The institution defines technical standards for interoperability technologies to foster the consistency and compatibility of ICT systems.

The ICT operations of master data systems comprise the system administration activities that enable the use of the master data in the institution.

Given the critical nature of the master data system, the corresponding ICT operations have to ensure the service quality levels (e.g. availability, performance, etc.) required to carry out the social security operations using these data. Such quality levels are established in a service-level agreement (SLA).

The specific guideline in this section is:

The institution, in coordination with the other participants in the agreement, establishes an authentication framework to provide legally valid, efficient and secure means for the transactions carried out in the social security agreement.

This framework replaces that based on handwritten signatures used in paper-based transactions and provides the means to validate the authenticity of the electronically exchanged data.

The following guidelines are organized in four parts:

Part A, Investment Governance Principles

Part B, Investment Governance Structures

Part C, Common Processes

Part D, Processes Specific to Internal and External Investment Management

It may be possible to take advantage of asset market movements and changes in the value of the investing institution’s portfolio to implement a dynamic de-risking or re-risking strategy. The board, management and investment committee consider on a regular basis rebalancing the portfolio so that it is in line with the investing institution’s strategic asset allocation objectives.

Where appropriate and permitted by the board, the investing institution may take a direct equity or ownership stake in a publicly quoted, private or state-owned enterprise.

Such an investment may confer voting rights and permit the institution to influence directly certain activities of the organization in which it has taken part or, when there is full ownership, include representation on the board of a company or organization.

The institution conducts a thorough analysis of the national legal framework, including safety and health regulations, in order to identify its role in prevention and develop prevention activities in line with current legislation. If no legal mandate to carry out prevention services exists, the institution initiates a process to provide an adequate legal prevention framework. The same is valid for the recognition of occupational diseases.

The institution’s prevention experts are in direct exchange with employers and safety representatives to enable the transfer of prevention knowledge and facilitate the implementation of prevention measures at the operational level.

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 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.

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.

These Guidelines on Actuarial Work for Social Security (hereafter referred to as ISSA-ILO Actuarial Guidelines) have been produced jointly by the International Social Security Association and the International Labour Organization.

The social security institution addresses and ensures implementation in a timely manner of the recommendations made by the operational audit and the independent expert review.

The board (if any), management of the social security institution and the actuary communicate clearly and effectively. This exchange of information improves management but doesn’t negatively impact the independence of the actuary.

The actuary complies with professional standards of any professional organization of which he or she is a member. The actuary complies with internal standards and guidelines of the social security institution, and/or institution to which he or she provides services. The actuary also follows any other guidelines relevant to the work which he or she is performing.

The challenge of extending full access to social security coverage to all those who have a right to it is an issue across all branches of social security, and permeates all institutions to various degrees. These guidelines identify administrative solutions to improve access to contributory social security programmes for populations that are difficult to cover; the so-called hard to reach.