The Social Security Administration is announcing an organizational realignment of the functions provided by its Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight (OARO). These functions remain critical to ensure the programs Social Security administers are of high quality and effective, that SSA uses the latest tools to recommend opportunities to improve the programs, and to detect and prevent fraud.
“President Trump has made it clear that good government must do better at identifying and eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “Realigning functions previously under the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight, is an important, common-sense step in the right direction to further strengthen the integrity of the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs millions of people depend on.”
Moving OARO functions to existing parts of the agency will streamline layers of management, increase data sharing with essential Social Security components, and speed the opportunities to identify fraud, waste, and abuse and implement needed solutions.
Acting Commissioner Dudek understands that government alone doesn’t have all the answers. An important part of identifying fraud, waste, and abuse, is timely and meaningful engagement with a range of stakeholders, including many in the advocate community. Engagement with advocates will resume in earnest. With the realignment of OARO functions, Gina Clemons, formerly the Deputy Commissioner for OARO, will take the lead for SSA to engage directly with key outside stakeholders on topics including, protecting the integrity of our programs and identifying opportunities for efficiencies such as program simplification and technology. These improvements will build on recommendations that DOGE team members provide the agency and help to improve how Social Security serves America.
I’m not sure if Leland Dudeck would regard me as a stakeholder, but I spent hours in the SSA phone queue multiple times a few weeks ago (and never got through). I’m not sure if targeting ” fraud, waste, and abuse” in the name of cutting the government’s budget will produce a positive result.
Regardless, I find it ironic that they chose to elevate Mr Dudeck – a career employee who was the manager of SSA’s anti-fraud office (https://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/2025/02/21/president-appoints-new-acting-social-security-administration-commissioner/).