[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23834-23836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10297]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2010-0018]


Occupational Information System

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are requesting comments on the recommendations submitted to 
us by the Occupational Information Development Advisory Panel (Panel) 
in its report entitled ``Content Model and Classification 
Recommendations for the Social Security Administration Occupational 
Information System, September 2009.'' The complete Panel report 
(including appendices) is available online at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/oidap/Documents/FinalReportRecommendations.pdf.

DATES: To ensure that we receive your feedback in a timely manner for 
consideration as the project develops, please submit your comments no 
later than June 30, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any one of three methods--
Internet, fax, or mail. Do not submit the same comments multiple times 
or by more than one method. Regardless of which method you choose, 
please state that your comments refer to Docket No. SSA-2010-0018 so 
that we may associate your comments with the correct document.
    Caution: You should be careful to include in your comments only 
information that you wish to make publicly available. We strongly urge 
you not to include in your comments any personal information, such as 
Social Security numbers or medical information.
    1. Internet: We strongly recommend that you submit your comments 
via the

[[Page 23835]]

Internet. Please visit the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Use the Search function of the Web page to find 
docket number SSA-2010-0018. The system will issue a tracking number to 
confirm your submission. You will not be able to view your comment 
immediately because we must post each comment manually. It may take up 
to a week for your comment to be viewable.
    2. Fax: Fax comments to (410) 597-0825.
    3. Mail: Address your comments to the Office of Program Development 
and Research, Occupational Information Development Project, Social 
Security Administration, 3-E-26 Operations Building, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.
    Comments are available for public viewing on the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov or in person, during 
regular business hours, by sending a request to the project staff at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Occupational Information Development 
Advisory Panel, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, 3-E-26 Operations, Baltimore, MD 21235-0001. Fax: 202-410-
597-0825. E-mail to [email protected]. For additional information, please 
visit the Panel Web site at http://www.ssa.gov/oidap.
    For information on eligibility or filing for benefits, call our 
national toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 or TTY 1-800-325-0778, or 
visit our Internet site, Social Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Version

    The electronic file of this document is available on the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.

Background

    In 2008, we established the Occupational Information Development 
Advisory Panel to provide independent advice and recommendations on 
creating an occupational information system tailored specifically for 
our disability programs and adjudicative needs. The Panel's advice and 
recommendations will relate to our disability programs in the following 
areas:
    1. Medical and vocational analysis of disability claims;
    2. Occupational analysis, including definitions, ratings, and 
capture of physical and mental/cognitive demands of work;
    3. Occupational information critical to our disability programs;
    4. Data collection; and,
    5. Other area(s) that will enable us to develop an occupational 
information system (OIS) and improve our medical-vocational 
adjudication policies and processes.

Request for Comments

    In the first year, the Panel presented general recommendations 
regarding an occupational information system and also identified 
attributes of occupations and people that we should measure for 
purposes of disability adjudication. For occupations, these attributes 
included the work activities and related demands that a job requires of 
workers. For people, these attributes described characteristics that 
each worker brings to the job situation that may be involved when 
performing the job successfully. The Panel presented the full report, 
including the following seven general recommendations, to the 
Commissioner in September 2009. Both the recommendations and the 
proposed OIS are specific to our disability program needs.

1. A New Occupational Information System: Technical, Legal, and Data 
Requirements

    The Panel recommended that SSA develop a new OIS to replace the 
Dictionary of Occupational Titles for use in our disability 
adjudication process. The Panel recommended that we design the new OIS 
to assure its data are not only useful, but also reliable, valid, and 
able to withstand any legal challenges.
    Characteristics to support these requirements include: (a) Grouping 
of occupations at a level to support individualized disability 
assessment; (b) a cross-reference to the Standard Occupational 
Classification; (c) precise occupationally-specific data; (d) core work 
activities; (e) minimum levels of requirements needed to perform work; 
(f) discrete, observable measures of both work activities and worker 
characteristics; (g) a manageable number of data elements; (h) sampling 
methodology capturing the full range of work; (i) measures that are 
psychometrically sound; (j) collection of high quality data; (k) valid, 
accurate, and reproducible data; (l) information about whether core 
work activities could be performed in alternative ways; and, (m) 
terminology that is consistent with medical practice and human 
function.

2. Data Elements for the New Occupational Information System

    Based upon previous research related to job analytic techniques, 
the Panel recommended a list of work activities applicable to all 
occupations and recommended that this list serve as a stimulus to 
develop SSA-specific instruments that measure the requirements of work. 
The Panel also recommended that new instruments include not only work 
activities, but also the physical and psychological abilities required 
to do work, work context, and any other attributes appropriate to 
disability adjudication.

3. The Classification of Occupations

    The Panel recommended that once a large database representative of 
all work in the national economy is available, we should use various 
methods to classify jobs based upon work activities and identify work 
activities that we can use as a common language to match the abilities 
of people to appropriate work available within the economy.

4. Development of Internal and External Expertise for the Creation and 
Maintenance of the New Occupational Information System

    The Panel recommended that we make the creation and continued 
maintenance of an up-to-date and legally defensible OIS a priority and, 
to support that effort, we should develop an independent, internal unit 
staffed with experts on work analysis and other related disability 
research needs. The Panel also recommended that we develop and maintain 
online research and professional communities to inform the unit's 
emerging and ongoing ideas, research, and methods.

5. Need for Basic & Applied Research

    The Panel acknowledged that developing a new OIS requires 
significant research and recommended that early efforts should focus on 
the development and pilot-tests of measures of work requirements, 
usability analysis of these measures, and creation of an appropriate 
sampling plan. The Panel recommended that we conduct research to 
determine the most accurate and defensible sources of data for the OIS, 
the best methods for measuring the required work attributes, and if any 
other attributes are appropriate for study due to their potential for 
use in the adjudication process. They also cited the need to perform 
research focused on exploring and validating the link between the work 
requirements and attributes of the person, the environment, and other 
job-related factors. Finally, the Panel recommended

[[Page 23836]]

applied research examining user needs and the effects of new 
instruments on our disability process and programs.

6. Measurement Considerations

    In addition to the research needs described in Recommendation 5, 
the Panel recommended that we should consider research related to 
appropriate scales for inclusion in any new instruments that we 
develop. The Panel further stated that we should use scales that are 
legally defensible for our needs and focus on observable, discrete, 
characteristics such as frequency and duration.

7. Communication with Users, the Public & the Scientific Community

    The Panel recommended that we use both traditional and emerging 
government and private media outlets to inform or solicit input from 
various audiences about all activities regarding the OIS development.

    Dated: April 26, 2010.
Debra Tidwell-Peters,
Designated Federal Officer, Occupational Information Development 
Advisory Panel.
[FR Doc. 2010-10297 Filed 5-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P