Digital inclusion and social security services: Key challenges and lessons learned
International Social Security Association and United Nation University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance
Session 384
Problem
There is a need for an “...urgent and open debate between governments, the private sector, civil society and others on how we move forward together safely in the age of digital interdependence” - António Guterres, UN Secretary General
The United Nations (UN) 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WSIS Action Lines both call for equal access and inclusion of all communities in an ever-increasing digital society.
Incitement to explore and identify practical solutions to digital inclusion.
The challenge is two-fold: to ensure that ICT-facilitated cost savings are harvested over time, and simultaneously maximise the inclusion of individuals and equitable access to social security, participation amongst the most vulnerable.
Solution
Simplification of rules, digitization and bureaucratic reduction may release public resources to address demographic challenges, provide universal services and create a supportive business environment.
The benefits of digitization can be divided into three general categories:
- Cost savings, e.g. less time spent and lower financial cost;
- Quality improvements, e.g. easier, faster and more equitable access to public services; and
- Job creation and economic growth, e.g. lower administrative costs for the private sector.
Benefits may be accrued by citizens, businesses and the public sector itself.
Generally, savings from ICT investments are measured within the public sector. The reason is that socio-economic and qualitative measurements are resource-intensive, uncertain and complicated. Return on investment and business case calculations, therefore, focus on ICT and burden reduction projects where, as a minimum, a positive business case can be guaranteed within the public sector.
Benefits incurred by citizens and businesses are thus regarded as something "extra" that is not necessarily measured. However, there are cases where economic and social gains are measured, for instance, less bureaucracy and faster service delivery, making it cheaper to run a business and easier to be a citizen.
Objective and format of workshop
The primary objective of the workshop is to discuss and identify potential solutions to two key questions:
- What are the key barriers to equitable access to social security services in a digital world, both in terms of accessibility, skills and capacities? How do we as social security institutions improve digital inclusion?
- What are the most impactful skills and capacities social security institutions can activate to improve digital inclusion in social security?
The workshop will introduce participants to the key challenges and solutions identified by social security institutions globally, and present cases (evidence). The workshop will discuss potential improvement areas for social security plus any lessons learned applicable in the public sector at large.
The workshop is anchored in the “Digital inclusion: improving social security service delivery” project conducted by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and United Nation University Operating Unit on Policy-Drive Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV).
For more on the project and for the project context (video, 2:53, in English).
The project findings are available in English, French, Spanish and German.
Raúl Ruggia-Frick (M) is the Director of the Social Security Development Branch at the International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is responsible for the ISSA knowledge output, analysis and data collection. The main activities include preparing professional standards in social security administration (i.e. ISSA Guidelines), social security databases and policy analysis, and the technical content of ISSA conferences and events.
He was formerly responsible for the ISSA projects related to the application of ICT in Social Security. Before joining the ISSA in 2009, he worked in the social security institution of Uruguay (BPS) as IT Manager.
Raul holds a Computer Engineer degree from the University of the Republic (Uruguay), and he received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Paris VI (France).
Nathalie De Wulf is Technical Officer in Social Security at the International Social Security Association (ISSA) whose responsibilities include being Coordinator of the ISSA Technical Commission on Medical Care and Sickness Insurance (TC Health) and Coordinator of the ISSA Special Working Group on Rehabilitation.
Before joining the ISSA, Nathalie served as Managing Director of the European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network (EHFCN) as well as Expert in International Affairs at the Medical Evaluation and Inspection Department (SECM) of the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI), Belgium.
Dr. Morten Meyerhoff Nielsen is an EGOV Adviser at the United Nations University, Operating Unit for Policy-Driven Electronic Governance, an international think tank on digital transformation of the public sector in Portugal.
He has a broad and in-depth insight into the potential and challenges of the digital transformation of the public sector and society at large. Including the innovative application of both technology, process and organizational re-engineering to increase service efficiency and user-friendliness, transparency and inclusiveness of public services, and user engagement in both continues service improvement, service and policy design.
Morten’s recent responsible includes multiple projects of digital transformation, including strategy development Botswana, China, Saudi Arabia, on performance management and capacities in Dubai, Uganda, Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries. Other areas work recent work includes service and eParticpation portal redesign in Dubai, Georgia and Saudi Arabia, and contributing to executive training related to digital transformation and anti-corruption in Egypt. He is currently supporting the European Commission on connectivity, standards, and digital economy issues in Jamaica and Tanzania. With the International Social Security Association, Morten is leading the research on the impact of the digital transformation of social security, and how improve the digital inclusion of marginalized communities including women and children. Morten regularly run executive training programmes on digital transformation of the public sector and is a guest lecturer at universities in Estonia, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands. He has been a jury member of the government awards programme on innovation and digital transformation in Sweden, Oman and the UAE.
Past employment includes the Danish Agency for Digitisation, Danish Technological Institute, European Institute of Public Administration, Centre for the Development of Enterprise; European Commission, and University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Morten holds a ph.d. in Public Administration, Governance and Innovation from Tallinn University of Technology, a Masters in International Economic Management from the University of Birmingham and a Bachelor (Honours) in political science and economics from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. He is the author and co-author of various publications, a reviewer for GIQ, IJEG, PAIT Technology in Society and on the conference committees of the ICEGOV and IFIP-CeDEM eGovernment conference series.
Rodrigo Assumpção is a Social Protection MIS Specialist in the International Labor Organization (ILO), focusing in the implementation of ICT projects in Social Protection organizations. He has worked as a senior consultant for the World Bank, the International Social Security Association and the ILO. From 2008 to 2017, he was the CEO of Dataprev (The Social Security Information and Technology Enterprise of Brazil). As CEO, he led a result-oriented transformation process that made this State-owned company highly profitable. The renovation of three, state-of-the-art data centers, as well as the migration program, from mainframe to low platforms, of the new Social Security benefits pay roll, stand out among the successful initiatives implemented.
Rodrigo was also the Deputy Secretary of Logistics and Information Technology of the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management (Brazil), from 2003 to 2008, responsible for the policies governing the acquisition and use of information and communication technology throughout the federal government of Brazil. Previously he was a Director of the Florestan Fernandes and of the NGO Sampa.Org, from 2000 to 2003. He headed the e-government program of the Municipality of Santo André from 1997 to 2000 and worked as an educator in the Cajamar Institute between 1990 and 1997. Rodrigo Assumpção holds a BA in History by the Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Literature, and Human Sciences (FFLCH) of the University of São Paulo (1992) and a MA in Communication Sciences by the School of Communication and Arts (ECA) of University of São Paulo (2002).
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C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
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C2. Information and communication infrastructure
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C3. Access to information and knowledge
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C4. Capacity building
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-government
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C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
ICT-enabled cost saving and burden reduction in public sector service delivery is linked to a number of WSIS Action Lines. The 40 years of ICT use within public administration have not necessarily led to the realization of the efficiency and effectiveness gains that were originally envisaged. The role of public authorities and stakeholders in the promotion of ICT for development (Action Line C1) must therefore be examined. The aim is to ensure that ICT infrastructure (Action Line C2) and ICT applications that support public service delivery (Action Line C7) lead to real, measurable and realized cost and burden reductions for authorities, businesses and not least citizens, delivered in an accessible, transparent, equitable and ethical manner (Action Lines C3, C10). This requires innovative thinking and new skillsets and capacities in the public sector, not least social security institutions who service diverse and often marginalized communities while navigating complex legal and regulatory systems (Action line C4).
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Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
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Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
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Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
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Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Social security is complex! It serves us all and particularly the most marginalized communities. Social security is key tool to end poverty in all its forms everywhere and reduce inequalities (Goal 1, 10). Technology enables us to increase productivity while cutting cost within the public sector may release resources to promote other development goals (Goal 8), and an ICT-enabled public sector is an essential part of a resilient infrastructure, which can promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation in the private sector and civil society (Goal 9). The efficient and effective use of ICT in the back-office combined with administrative burden reduction help promote just, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all (Goals 8 and 16).
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