EXECUTIVE SUMMARY REPORT
INTRODUCTION TO THE PIA
Purpose
This privacy impact report seeks to identify the essential components of
the Integrated Federal Employees' Compensation System (iFECS) to ensure that
personally identifiable information (PII) is protected by security procedures
and controls commensurate with the sensitivity of the information.
iFECS is the data processing for Division of Federal Employees'
Compensation (DFEC) data processing, program management, financial management,
and decision support system supporting DFEC users nationwide. DFEC is claims
processing organization adjudicating workers' compensation claims for all
Federal employees and certain non-Federal employees specifically covered under
the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). iFECS maintains an automated
record of all claims filed, the adjudicatory status of those claims and
benefits paid and denied. Data on entitlement, benefits payment status and
attorney fees maintained on iFECS is available in accordance with the Privacy
Act to authorized claimants, authorized representatives and authorized user
organizations verbally via telephone and in paper format. Access to iFECS is
restricted to authorized DFEC users only.
In addition, this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) will assist with
identifying the nature of personally identifiable information associated with
the business process, validate "Rules of Behavior" for managing the collection,
use, disclosure and destruction of personally identifiable information and
provide management with a tool to make informed policy, operations and system
design decisions, based on an understanding of privacy risk and of the options
available for mitigating that risk.
Scope
iFECS is used in the Employment Standards Administration, Office of
Workers' Compensation Programs, Division of Federal Employees' Compensation
located in Washington, D.C.
DFEC comprises the National Office and twelve (12) District Offices. The
District Offices are in Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA;
Jacksonville, FL; Cleveland, OH; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; Dallas, TX;
Denver, CO; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C.
iFECS is one of ten major applications that reside (and rely) on the
Employment Standards Administration (ESA) General Support System (GSS)
Information Technology (IT) infrastructure to support its core business
processes in administering the agency's business operations and delivery of
critical services in-house and to the public the agency serves.
Approach
The Office of Worker's Compensation Programs (OWCP) consulted with the
Office of Management, Administration, and Planning's Division of Information
Technology Management and Services to gain an understanding of the business and
legislative drivers for conducting a PIA. Based on our understanding that the
conduct of a PIA is a shared management responsibility, we performed a
high-level review of the assessment questions to determine the level of skill
sets required to:
- Ensure that privacy protection is a core consideration in the initial
framing of program or service objectives;
- Ensure that accountability for privacy issues is clearly incorporated
into the duties of program managers and technical specialists; and
- Promote an awareness of sound privacy practices associated with
program and service delivery.
The PIA was performed using the questionnaire provided by the Office of
the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Programs.
Results
Based on the Privacy Impact Assessment Questionnaire, DFEC has not
discovered any discrepancies.
Summary
During the assessment, DFEC has not discovered any discrepancies within
the program.
|
