Dr John Ofori Tenkorang, Director-General of SSNIT
In 2019, the world was taken aback by the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) which did not only affect lives, but disrupted global trade and various socio-economic activities.
An impact assessment survey conducted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in November, 2020 disclosed that millions of jobs have been lost with livelihoods at risk. The report further estimated that an additional 130 million people will be living in extreme poverty if the crisis persists.
With nearly all spheres of life affected by the pandemic and its resulting socio-economic impact, the World Health Organization (WHO) outlined some measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus to protect lives globally.
Most countries including Ghana have been gravely affected by the pandemic and have had to impose restrictions on travel, international trade, business and the general way of life to reduce the spread of the virus.
In responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) implemented measures for a conducive and safe atmosphere in the delivery of its services to Members and Clients. The Trust also had to rethink its business practices to ensure business continuity and stakeholder satisfaction.
Safety of Stakeholders
To prevent the spread of the virus at SSNIT offices, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE’s) such as nose masks, face shields, veronica buckets, thermometer guns, sanitisers among others were procured and distributed to all offices of the Trust.
Management introduced the shift system to ensure the safety of staff in delivering essential services to Members and Clients while observing the social distancing protocols. Staff required to work from home were equipped with the needed resources to enable them to perform their roles effectively.
Meetings were conducted via zoom and on other online platforms to sustain the day-to-day operations of the Trust.
These measures have proven to be largely successful, with SSNIT emerging as the 2020 Best Customer Service Organisation (Public Sector Category), in a recent a survey conducted by the Institute of Customer Service Professionals (ICSP).
Out of the 10 fundamental metrics used as performance indicators for the 12 public institutions, SSNIT scored highest in two of the metrics; Customer focused innovations and COVID-19 preparedness.
These two metrics were major contributory factors in the Trust’s performance. The scores indicate that SSNIT had been creative and innovative, especially with the introduction and application of technology in dealings with its customers.
Technology
In 2020, SSNIT launched the operational business analytics tool to measure work output, improve monitoring and performance in the operations of the Trust.
The business analytics tool has positively impacted various key result areas, driving healthy competition among branches and staff.
Also, actionable intelligence is now available within real-time. This has enabled Managers to formulate decisive strategies towards improving performance at the Branch and Area levels.
Members were also issued with their annual Statements of Account electronically to enable them to check that their contributions are being paid and on the right amounts.
Employers were encouraged to submit and validate their Contribution Report via the self-service portal on the SSNIT website or send an email to their SSNIT branch. Employers could also pay their contributions at any of the 20 SSNIT partner banks nationwide.
Online Public Education
The ultimate goal of the Trust to build and strengthen its relationship with stakeholders necessitated a stronger emphasis on digital media to sustain the continuous public education of its Members and Clients.
The SSNIT Virtual Infozone was introduced on Facebook live to connect with Members and Clients and ensure continuous public awareness of the Trust and its operations. Over 162,000 people were reached live on Facebook within the period.
Other digital channels which have been adopted by the Trust to educate Members and the general public include Zoom, Microsoft teams and Whatsapp.
The Trust also engaged its over 500,000 social media followers (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube) and shared regular titbits about the Scheme reaching over 1,000,000 people daily.