Page 16 - Annual Review 2020-21-Eng_Neat

FEATURE

While social security institutions have been drivers of digital transformation in
public services for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this

trend. In the last year, the ISSA has focussed on data gathering and sharing of

good practices among ISSA members, and strengthened its international partnerships
on digitalization of processes and services in social security.

ACCELERATING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

IN SOCIAL SECURITY

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISSA Internally, the sudden and massive shift
documented a widespread increase in the use towards teleworking experienced by many
of digital channels, including e-services, social security institutions due to COVID-19
mobile services and shared data services for meant that collaboration moved online.
social security institutions. Not only were Externally, in-person contact with customers
more benefits and services provided through became difficult or impossible, and contact
digital channels than before, lockdown through digital channels took over. With the
measures pushed beneficiaries over to digital help of artificial intelligence and big data,
platforms, and social security institutions processes were also automated and digitized.
implemented communication campaigns to
stimulate and facilitate this transition. The immediate benefits of this new human-
and-digital reality has been the capacity to
A human-and-digital reality serve more people and to do it faster. At the
same time, it has been necessary to focus
The transition to the human-and-digital age even more on making sure both staff and
has accelerated over this last year. As ISSA clients are capable of using digital tools.
member institutions have demonstrated in a
number of webinars, the blending of human
skills and digital technologies is no longer
an option, but an obligation in social
security. This human-and-digital reality
emerged along two dimensions, in internal
collaboration and in external interaction with
clients.

16 ISSA ANNUAL REVIEW 2020/21