Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/5729/-1/130/
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Director Outlines Social Security's 2008 Business Plan
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The Anguilla Social Security System has been ramping up its efforts at engaging the public with a view to improved transparency and accountability. Director of Social Security Mr. Timothy Hodge was the guest on Mr. Elkins Richardson’s radio talk show “To The Point” last week when he discussed the System’s 2008 Business Plan.
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Mr. Timothy Hodge, Director
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The Business Plan had earlier been presented (on January 31st) to stakeholders at the Teacher’s Resource Centre Auditorium, at which time it was broadcast live on Radio Anguilla and subsequently re-broadcast on KCN TV. These initiatives follow up on the presentation of the Social Security Board’s 2006 Audited Accounts in a public “Governance and Accountability” forum in November 2007.
In the Business Plan presentation, Mr. Hodge referred to the Board’s Vision Statement, ‘The Social Security Board has improved the quality of life for all Anguillians by providing universal social security coverage. It is a sustainable social, economic and financial services organization with excellent service delivery by a customer-focused, knowledge-based and motivated staff; forging strategic alliances and engaging a well-informed public’ and stated: “We can only forge strategic alliances with our partners and stakeholders if we engage them; we can only engage a well-informed public if we first make the public well-informed.”
Citing the popular Dominica calypso of a few years ago ‘They Pass On A Bus’ which described a tourist as somebody who gets off a cruise ship and passes by in a taxi bus, passes by the businesses, the vendors, the crafts people, the restaurants, etc., he stated “We cannot have that kind of response to a question as to what social security is in Anguilla. Our people must identify with the Social Security System as an important element of our socio-economic environment. We must not be nor seem to be like that taxi driver, doing his thing to the exclusion of all around him. Our government and its agencies must understand what we do and how important it is that we collaborate to achieve the overall objective of ‘improving the quality of life for all’. And all our stakeholders must know that we appreciate their role in helping us as we pursue that noble objective.”
The presentation referred to the recent Budget Speech by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Victor Banks, when he called for 2008 to be a “time for consolidation” in recognition of the necessity that Anguilla must take immediate action to deal with the “growing pains of transformation” caused by recent rapid economic development. Mr. Hodge stated “That rapid growth and its attendant challenges have a strong two-fold impact on the Social Security System. They simultaneously require the System (1) to become more performance-driven (internally) and (2) to become more pro-active in its functioning (externally) – much like being pushed and pulled at the same time. These impacts or forces, in a sense, are also reflective of the Minister’s Budget Address theme, because growing pains are in actuality the conflict between restraining forces - those which want things to stay as they are, and developmental forces – those which reflect a desire for change (or transformation).” He continued, “I believe that the focus of the Social Security System in 2008 must be a determination to ensure that the Social Security System both operates in an optimal manner, i.e. be the best it can be, and makes an optimal contribution to the country in which it exists, i.e. do the most it can do. I have accordingly chosen this focus to define our 2008 theme as “Managing a Meaningful, High-Performance Social Security System in Challenging Times”.
Expanding on the theme, the Social Security Director stated “by Managing I mean optimizing – the act, process or methodology of making the System as fully perfect, functional or effective as possible. Meaningful must mean relevant - providing excellent value for money. A meaningful social security institution must be well governed, credible, and outcome-oriented to remain relevant to all stakeholders. High-performance means measurable, verifiable achievement of performance objectives and overall mission. Challenging times means this period of high growth and the associated pains (including social dislocation) being experienced by Anguilla in the midst of multiple global issues, additionally coloured by the spectre of worldwide recession.”
The Board’s 2008 Business Plan contains activities, targets and measures, and forms a part of its 2007-2011 Strategic Plan “Improving the Quality of Life for All.” The Strategic Plan and its constituent annual Business Plans seek to achieve a number of “ideal future states” for the Social Security System. These have been incorporated into a strategy map, and listed under four perspectives – Customer, Internal, Learning, and Fiduciary – as follows: Customer: Social Security Board (SSB) delivers excellent and timely services; SSB keeps us well informed; SSB has a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere; SSB’s products and services are meaningful; SSB contributes to the development of our community. Internal: We pay benefits in a timely and accurate manner; We develop meaningful products and services; We have efficient administrative support systems; We conduct quality inspections; We build quality customer and other stakeholder relationships; We initiate, assess and support socially desirable community projects. Learning: We understand and are aligned around our strategy; We have the right tools and information to do our jobs; We have a motivated, competent, knowledge-based, customer-oriented staff; We exemplify our core values. Fiduciary: We comply with statutory requirements; We practice sound governance; We are building a sustainable fund; We provide excellent value for money.
The Anguilla Social Security System is now into its 27th year of operations and has built up reserves which are expected to surpass $200 million in 2008. These reserves have to be prudently managed to pay benefits to current and future beneficiaries under the System. Continuing to engage its stakeholders can only prove to be helpful as the System seeks to balance the often-conflicting interests of those stakeholders as it carries out its overall mandate.