AMERICAS

Virtual Social Security Forum for the Americas

1–3 December 2021 | Virtual

AMERICAS

Virtual Social Security Forum for the Americas

1–3 December 2021 | Virtual

News and analysis

Senior woman leaning in her walking stick
Published:
14 March 2024
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Long-term care

In the Americas, diverse long-term care (LTC) systems reflect varying regional needs and capabilities. This article examines LTC systems in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay providing a detailed description of health and social care services available to their aging populations.

Quality Certificate assignment
Published:
16 November 2023
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Customer-centric
Multi-channel
Quality assessment
Guideline:
Service Quality

Quality of service has been a constant commitment of social security institutions, knowing that user satisfaction shapes citizens' perception, experience and trust in public services. This article shows how institutions have implemented approaches outlined in the ISSA Guidelines on Service Quality and highlights the importance of providing quality services that are user-centred to generate greater value for members.

Old woman counting coins from her wallet
Published:
19 October 2023
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Old-age pensions
Extension of coverage
Population ageing

Ensuring adequate social security coverage for an ageing population is an important priority for governments and the global membership of the International Social Security Association (ISSA). Social pensions, also known as zero pillar or non-contributory pensions, complement contributory social insurance systems by providing a guaranteed source of income for people not adequately protected by other forms of social security. In doing so, they expand overall social protection and can be a powerful tool for combating old-age poverty, promoting social inclusion, and mitigating the impacts of labour market inequalities.

Omnichannel marketing concept
Published:
12 October 2023
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Technological transition
Communication
Multi-channel
Continuity and resilience
Guideline:
Good Governance
Service Quality
Information and Communication Technology
Communication by Social Security Administrations

Communication plays an essential role in social security institutions so that members and beneficiaries have access to the information necessary to exercise their rights and fulfil their obligations through the services provided, as well as developing a social security culture. This article presents experiences of multi-channel communication strategies implemented by social security institutions in the Americas, which strengthened existing communication channels and developed new digital channels.

Published:
19 September 2023
Type:
News
Region:
Americas
Topic:
Innovation capacity
Continuity and resilience
ISSA institution

Over 460 social security leaders, experts and professionals gathered for the Regional Social Security Forum for the America (RSSF Americas) in San José, Costa Rica. The knowledge shared and discussions held there will help bring improvements in social security on the continent in the years to come.

Published:
5 September 2023
Type:
News
Region:
Americas
Topic:
Business process
Technological transition
Extension of coverage
COVID-19
Guideline:
Good Governance
Service Quality
Information and Communication Technology

DATAPREV – Social Security Information and Technology Enterprise from Brazil has been awarded the Good Practice Award for the Americas 2023 for its “Emergency Aid” during the COVID-19 pandemic, which reached 118 million people. 

Published:
5 September 2023
Type:
News
Region:
Americas
Topic:
Health
E-services
Extension of coverage
COVID-19
Guideline:
Administrative Solutions for Coverage Extension
Continuity and Resilience of Social Security Services and Systems

The first ever Special Distinction for Innovation in the Good Practice Award for the Americas competition was awarded to the Salvadoran Social Security Institute (Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social – ISSS) for the good practice “Dr ISSS online: A new telemedicine care model”.

Published:
4 September 2023
Type:
News
Region:
Americas
Topic:
Health
Innovation capacity
Human resource management
ICT governance
Service quality
Demographic change
Continuity and resilience

In connection with the Regional Social Security Forum for the Americas, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) has published a report on how social security is developing in the region. Digitalization, resilience and a life-course approach to social security are some key elements.

Courier delivering food with thermal backpack
Published:
25 August 2023
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Extension of coverage
Platform workers
Labour protection
Employment status

A sizeable portion of the work force in the Americas engages in the platform economy, whether as a main or supplementary source of income. This article presents reforms and developments in the region that already have had, or that may have, an impact on the employment status and social protection of platform workers.

Resilience business for sustainable and inclusive growth concept
Published:
10 August 2023
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Health insurance
E-services
Technological transition
Service quality
Continuity and resilience
COVID-19
Guideline:
Continuity and Resilience of Social Security Services and Systems

Institutional resilience and the need to maintain operational continuity are concepts widely recognised in social security as the main indispensable characteristics for providing services to the population in the event of natural disasters or unforeseen catastrophic events. This has manifested itself over the years in efforts to strengthen processes, infrastructure and the resources that institutions have available to cope with different crises.

Digital transformation concept. Binary code. AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Published:
27 July 2023
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Innovation capacity
Human resource management
Business process
Technological transition
Service quality
Guideline:
Good Governance
Service Quality
Information and Communication Technology
Human Resource Management in Social Security Administration

There is no single strategy towards digital transformation in social security institutions. This article shows how, through different approaches, institutions in the Americas have been able to move from an initial digitization of processes and services to a broader and more agile strategy of digital transformation, breaking paradigms and operating models.

Social media networking. Abstract concept with wooden pieces on blue background.
Published:
4 July 2023
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Occupational accidents and diseases
Coordination
ICT governance
Difficult-to-cover groups
Multi-channel
Service delivery
Bilateral agreements
Cash transfers

Social security systems are increasingly interconnected – across different agencies within the sector, with organizations in other sectors and with systems in other countries. Furthermore, in complex environments, even within the same institution, different organizational units are becoming progressively specialized, autonomous, or geographically focused. As a result, the strategic and operational activities in which social security institutions are engaged often require the involvement and coordination of multiple actors working at different levels to achieve effective results.

Published:
13 June 2023
Type:
News
Region:
Americas
Topic:
ISSA institution

The Pension Standardization Office (Oficina de Normalización Previsional – ONP) has taken over as host organization for the ISSA Liaison Office for the Andean Countries.

Published:
16 December 2022
Type:
News
Region:
Caribbean
Portuguese-speaking Countries
French-speaking Countries
Topic:
ISSA institution
Guideline:
Human Resource Management in Social Security Administration
Continuity and Resilience of Social Security Services and Systems

As we approach the end of 2022, it is time to look back not only at a busy year, but also the closing of a very productive triennium full of innovations.

Wealth stock illustration
Published:
23 June 2022
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Contribution collection and compliance
COVID-19
Guideline:
Service Quality
Contribution Collection and Compliance
Information and Communication Technology
Administrative Solutions for Coverage Extension

Contribution collection and compliance plays a fundamental role in social security as it helps to ensure the sustainability of social security systems and promotes a higher level of coverage among workers. As the ISSA Guidelines on Contribution Collection and Compliance (ISSA, 2019) put it, “The timely and full payment of contributions by and on behalf of insured persons is necessary if they are to achieve the benefits to which they are legally entitled”.

Published:
8 December 2021
Type:
News
Region:
Americas

The Virtual Social Security Forum for the Americas saw a record of over 1,000 registered participants. As a result, it became the most attended virtual event of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) to date, offering rich exchanges between social security institutions and

Companions working at a happy call center
Published:
19 November 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Governance and administration
Information and communication technology
Contribution collection and compliance
Service quality
Error, evasion and fraud

In the Americas, as in the rest of the world, social security is a powerful instrument through which the public feels the presence of government. The quality of the social security experience is an important gauge of public satisfaction with government and political leadership; administrators thus have a compelling reason to strive for excellence in the administration of social security programmes.

Published:
19 November 2021
Type:
News
Region:
Americas
Topic:
Governance and administration
Information and communication technology
Service quality
Error, evasion and fraud

The Americas region has entered a new era of service and improved management, one that successfully blends human skills and the innovative and enabling capacities of digital technologies, according to the new study by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) – Evolving management

Published:
12 November 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Extension of coverage

Extending and maintaining social security coverage stands out as a perennial challenge for social security administrations in the Americas. The rapidly  evolving needs of different population groups, especially children, women and the elderly, as well as economic and sociopolitical changes and demographic and technological transitions, have brought about societal transformations with an ever-increasing number of people in need of social security protection.

Published:
5 November 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis has forced countries across the Americas to take unprecedented steps to protect their populations, chiefly in the fields of public health and social security. In particular, States have developed a wide range of policies designed to safeguard their citizens against lost income when lockdown measures have made it impossible for them to carry out their productive economic activities. Such policies are many and varied, primarily comprising employment protection, the mobilization of unemployment benefits and the creation of social programmes to protect those groups hit hardest by the crisis, such as self-employed and informal workers.

Unity And Diversity stock photo
Published:
22 October 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Awareness and information

The lack of social protection is, in many countries, linked to a lack of information. When they have insufficient awareness of their rights and responsibilities, workers and their families cannot understand the importance or reach of social protection. It is therefore necessary to educate people about social security in order to promote their access to benefits, their autonomy and their empowerment.

Aplicación de chatbots en la seguridad social: Experiencias en América Latina
Published:
15 July 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Artificial intelligence
E-services
Client
Chatbots

As the use of digital communication increases, the quality of the services provided is key to their success. In our fast-paced world, in which everything seems to be just a click away, service users expect to be able to find the information they want quickly and simply. Failing this, they may become frustrated and the quality of their user experience is undermined.

Economic recession due to coronavirus
Published:
6 July 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Data analytics
COVID-19

The correct interpretation of data is a great challenge faced by all organizations. In an increasingly fast-paced environment, which demands timely and apposite decisions, data analysis has become an increasingly important tool. In particular, in the context of COVID-19, the use of analytical technologies has enabled institutions to better evaluate the health and social impact of the pandemic and to improve decision-making processes.

Businessman on blurred background using digital social network
Published:
9 June 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Information and communication technology
E-services
One-stop shops
Guideline:
Service Quality
Information and Communication Technology

In social security, a one-stop shop can be defined as a single point of access to several social security organizations or services for the provision of services in a given area. In its widest sense, a one-stop shop aims to simplify access as far as possible to a comprehensive service, in one single place and one single visit, during which a citizen needs to interact with a maximum of one or two different individuals. One-stop shops are usually established to draw together fragmented social security services, enhancing the overlap between them and creating links with other sectors.

Doc and telemedicine, remote consultation service using videocall
Published:
11 May 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Medical care
E-services
COVID-19
Guideline:
Information and Communication Technology

Telemedicine is a discipline that involves the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to provide remote medical services. Health-care professionals can use it to carry out prevention activities and those related to the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of health-care system users, in particular those who are unable to seek care in person.

Published:
20 April 2021
Type:
Opinion
Region:
Caribbean
Topic:
ISSA institution

The ISSA Focal Point for the English-speaking Caribbean countries was launched in March 2021. This is the 18th regional structure of the International Social Security Association (ISSA). The focal point is headed by Stewart Haynes, Director of the National Insurance Services in Saint Vincent and the

Portrait of a businesswoman with face mask in office
Published:
26 March 2021
Type:

Analysis

Region:
Americas
Topic:
Occupational accidents and diseases
COVID-19
Guideline:
Return to Work and Reintegration
Prevention of Occupational Risks
Workplace Health Promotion

The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of safety, health and well-being, and the role that social security institutions play to support their beneficiaries in navigating through the pandemic. By promoting a prevention culture, governments, workers, employers and social security institutions contribute to building a safer, healthier and more productive working environment. A healthy workforce also contributes to the sustainability of social security systems.