Human Capital — SSA is yellow for status because it has not implemented an agency-wide performance appraisal system that differentiates between high and low performers. However, SSA continues to improve through a new performance appraisal system for its senior executives. SSA also has increased productivity and has been moving workers to front-line positions, which, in turn, should improve service to customers.

Competitive Sourcing — SSA is red for status because it has not competed or directly converted 15 percent of its commercial jobs. While SSA has the competitive sourcing infrastructure in place and has taken initial steps, it only recently announced its studies.

Financial Performance — SSA’s status is yellow because its financial and performance management systems are not yet integrated. Still, SSA continues to make progress. It produced audited financial statements 45 days after the end of the fiscal year, beating an accelerated annual deadline by two years. Also, SSA received a clean opinion on its financial statements for the ninth consecutive year and cleared its one remaining financial management material weakness.

Enhancing E-Government — SSA’s status is yellow because it is developing but has not yet achieved a one-stop, integrated customer service delivery across the Internet, call centers, and field offices. SSA makes business cases for all its major IT investments, and the agency’s enterprise architecture and capital planning processes have improved.

Budget/Performance Integration — SSA’s status is yellow because the cost of outputs is not directly integrated with performance outcomes. However, SSA has strengthened the linkage in some cases, and is developing a new budget formulation system.