COMPUTERIZING THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM: AN OPERATIONAL STRATEGY IN LIEU OF A POLICY STRATEGY?

O'Higgins, Michael

The operational strategy for social security — how to computerize one of the largest manually-dominated ‘sort, act and file’ operations in the country — is the emerging product of work which began in 1977 and has thus far produced a discussion document (DHSS 1980), a strategy proposals document (DHSS 1982), a high-level seminar (DHSS 1983) and a wide range of consultations. A ministerial response to the strategy — likely to be the go-ahead with only marginal amendments — was due before now but was delayed because of the general election. What are the insights which the development of this strategy provides for those interested in public policy analysis? What are the questions which its nature and prospects poses for public administration? This paper is concerned not with the technical issues involved in the development of feasible database strategies but with the issues to which the strategy gives rise. After a brief outline of the main features of the operational strategy, it discusses the possible implications of the strategy for clients of the social security system, and then examines some issues of policy co-ordination, inheritance and flexibility thrown up by the exercise.

SOCIAL security; COMPUTER systems; AUTOMATION; DATABASE management; GOVERNMENT policy; PUBLIC administration

Public Administration, 1984, Vol 62, Issue 2, p201

0033-3298

Academic Journal

10.1111/j.1467-9299.1984.tb00556.x