The report, developed in collaboration with the Japan Pension Service (JPS), is part of a project to measure the evolution of pension organizations’ administration and service initiatives, and to enable ISSA members to benchmark progress and exchange knowledge on administrative performance. A first report was published in 2019, and the 2024 edition includes lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis and new topics such as gender policy and teleworking.

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Survey findings

The 2023 survey, which received responses from 35 ISSA member organizations, revealed significant changes in the operational aspects of social security organizations, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings include:

• Enhanced quality of services despite unprecedented challenges.

• Fundamental reforms in business processes to ensure timely service provision.

• Advancements in digitalization, improving operational efficiency and customer service.

The survey’s new questions on teleworking highlighted concerns about information security given the sensitive nature of the data handled by social security organizations. Common strategies to address these concerns were identified among the respondents.

On gender policy, the survey focused on the percentage of female managers within social security organizations, finding an average ratio of 45 per cent. Future surveys are expected to delve deeper into issues such as discrimination in hiring and gendered salary differences.

The ISSA also plans to extend the scope of the survey to include other areas of social security, such as health and unemployment insurance. The aim is to create a truly global data source, supporting the operational development of social security systems worldwide.

This project is expected to foster the exchange of innovative practices and solutions, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of social security administration globally.