases of higher importance. The task of the agency is to “achieve an ambitious agenda” and overcome the challenges that the agency is faced with, in order to fully meet the needs and expectations of the American people (Cropf 11).

The issues that the Social Security administration needs to improve are problems of the top-down bureaucracy and improper budgeting. Based on these claims I propose the options of creating performance measures which will establish an effective leadership within the managerial work, citizen participation will eradicate the top-down system that the agency currently functions by and form a bottom-up system instead, and finally improvise budgeting through establishment of the E-government that will aid decision- making process for proper budgeting.

Performance Measure

The lack of leadership in the administration leads...

... middle of paper ...

...flict." Journal of Public Administration, Research and Theory 1.2 (1991): 240-43. Web.

.

Parmenter, David. Key Performance Indicators for Government and Non

Profit Agencies: Implementing Winning KPIs. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print.

Peter F. Peter Drucker on the Profession of Management. Boston, MA:

Harvard Business School, 1998. Print.

Thompson, James R. "The Dual Potentialities of Performance

Measurement: The Case of the Social Security Administration." Public Productivity & Management Review 23.3 (2000): 267-81. Web.

.

White, Clyde R. "Local Participation in Social Security Administration." Public Administration

Review 5.2 (1945): 141-47. Web. .