Effective Dates: 11/14/2024 - Present Previous | Next

TN 7 (11-24)

DI 60075.025 Promoting Opportunity Demonstration (POD) Contractors and Job Titles

In order to administer POD efficiently, SSA contracted with Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) and Abt Associates (Abt) to design and implement the POD. Abt contracted and hired staff to assist with the implementation of the POD. This section describes the roles MPR and Abt personnel played in the POD.

The POD has ended and the contracts with MPR and Abt have expired. These contractors are no longer actively servicing POD participants.

A. Mathematica Policy Research

Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) supported SSA with recruiting beneficiaries to participate in the POD and evaluated the demonstration. MPR’s activities included:

  • •

    delivering informational webinars about the POD to potential stakeholders (e.g., Work Incentives Planning and Assistance agencies (WIPAs), employment networks (ENs), and advocacy organizations);

  • •

    recruiting SSDI beneficiaries through direct mailings and stakeholder referrals;

  • •

    surveying enrolled beneficiaries;

  • •

    conducting in-person and virtual site visits to POD sites operated by Abt, and;

  • •

    analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to support the evaluation of the POD. MPR also operated an informational website for POD.

1. Surveys

Three surveys supported the evaluation of the POD:

  1. 1. 

    The baseline survey operated from January 2018 through December 2018.

  2. 2. 

    The Year 1 follow-up survey operated from November 2018 through March 2020.

  3. 3. 

    The Year 2 follow-up survey operated from November 2019 through March 2021.

2. POD Survey Operations Center (SOC)

MPR’s SOC managed beneficiary recruitment and all survey activities.

The SOC’s primary functions were the following:

  • •

    Support the POD Call Center, which operates jointly with Abt and answered general questions about the POD, as well as specific questions about the consent form, surveys, and respondent payments;

  • •

    Sent recruitment packets and consent forms to eligible SSDI beneficiaries and follow-up surveys to enrolled beneficiaries;

  • •

    Sent blank recruitment packets to stakeholders (e.g., WIPAs and ENs) who participate in the informational webinars and wished to support POD recruitment by referring potentially eligible beneficiaries;

  • •

    Received, processed, and collected data from returned enrollment forms and surveys, including making follow-up calls, as appropriate, to obtain complete information;

  • •

    Made reminder calls to select beneficiaries to encourage them to complete and return enrollment forms or surveys, or both; and

  • •

    Provided telephone support to individuals who wish to complete their surveys by phone or who need assistance reading recruitment materials and consent forms.

B. Abt Associates (Abt)

Abt’s role in the POD began after a beneficiary was assigned to a treatment group. Abt helped newly assigned participants adjust to new POD rules. They also assigned participants a POD work incentive counselor (WIC) who supported participants throughout their POD participation period.

1. Direct Support Units

The POD Call Center and POD Processing Center were both located in McAllen, Texas. The Call Center’s primary functions were:

  • •

    Answered general questions about the POD and specific questions about participating in the demonstration;

  • •

    Answered questions about POD letters and mailings and phone calls made by POD project staff;

  • •

    Provided general support and answer questions about SSA notices;

  • •

    Called beneficiaries whose earnings exceeded the POD threshold in the prior month to reminded them to submit documentation of earnings and any impairment related work expenses (IRWE) exceeding the POD threshold for the current reporting month;

  • •

    Connected beneficiaries with their POD WIC;

  • •

    Answered questions about the evaluation of the POD; and

  • •

    Called POD treatment group members to remind them to report their monthly earnings information and supply any missing documentation to support the end-of-year reconciliation process.

2. Indirect Support Units

a. POD Central Operations

POD Central Operations staff were responsible for the following:

  • •

    Facilitating the work of POD work incentive counselors (WIC) and the support units;

  • •

    Managing all mailings sent to treatment subjects;

  • •

    Handling ad-hoc and time-sensitive mailings; and

  • •

    Providing POD counselors with supplies, including FEDEX Airbills and postage-paid business reply envelopes (BREs).

b. POD Processing Center

POD Processing Center staff were responsible for the following:

  • •

    Receiving, scanning, and updating all earnings and IRWE documentation submitted monthly;

  • •

    Processing any documentation participants were asked to submit in preparation for the annual end-of-year reconciliation (EOYR);

  • •

    Entering information into an earnings record created in IDS; and

  • •

    Returning any original documents to the participants.

c. POD Earnings Support

POD Earnings Support staff were responsible for the following:

  • •

    Checking the quality of the monthly earnings records that the POD Processing Center and counselors generate; and

  • •

    Providing training and technical assistance to POD benefits counselors.

C. POD Work Incentive Counselor (WIC)

POD WICs provided counseling services for POD participants assigned to either treatment group 1 or 2 (5,000 individuals per group), which were the participants eligible for the $1 for $2 offset. These services were similar to those that beneficiaries currently receive from WIPAs.

POD WICs were responsible for the following actions:

  • •

    Preparing SSDI treatment-group beneficiaries for POD participation;

  • •

    Delivering work incentives counseling services;

  • •

    Assisting participants to report monthly earnings and IRWE;

  • •

    Explaining SSA notices and assisting with appeal and waiver requests on SSA decisions; and

  • •

    Preparing participants to convert to regular SSDI rules when POD participation ends.

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0460075025
DI 60075.025 - Promoting Opportunity Demonstration (POD) Contractors and Job Titles - 11/14/2024
Batch run: 11/14/2024
Rev:11/14/2024