There are manifold reasons for a social security institution to carry out personal consulting activities among its member enterprises. Regular site visits are commonly based on defined frequency rates, which often depend on the specific risk category of the enterprise. Other important causes include the investigation of occupational accidents or a work history of exposures leading to occupational diseases.

The promotion of a prevention culture should be a declared goal of a social security institution. This requires all stakeholders in occupational safety and health, but also in areas related to it, to jointly formulate their prevention targets and contribute to sustainably improving safety and health throughout society and in all aspects of life. Building a prevention culture is the “responsibility of the society as a whole” as stated in the Seoul Declaration.

The institution works in partnership with other institutions active in the employment, education and training sectors.

The competent institutions profile, inform, advise and guide jobseekers in their search for employment. They collaborate with employers and provide them with quality service to achieve this.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

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

The ISSA Guidelines on the Promotion of Sustainable Employment were produced as a result of the close collaboration of the ISSA General Secretariat and the Technical Commission on Employment Policies and Unemployment Insurance.

A comprehensive and integrated approach operates on a continuum, from an emphasis on prevention to care, rehabilitation and a smooth transition back to work. It considers the full range of expectations and realities, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises.

There is commitment to empowerment – a multi-dimensional social process that assists a person to gain control over their own life by acting on issues which they define as important.

It is necessary to empower the person concerned in the return-to-work process to question their condition and/or limitations and to creatively determine what they can do about it with the support of the institution.

The return-to-work programme is independently audited using an accredited audit tool that provides ratings and recommendations for improvement. Independent auditing is financially supported as it brings value to the return-to-work programme.

The institution believes that service quality has no end point but can always be improved.

The social security institution ensures that regular actuarial valuations are conducted to assess and monitor the financial situation of social security programmes. The social security institution further ensures that an actuarial valuation is conducted at the inception of a new programme, or whenever an existing programme is materially changed.

The social security institution sets an example to others through the actions it takes to protect and promote the health and well-being of its own staff.

Good practice in this internal role gives the institution the credibility it requires to champion, lead and facilitate workplace health promotion in its client enterprises and organizations.

The rate of return to be credited to notional accounts is determined in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the scheme. The actuary ensures the correct application of the rate and performs related calculations to assess the adequacy and financial implications of returns credited.

This part deals with the support that can be provided by social security institutions to the development and implementation of workplace health promotion programmes within client organizations. It provides guidance on interventions and measures that a social security institution can use to enable the development of workplace health promotion, with this guidance being based on best practice.

The social security institution establishes a risk function that oversees the management of risk and reports to the board, if any, and/or management. This function, and the processes carried out or overseen by it, require actuarial input. The risk function coordinates with other functions to ensure effective risk management.

As a part of sound social security scheme governance, the social security institution continually monitors the sustainability of a social security scheme.

The notion of sustainability may encompass not only financial but social and political sustainability. Public trust and confidence in the design, implementation and operation of the scheme are a major factor contributing to the sustainability of the scheme.

The institution ensures it has the required authority to pursue the innovative administrative solutions it has identified.

The institution attaches great importance to electronic payment, and uses the most appropriate methods for and frequency of contribution payments in light of the needs and capacities of targeted groups.

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

Communication staff are able to develop their skills and capabilities through a specialized communication staff development programme.

The following guidelines are organized in seven parts:

Part A, Governance, covers definition of the mandate, mission and organizational structure of the contribution collection and compliance system.

Part B, Strategy, assists in defining aspects that are strategic for accomplishing the mission on contribution collection and compliance.

The institution provides online services to foster the effectiveness and efficiency of interaction with contributors.

Functionalities would include follow-up of contributions and compliance status, a help desk on ICT-based services, and management of claims and communication in general. Such services play a fundamental role in improving transparency and communication with contributors, as well as reducing errors in self-service operations and building confidence in the social security system.

Good governance is central to the effective delivery of social security and is a priority of the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which has the constitutional mandate to promote and develop social security worldwide through technical and administrative improvement.

Legislation, policy or decree provides for the establishment of internal and external systems of control for the social security institution.

The leadership of the board motivates and inspires the institution to propose and work on innovations that would increase operational efficiency and improve the implementation of the mandate of the programme.

The management implements a board-approved policy on disclosure of information. The policy identifies the limited instances when the management may choose to exercise discretion in the disclosure of information to stakeholders.