The communication unit and the functions it performs are essential to effective communication services.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

The institution uses communication as a strategic tool to develop a social security culture based on rights and responsibilities.

The backbone of the contribution collection and compliance system is based on certain operational processes for carrying out the key functions of contributor registration, collection of declarations, contribution calculation and billing, collection of payment and debt management. Providing online services to contributors is another key feature in the implementation of contribution collection and compliance systems.

The institution implements specific information dissemination campaigns to generate awareness of programme changes and specific information about members’ responsibilities.

The aim of such campaigns is to foster a sense of responsibility in every stakeholder about the contribution process.

Legislation, policy or decree provides for the board’s independence from political interference to implement its mandate by prescribing the selection process and by defining the grounds for removal from office solely for just cause.

Members and beneficiaries are regularly and periodically informed of their rights and privileges, as mandated by the legislation, policy or decree that establishes the social security programme.

The management ensures that it identifies the risks that the institution faces, proposes policies and measures to manage or avert these, and implements those that are approved by the board. These risks may arise in various forms, including but not limited to strategic, operational, political, economic, regulatory, geographic and demographic risks.

Suggestions to improve the institution’s services to its stakeholders are properly evaluated and, if they have merit, are submitted to the board for information or approval, before implementation by the management.

Internal audit is the central unit that undertakes independent and objective reviews of all areas of operation of the institution, and verifies and certifies compliance with all pertinent laws, rules and regulations. The scope of its work is comprehensive. By undertaking independent and objective reviews of policies, operations, systems and procedures, internal controls, risk management, information management, ICT systems and governance processes, it promotes a disciplined approach to the overall management of the institution.

The board and/or management ensure the professional safekeeping of the investment assets of the institution.

Performance appraisal is embedded in the institution. The objectives of individual staff members are clearly aligned with the strategic objectives of the institution.

ICT governance can be defined as a “framework for the leadership, organizational structures and business processes, standards and compliance to these standards, which ensure that the organization’s IT supports and enables the achievement of its strategies and objectives”.

The institution implements electronic-based services (e-services) to improve service delivery by enabling users to interact with the institution remotely, and eventually autonomously.

Such e-services are multi-channelled, being based on different mechanisms (e.g. the Internet, mobile phones, call centres, kiosks).

The institution implements a strategy on developing information resources that fosters semantic interoperability and mainly consists of metadata systems.

Semantic interoperability concerns the non-ambiguous definition of core concepts used in the institution. It has a key impact on the success and quality of system interconnections as well as on the shared use of common information systems.

The institution evaluates the use of mobile devices for the collection of contributions and payment of benefits, taking account of the various methods of payment and technological options available.

The institution implements effective and quality-preserving interoperability mechanisms not only with other systems within the institution but also with external systems.

In addition to providing the means of interaction with other systems, interoperability mechanisms should keep track of the provenance of data obtained from other institutions.

The institution, in coordination with other participants in the agreement, implements interoperable services in accordance with the institutional model of interoperability for the implementation of international agreements.

The implementation of international agreements involves the development of a service-oriented architecture and includes the development and implementation of a set of services. These services must be properly orchestrated within a business processes model adequate to carry out the processes described in international agreements.

For these guidelines, the definition of investment governance begins with describing the key elements of a system of decision-making and oversight used to invest the assets of a fund. Thereafter, the definition extends to define investment governance as this relates specifically to the management of reserve funds of social security institutions.

Risk budget analysis is conducted to better understand the level of investment risk being taken and how it could be managed, and to determine an appropriate strategic asset allocation considering the risk budget established (as covered in Guideline 7).

Spending the risk budget enables the investing institution to determine an appropriate strategic asset allocation considering the available risk budget, investment assumptions, restrictions on investments and liabilities, and funding policy.

The investment strategy set out by the board or management is efficiently implemented.

This part of the Guidelines is concerned with establishing the national and institutional frameworks for the prevention programme to be conducted by a social security institution.

The institution encourages enterprises to participate in prevention programmes by offering non-financial incentives.

The institution has a system in place that facilitates an efficient and timely recognition of occupational diseases. It ensures that a process is set up to assess the causality between a professional activity and a disease.

Collaboration and networking offer opportunities for knowledge sharing, the exchange of good practice, increased impact and enhanced outreach. They also make effective use of human and financial resources and help identify a common approach among all stakeholders.

The institution has the legal mandate and policy framework to engage in prevention and return-to-work activities. Where legislation does not support effective return-to-work and sustainable employability outcomes, statutory changes are advocated that will mandate the institution to do so.