The competent institutions develop specific approaches to increase labour participation by vulnerable populations.

International Social Security Association (ISSA) member organizations comprise a broad and diverse group of social security institutions, in both the occupational and non-occupational sectors, from most countries around the world.

Timely access to appropriate medical treatment and vocational rehabilitation is a critical part of the return-to-work process. It enables the person’s quick recovery, maximum functional ability and mobility, and return to work in a position that maximizes their skills and experience.

It is necessary to shift from a primary focus on deficits and incapacity towards an ability-orientated approach.

Privileged information, from both internal and external sources, is accumulated and generated during the return-to-work process. Legal obligations to protect such information, under privacy legislation and professional standards, are complied with.

This set of guidelines has been developed to assist social security institutions further develop and improve service performance.

This set of guidelines has been developed to help social security institutions support and assist their “clients” – public and private sector enterprises and organizations – to develop comprehensive workplace health promotion (WHP) programmes.

The institution offers financial incentives to employers who establish workplace health promotion programmes, linked to outcomes and sustainability.

Financial incentives should be used with caution. There is a risk that, when the incentive period ends, the initiatives may cease and progress in workplace health promotion will be halted.

The guidelines are comprised of eight separate parts:

Part A, Valuation of Social Security Schemes

Part B, Operational Management of Social Security Systems (including benefit calculations and determination of factors)

Part C, Investment Issues

Part D, Reporting, Communication and Disclosure

Part E, Risk Management and Analysis

Part F, Regulatory Issues, Standards and Professional Guidance

Part G, Policy and Strategy Issues

The social security institution calculates benefit entitlements according to the provisions of the laws and regulations governing the scheme. All actuarial calculations necessary to calculate benefit entitlements are carried out in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles, and an appropriate peer review process is established.

The social security institution provides stakeholders with regular, timely and comprehensive information on the actuarial status of the social security scheme. The social security institution informs stakeholders, in a timely manner, of any changes in the scheme’s provisions and their impact on the sustainability of the scheme and adequacy of benefits.

While effectively involved with governmental bodies in the design and implementation of a new social security scheme, the social security institution advises all parties involved with respect to design features of the new scheme and its actuarial and policy implications. The social security institution seeks the input of actuaries in this process.

The Guidelines are organized in six parts.

Part A, Assessing and Contributing to the Enabling Environment, addresses various measures to gauge the extent to which the necessary external building blocks are in place.

Part B, Ensuring Institutional Readiness, points to the key capacities enabling social security institutions to work towards extending coverage to difficult-to-cover groups.

The institution establishes data quality assurance mechanisms to guarantee the integrity of the relevant administrative processes.

Institutions should be guided by principles on communication, laying the foundations on which governance and the management of communication activities are to be performed.

The specific guidelines in this section are:

• Communicating the institution’s mandate
• Values and ethics in communication
• Communication as a leadership tool
• Consulting and engaging with stakeholders
• Segmenting stakeholders into groups

Communication supports the information needs of clients as they relate to the programmes and services provided by the institution.

These guidelines are part of the ISSA project on Coverage Extension and Compliance and Contribution Collection. One of the goals of the project is to address the complexities of implementing an effective and efficient contribution collection and compliance system with a view to identifying solutions and sharing the lessons learnt. The aim of these guidelines is to provide a high-level reference point for the management of contribution collection and compliance activities in institutions that carry out social security functions.

The institution implements the key processes that determine the contribution amounts and generate billing, based on submitted declarations.

This involves four main tasks: submission of declarations or employee payrolls, validation of this submitted information, calculation of the contribution amounts, and generation of bills or no-pay declarations.

The institution manages and fosters the maturity of the contribution collection and compliance system through a continuous improvement plan.

Contribution collection and compliance systems are usually complex and developed over several years. Moving from one development stage to another depends on a number of factors (administrative, economic and social) and also on several external actors.

The board ensures that the institution is performing its mandate efficiently. It establishes a set of standards and benchmarks to evaluate the management’s administration and implementation of the social security programmes.

Legislation, policy or decree provides for the balanced representation of the different stakeholders on the board of the institution.

The management implements board-approved measures to ensure the financial sustainability of each of the social security programmes run by the institution.

The management has strong, consistent and enabling human resources policies which would encourage its officers and staff to propose innovative ideas and positive change.

There is a periodic performance assessment of the internal audit unit. A set of clearly defined indicators measures its efficiency and effectiveness in improving the institution’s performance.

The board and/or management ensure the alignment of external fund managers’ incentives with the overall investment objectives of the institution.