Workers at risk of losing their jobs should be identified and provided with adequate support in order to avoid or reduce these risks.

The competent institutions encourage the reintegration of jobseekers through the correct use of both the incentive and disincentive provisions of unemployment benefit programmes.

Promotion and support of an effective return-to-work programme involves a broad range of individual and institutional stakeholders.

This usually includes but is not limited to the injured, ill or disabled person and their family, employer and employee representatives (social partners), colleagues, health-care professionals, community services, interfacing agencies, government departments, and other individually and jurisdictionally specific stakeholders.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. An individualized approach to the return to work addresses psychosocial issues related to factors such as motivation, working conditions and personal circumstances.

Those responsible for providing return-to-work services – whether within the institution or in partner and stakeholder organizations – have the requisite knowledge and skills to conform to internationally recognized levels of competence.

These guidelines assist social security institutions to:

The social security institution develops its workplace health promotion activities based on a legal and financial mandate.

The social security institution ensures that the workplace health promotion programme focuses on the health needs of the target population and national health priorities.

The institution recognizes the importance of health promotion campaigns in adding value to workplace health promotion practice.

The projection model is built on actuarially sound principles. It is capable of assessing the material provisions of the social security scheme, projecting its cash flows over the relevant projection period, and evaluating the chosen sustainability and adequacy measures, if appropriate.

Although financing policy varies by social security institution, many systems will have reserve funds that require effective management, whether these have a short or longer term time horizon. As populations age and the external investment environment becomes more complex, the importance of a well-managed reserve fund increases. Increasing focus on investment governance is likely to continue and professionals involved in the investment process need to ensure that their input is carried out appropriately.

The social security institution seeks actuarial input into the management of risks faced by social security schemes.

This guideline identifies some of the risks related to social security schemes, sets out the mechanisms to consider in addressing them through their identification, measurement and treatment using the risk management process set out in Guidelines 30, 31 and 32, and describes actuarial input into this process.

The social security institution should ensure that the skills and experience requirements of internal and external actuaries undertaking work for the organisation are well defined, adequate and monitored. The institution should support the efforts of actuaries in obtaining relevant qualifications and undertake training and continuing professional development activities as set out by national or international professional bodies.

The institution sets easy-to-measure standards for the various services it offers to difficult-to-cover groups across its service delivery network.

Social security institutions should effectively provide benefits and services that respond to the specific needs and circumstances of difficult-to-cover groups.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

• Formulating a service delivery plan
• Making optimal use of electronic payment and e-services
• Maintaining an adequate network for personally delivered/virtual services
• Improving coordination and the portability of social security rights and benefits

The institution fully meets all statutory requirements with regard to reporting requirements, disclosure and access to information.

Internal communication is a powerful tool to create a shared understanding of the mission and objectives of the institution, and to improve cohesion, loyalty and engagement resulting in a collaborative environment across the institution.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

• Purpose of internal communication
• Change management and communication

The institution establishes organizational structures that promote the good governance of the overall system and foster effectiveness and efficiency in achieving contribution collection and compliance goals, in line with national social security regulations and administrative principles.

Social security institutions are concerned not only with collecting contributions but also with keeping information about contribution periods and other matters related to social security benefits.

The institution cooperates with other institutions in adopting a systematic, workflow-based approach to managing prosecutions.

This will enable the development of a common process among all institutions involved in a prosecution, in order to coordinate actions and make them more consistent.

Transparent systematization adds value to the system since it gives a predictable character to the institution’s behaviour.

The following guidelines are organized in two parts.

Part A, Good Governance Guidelines for the Board and Management, provides some guidelines for the board and the management of the social security institution. The guidelines are aligned with the five identified good governance principles, including suggestions on governance structures and mechanisms to enable the implementation of the guidelines.

The board establishes a policy on disclosure of information that clearly defines the grounds on which the board may choose to exercise discretion in providing information to stakeholders.

The powers and responsibilities of the Head of Management and senior officers are clearly defined. There are no areas of ambiguity, dilemma or conflict of interest.

Predictability refers to the consistent and uniform application of the law, including the rules and regulations to implement it. Stakeholders are generally averse to sudden or unannounced changes in contributions to and benefits from the programme. The methodical application of the programme will strengthen stakeholder confidence and support for it.

The effectiveness of the strategic plan to advance the institutional mandate is evaluated. There is an assessment of lessons learnt from achieved goals, delivered targets and proven strategies, as well as unsuccessful initiatives. The performance review serves as input to the next cycle of planning activities.

For social security institutions that have a mandate to manage the investment reserve funds of the programme, whether through internal and/or external fund managers, the board and the management are duty bound to ensure that the funds are invested in accordance with basic prudential rules such as profitability, safety, liquidity and diversification.