**GAO-09-126**                      Published: Dec 04, 2008. Publicly Released: Jan 07, 2009.                  

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## Highlights

Federal and state agencies, including the Social Security Administration (SSA), routinely share data through electronic exchanges to help increase the efficiency of program operations, reduce program costs, and improve public service. In light of SSA's broad responsibility for carrying out data exchanges, GAO was asked to describe SSA's critical programs that exchange data with other federal and state agencies, as well as the information systems that they rely on; and determine challenges and limitations that SSA may face in effectively using its systems to carry out data exchanges in the future. To accomplish this, GAO reviewed and analyzed relevant agency documentation, held discussions with key agency officials, and reviewed selected exchange programs.

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## Topics

Information Technology

Cost analysisCost controlData collectionData conversionData integrityData storageData transmissionData transmission systemsDatabasesElectronic data interchangeFederal social security programsstate relationsInformation infrastructureInformation managementInformation securityInformation systemsInformation technologyProgram evaluationProgram managementRecordsSystems compatibilityData sharingProgram costs