Communication is a strategic tool that is used to motivate and inspire employees to work as a coherent team, in the pursuit of excellence.

All information communicated is accurate, clear, verifiable, relevant, timely and up-to-date. Personal information is protected and only used for the purpose for which it was collected.

Social security institutions are custodians of large quantities of personal information that must be strictly protected.

The communication framework, strategies and plans emanate from the mandate, mission and vision of the institution. Communication reinforces the institution’s abiding commitment to its mission, vision and values.

Institutions should be guided by principles on communication, laying the foundations on which governance and the management of communication activities are to be performed.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

• Communicating the institution’s mandate
• Values and ethics in communication
• Communication as a leadership tool
• Consulting and engaging with stakeholders
• Segmenting stakeholders into groups

The guidelines are organized in five parts:

Part A, Communication Principles, provides guidelines to define the institution’s guiding principles on communication that lay the foundation on the way governance and the management of communication activities will be performed.

Part B, Governance and Management, provides guidelines to establish policies and practices to systematically carry out the wide spectrum of consistent communication-related activities.

These ISSA Guidelines on Communication by Social Security Administrations provide ISSA member institutions with insights into how communication can support the core mandate of the institution. Good communication coupled with modern web and mobile-based technologies improves service quality while reducing administrative costs.

Social security institutions play a vital role in society. As the main point of contact between the government and citizens, such institutions help individuals in situations in which they need support and advice. Citizens must be able to know where to look for support, and to know what support is available, how to access it and what are their rights and responsibilities. Above all, the institution has to deliver on its promise if it is to earn the trust of citizens.

The ISSA Guidelines for Social Security Administration were prepared by the ISSA General Secretariat with the ISSA technical commissions.

The institution adopts a long-term strategy to introduce and constantly improve the coordination and portability of benefits between different schemes in the national jurisdiction as well as between schemes in different countries that have entered into bilateral or multilateral social security agreements.

The institution maintains and constantly improves a service delivery network that accommodates the special needs of difficult-to-cover people.