A Message from the Interim Chair

The members of the Occupational Information Development Advisory Panel (OIDAP) are honored to work toward the mission of providing independent advice and recommendations on plans and activities to create an occupational information system (OIS) to replace the Dictionary of Occupational Titles in Social Security Administration’s disability determination process. During the inaugural meeting address on February 23, 2009, Commissioner Astrue described OIDAP’s mission as an:

“…enormous task that is going to take expertise, persistence, and creativity… [that is done] in a way that is more thoughtful [to] help us make more accurate decisions, faster decisions, and… be as user friendly for our employees and for the public to use as possible.”

The mission is daunting, but doable. An iterative roadmap of the project provides a guide for the journey. At the Inaugural Meeting in February, the Panel established several standing subcommittees to accomplish the first goal of developing a Content Model for the OIS. These subcommittees are: Cognitive/Behavioral Demands, Physical/Sensory Demands, Taxonomy/Classification, Transferable Skills Analysis, and User Needs and Relations. 

We invite you be a voice in this process and to help us create and deliver the vision. As the roadmap unfolds, visit the website often to access minutes of past meetings, notices, and agendas for future activities posted in the Meeting Information section. These meetings are open to the public--join us in person or listen through a telephone call-in. Check the Panel Documents section for new information, or for technical papers that will provide context for OIDAP activities. And finally, to receive general information about the Panel and its activities, become a member of the mailing list, or to communicate ideas or offer feedback, please contact the Panel staff at OIDAP@ssa.gov.