A Message from the Chair

   Winter 2011

A new year brings hope and opportunity where the previous year found challenges. 

Commissioner Astrue addressed the OIDAP at our December 2010 meeting in Baltimore about SSA’s commitment to the development of the Occupational Information System (OIS) for its disability programs.  We agree: there is a desperate need for such information to improve SSA’s disability process, particularly in light of changes in occupations over time.  Claims involving medical-vocational assessment requiring occupational information comprise over 50% of SSA’s initial adult disability workload; therefore, savings for claimants in processing time and costs would substantially outweigh the investment in SSA’s OIS development and maintenance.

The OIS project faces a variety of misconceptions that could inhibit its rapid development.  Foremost, the OIS’s development is scientific.  Because the elements of its development are not tangibly put into test tubes, this premise is often missed or minimized by stakeholders.  The OIDAP’s advice and recommendations to SSA for the development of the OIS hinge upon the importance of good science, the scientific process, and scientific integrity as cornerstones.

In our December meeting with Commissioner Astrue, the OIDAP emphasized three areas of importance for the development of an OIS based on principles of scientific integrity:

1. Scientific skillset to complement and work in concert with program staff as part of its newly-created Office of Vocational Resources Development (OVRD) where the OIS is being created;


2. Business process that creates a foundation upon which the OVRD can deliver its work and is recognized by all parties within and beyond SSA as the process used for scientific research and development; and,


3. OIS R&D planning that articulates the vision and the roadmap for the creation of the OIS.

We are pleased and encouraged by SSA’s attention to and progress in each of these areas and look forward to their further unfolding in 2011.

Dynamics of government, including budgetary issues, necessitate our first meeting in 2011 under our new charter to be held in Baltimore during the week of May 2.  Additional information will be forthcoming in the months ahead.  The focus of the meeting is on technical issues to accelerate the OIS’s development, such as sampling.
 
As the OIDAP’s charter is renewed for another year, we are reminded of our responsibilities under Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA):

• our purpose is advisory only;
• our role is independent of the chartering agency; and
• our responsibility to the public is transparency and openness.

As always, we continue to seek your involvement in this process so we can deliver the best scientific advice and recommendations to SSA as possible for the first OIS created specific to the needs of disability programs. 

If you wish to be notified about logistics for teleconferences and meetings, or other OIDAP activities, please send a request to be placed on our electronic e-mail list to oidap@ssa.gov 

Best regards,

Mary Barros-Bailey, PhD
Chair