The competent institutions support the professionalization of the function of job counsellors and case managers in line with the needs of the various clientele.

The focus of the ISSA Guidelines on Return to Work and Reintegration is on persons who are on sick leave from work, either on a short-term or long-term basis, and who retain an attachment to a specific employer. The guidelines are applicable regardless of whether the reason for the sick leave absence is occupational or non-occupational.

The return-to-work programme is based upon a biopsychosocial approach which combines medical, psychological and social aspects.

This approach recognizes disability to be the result of a dynamic interaction between reduced physical or mental function and legislative, physical and social environmental factors both within and beyond the workplace.

The ISSA Guidelines on Service Quality aims to assist social security institutions to improve service performance. In this context, service performance is the creation of value for members, beneficiaries and allied organizations (e.g. citizens, members, employers, service providers, social partners) from a social security institution’s day-to-day actions and business processes.

These guidelines are designed to:

The information contained in these guidelines will provide social security institutions with a framework for action. In essence, they are a “how to” manual for developing and implementing sustainable, needs-based workplace health promotion (WHP) programmes in client organizations, be they private or public sector enterprises, agencies or organizations. The processes and procedures described are based on established good practice.

Guidance focuses on two key areas:

The social security institution identifies and actively engages all stakeholders in workplace health promotion.

The institution offers non-financial incentives to employers who establish workplace health promotion programmes.

The advantages and disadvantages of each incentive and the circumstances in which they will be used should be carefully considered before making a decision to proceed.

These ISSA-ILO Actuarial Guidelines include the principles that social security institutions should consider in relation to actuarial work undertaken for social security schemes. They are not intended either as a detailed actuarial manual or as standards of practice. Their goal is to guide social security institutions in the “what” to consider but not the question of “how”.

Actuarial factors are determined in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles. There is no unjustified or unfair discrimination in the calculation of factors.

This guideline refers to the calculation of factors used to determine benefit entitlements in defined benefit schemes. These factors include but are not limited to early and late retirement factors, conversion rates of lump sum to periodical payments and vice versa as well as the determination of total and partial disability benefits and other social security benefits.

The social security institution communicates actuarial information in a way that is appropriate for the intended audience.

It is often difficult to communicate technical information to different stakeholders. These stakeholders include board members, parliamentarians and plan participants who will have different levels of skills, experience and expertise. The social security institution, with the assistance of actuaries, should work at preparing communications that address the needs of both technical and general audiences.

At the inception of a scheme the social security institution carries out an actuarial valuation in order to address the level of protection that can be provided with a given level of financial resources and what financial resources are necessary to provide a given level of protection. The social security institution considers the factors affecting the analysis that are identified through the actuarial assessment of a new social security system.

Through measures that ensure the necessary legal framework, social security institutions are encouraged to take a proactive role in extending coverage.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

• Assessing the enabling environment
• Securing the required authority for coverage extension

Compliance regarding the payment of contributions is important for all types of contributory schemes, including voluntary and subsidized ones, as it provides the evidence of eligibility and ensures the financing for the accrued benefits.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

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.

The communication unit develops a unique corporate design for the institution derived from the institution’s mission and vision. All communication materials and activities of the institution use the corporate design as a branding tool.

These guidelines are intended to cover all the key components of a contribution collection and compliance system. Some are necessarily general, such as those covering the mission, strategy, communication, etc., and could be applied to other social security contexts. But others are quite specific to contribution collection and compliance:

The institution implements the key processes of collecting contributions and transferring corresponding amounts to the fund or social programme administration.

These processes play a fundamental role in the sustainability of the social programmes because they enable the transfer of the financial resources they are intended to receive.

The institution designs and implements permanent evaluation mechanisms for the contribution collection and compliance system.

Permanent and systematic evaluation should be based on performance indicators and service quality evaluation involving the main stakeholders and the public. Using a standard model increases the institution’s ability to compare its performance against institutions in other countries with similar contribution collection schemes.

There is a board-approved strategic plan that lays down and spells out the key strategies and plans of action to be implemented by the management in order to realize and perform the legislated mandate of the institution.

Dynamism is the governance element of innovation or positive change, the effect of which is to henceforth improve the efficiency of an organization.

Governance may well be in accordance with the principles of accountability, transparency, participation and predictability. The principle of dynamism improves on the status quo and enables the institution to be more faithful to its mandate and to respond to the evolving needs of its members.

The management establishes a code of ethics and a set of standards and benchmarks for its officers and staff.

Legislation, policy or decree establishes the breadth of a social security institution’s functions and responsibilities. There are social security programmes that are wholly budget financed and hence would have no mandate to collect contributions from the population to be covered. For others, coverage and contributions collection are administered by an office other than that which administers benefits and services. Some programmes are designed to have no accumulated reserve funds, while others may be authorized to have internal or external managers to manage fund investments.

The implementation of audit findings and recommendations are time bound and monitored.

The institution ensures the separation of the investment assets that are managed by external fund managers from its own operating assets, to enhance accountability and transparency.