The International Social Security Association (ISSA) has opened the Good Practice Award for Africa competition. In addition to the traditional Award and certificates, the ISSA Special Distinction for Innovation will be awarded for the first time. ISSA member institutions are invited to submit their entries until 9 January 2023.
With the launch of the new ISSA Special Distinction for Innovation, the Association strengthens its focus on innovative good practices in social security. The ISSA Good Practice Award for Africa and the first Special Distinction will be awarded at the Regional Social Security Forum for Africa in Côte d’Ivoire, in May 2023.
The regional ISSA Good Practice Award competitions are the most important and recognized social security awards at the regional level. Since their start in 2008, over 1300 good practices have been submitted, and during the 2020–2022 triennium there were around 500 entries from 127 organizations in 84 countries. The ISSA Good Practice Award competition for Africa is now open, and member institutions can submit their entries until 9 January 2023.
The ISSA Special Distinction for Innovation will highlight a particularly innovative good practice that opens up new pathways to achieve the goals of social security at an institutional, national or regional level. The international award jury will consider the originality and creativity of the good practice as well as its potential to catalyse breakthroughs in social security administration. This focus fits into the ISSA’s wider work, including the development of a new Collaborative Innovation Hub.
While successful innovation has always been considered in the competitions, the ISSA hopes to attract even more innovative good practices that will benefit the entire member community. Newly developed innovation initiatives that have not yet achieved large outcomes may be considered for the special distinction. All good practices accepted into the competition are made available for ISSA members in its online searchable Database of Good Practices.
The ISSA Good Practice Award and the first ISSA Special Distinction for Innovation will be awarded during a special ceremony at the Regional Social Security Forum for Africa taking place in Côte d’Ivoire, 17–19 May 2023.
Winners of the Good Practice Awards 2020–2022
- Africa 2020: The Social Insurance Institute – National Social Insurance Fund (IPS–CNPS) of Côte d’Ivoire for developing an app for employers’ social security contributions.
- Americas 2020: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is the winner of the record-breaking ISSA Good Practice Award for the Americas competition
- Asia and the Pacific 2021: The Social Security Administering Body for Health (BPJS Kesehatan), Indonesia, for its National Health Security Programme.
- Europe 2022: The Swedish Pensions Agency for its Withdrawal Planner, an easy-to-use digital tool for retirement planning integrating both public and private pensions.