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Report File
Date Issued
Submitting OIG
Social Security Administration OIG
Other Participating OIGs
Social Security Administration OIG
Agencies Reviewed/Investigated
Social Security Administration
Report Number
142313
Report Description

Objective: To determine whether the Social Security Administration developed the Debt Management Product in accordance with Federal best practices and met its project cost and schedule estimates.

Report Type
Audit
Agency Wide
Yes
Number of Recommendations
12
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0

Open Recommendations

This report has 9 open recommendations.
Recommendation Number Significant Recommendation Recommended Questioned Costs Recommended Funds for Better Use Additional Details
2 No $0 $0 Agree

Implement controls requiring that teams adhere to the Agency’s policies for backlog refinement and sprint planning, including effective prioritization and ensuring a proper hierarchy. This should include updated backlog refinement checklists and/or quality assurance reviews.

4 No $0 $0 Agree

Use Portfolio Kanban to perform release planning, conduct backlog refinement above the team level, and manage cross team dependencies and coordination.

5 No $0 $0 Agree

Specify that naming conventions for work items should not include team names.

6 No $0 $0 Agree

Specify that sprint names should include the release to differentiate them in lists and reports.

7 No $0 $0 Agree

Revise its risk-management policy to include specific guidelines requiring that Agile teams manage risks at the team, workstream, and product levels. The policy should align with the principles of transparency, traceability, and responsiveness that are essential for Agile methodologies. The Agency should place special emphasis on ensuring the timely and accurate dissemination of emerging risks throughout the project.

8 No $0 $0 Agree

Ensure teams use the risk management capabilities in the Agile project management software to cover all identified risks and provide comprehensive access and a view of all risks identified in the Investment Management Tool to all team members.

10 No $0 $0 Agree

Evaluate and update Agile quality assurance checklists to include product backlog health, risk/issue traceability, and data integrity in the Agile project management software. Checklists should focus on quality assurance indicators for all areas, including user stories, that are more outcome-based and drive continuous improvement.

11 No $0 $0 Agree

Update its guidance for Scrum sprint planning to indicate that all tasks in the Agile project management software should be assigned to one, and only one, owner, except in the case of pair or group work.

12 No $0 $0 Agree

Update the quality assurance checklist for sprint planning to review low-level tasks for multiple owners if they occur frequently. This does not apply to other product backlog item types, such as user stories.

Social Security Administration OIG

United States