The Guidelines address and provide options and a reference point for service continuity and the deployment of quick responses in periods of disruption caused by crises and extreme events. The Guidelines also present approaches to improve and enhance an institution’s readiness, responsiveness and resilience to implement within a defined time frame new programmes based on new policy responses.

The main objectives of the Guidelines are to support social security institutions to:

• Continue delivering critical services during crises or incidents that lead to disruptions;
• Minimize the effects of incidents and crises on the institution, its services, assets, staff and reputation;
• Restore normality in all functions and processes quickly and smoothly;
• Quickly deploy social security responses to support customers and the wider population;
• Improve institutional readiness to address crises and incidents through adequate information systems, human resources and contingency measures, among others; and
• Improve institutional resilience and protect key digital resources including, in particular, social security data.