Risk management is the process of identifying, analysing, accepting, mitigating or transferring uncertainty in investment decisions. Fund managers apply risk management by analysing and attempting to quantify the potential loss of an investment and then acting accordingly.

Institutions are being transformed thanks to the integration of new technologies. This vision represents a corporate change with a social impact, reducing costs, simplifying processes and procedures, and raising awareness of the importance and benefits of this transformation.

Article 12 of Law No. 5508 on the Promotion, Protection of Maternity and Support for Breastfeeding establishes that maternity allowance should be paid to employed women by the social security scheme of Paraguay’s Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión Social – IPS). This amount is equivalent to 100 per cent of her salary at the time of delivery, and is paid for the prescribed months of rest. This used to be given to women in a single payment.

The issue of population growth and social security planning is one of the biggest challenges facing governments today, and is a key part of a good social security system that instils confidence in its members.

The Retirement and Pension Fund for Employees of Banks and Related Institutions (Caja de Jubilaciones y Pensiones de Empleados de Bancos y Afines) (Bank Fund, hereinafter) is in constant communication with its members. It therefore continuously updates its databases, in order to have a better understanding of members’ current realities, experiences and needs.

Digital transformation is happening in institutions through the integration of new technologies. This vision represents an institutional and social change, optimizing available resources, reducing costs, shortening processes and procedures, and raising awareness of the importance and benefits of this transformation.

Good practice in health – service quality.

As health-care systems have evolved to become more complex and due to the resultant increase in patients coming to harm in health care settings, patient safety has emerged as a health-care discipline.

The Actuarial Advisory Office (Asesoría Actuarial) of the Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión Social – IPS) carried out an actuarial valuation of the Common Retirement and Pension Fund (Fondo Común de Jubilaciones y Pensiones). The valuation looks to comply with international best practices and observe the guidelines and standards of the International Standards of Actuarial Practice 2 (ISAP 2), and the ISSA-ILO Guidelines on Actuarial Work for Social Security, with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Since the crisis started at the beginning of 2020, businesses have been experiencing lower activity levels. The hope of a quick recovery leads them to try, as much as they can, to keep on their employees, favouring part-time work and temporary lay-offs over letting people go entirely.

Since 2020, the unfavourable economic context and its negative social impacts have led Madagascar’s National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale – CNaPS) to provide social protection in the form of a one-off, non-refundable cash grant to its pensioners and annuitants, as well as to its unemployed members.

Like most of the world’s countries, Paraguay has adopted lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These steps taken by the government have impacted the productive sector, leading to mass suspensions of employment contracts for persons insured with the Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión Social – IPS) of Paraguay.

Paraguay’s Social Insurance Institute (Instituto de Previsión de Social – IPS) used to make sick leave payments at its administrative offices, which had associated administrative costs and meant beneficiaries had to visit the IPS service counter in person.

The mandate of the National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale – CNaPS) of Madagascar includes occupational accidents and diseases. Within this remit, CNaPS also promotes early intervention, encouraging preventive action to address risks arising in the workplace. The aim is to increase awareness and motivation on the part of employers and workers as regards the need for a safe and healthy work environment.

“AV+”, a voluntary insurance (assurance volontaire – AV) management project, is the fruit of the shared determination of Mali’s National Social Insurance Institute (Institut national de prévoyance sociale – INPS) and SAER-EMPLOI, which joined forces to increase the number of people registered with a voluntary insurance scheme. This partnership was founded through the signing of a delegation of management agreement on 10 April 2017 and rendered effective through the creation of a company, SAER-EMPLOI-AV+/SASU.

The Listening and Guidance Centre (Centre d’écoute et d’orientation – CEO) at Madagascar’s National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale – CNaPS) helps to improve the living conditions of those CNaPS members who are more vulnerable, in psycho-social, health and economic terms.

The most common complaint made by those insured by the National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale – CNaPS) relates to the amount of social benefits granted: the amount of several benefits has been set as a standard amount such that any changes require the legal texts to be amended. Moreover, the conditions for obtaining old age insurance benefits no longer reflect today’s context, given the state of the labour market following the successive crises experienced by the country.

The use of optical fibre connections provided by local telecommunication operator caused some problems with the internal transmission of data due to technical failures resulting from the saturation of the network and frequent network outages, and has affected the coverage of different locations.

The Malagasy population's unfamiliarity with the social security concept partly explains the low rate of social security coverage (10%). Despite efforts to publicize and raise awareness, the situation remains somewhat static. To remedy this, an education program on the right to social services was implemented in February 2014 through the introduction of Junior Clubs which bring children together. They will act as information vectors through fun and festive activities and will instill a social service culture in their families and society in general.

In 2010, the government of Mali introduced a compulsory health insurance scheme with third-party payment for civil servants and workers to guarantee affordable health care.

In 2011, the National Sickness Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale d'assurance maladie (CNAM)) concluded agreements with all public agencies, in particular with hospitals, referral health centres and community health centres.

The National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale – CNaPS) is continuing its efforts to extend social security coverage in Madagascar. An initiative to expand awareness raising activities has become a laudable strategy in terms of its achievements. In 2014 it launched a programme for Catholic school leaders that promotes and raises awareness on the provisions of social security and of their responsibilities regarding such rights.

The National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale – CNaPS) of Madagascar has created a think tank devoted to social security. This innovative initiative aims at remedying the inadequacy of academic research on the subject and its inability to influence public policy. The goal is to provide high-quality services to a large number of beneficiaries.

The National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale – CNaPS) is the public institution managing the various branches (family benefits, work injuries, and occupational disease, pensions) of social protection for employees in Madagascar. It also manages the collection of contributions, and hence needs nationwide geographical presence. The priority accorded to maintaining the level of coverage and adjusting it to the needs of its members is a daily challenge for the CNaPS.

In Madagascar, a large proportion of the population lacks access to social protection, especially rural producers. For more than a decade, government policy and legislation have foreseen the extension of social security coverage to the entire working population. However, only the scheme for salaried employees is in existence to provide such generalized social security coverage.

In order to be closer to its policyholders, the National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale (CNPS)) of Madagascar has increased its number of agencies at a regional level. However, the isolation of some areas limits its efforts to improve service quality and the effectiveness of social protection. A special proximity policy was adopted to remedy this situation. A mobile office was set up to get closer to the target population and insured people in particular, and to adapt the services offered to the needs of people living in less accessible areas.

The number of teachers has increased regularly since that time and, starting in 2000, grew rapidly under the Education for All programme funded by the World Bank. The number of FRAM teachers totalled 8,000 in 2002, 13,000 in 2004 and 35,000 in 2007.

According to the Ministry of National Education, FRAM teachers represent 53 per cent of primary school teachers. The parents' associations pay them as best they can, often compensating instructors with food or by providing plots of land for cultivation.