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Language of instruction
Duration
Identical coursesSocial Security Management and Informatics (B-KUL-C03A9A)
N. Aims
Learning goals
This elective course is specially designed to promote skills and knowledge related to the actual management of social security. It is composed of two parts: one dealing with the management of social security as such (first unit) and the other with various aspects of electronic data management in social security (second unit). The participants should be able to analyse a social security environment and determine the optimal way in which to manage the collection of contributions and/or the distribution of benefits (and this both in a general management perspective and in the perspective of electronic data management).
This course contributes to the following learning outcomes:
The student is able to:
• take up unfashionable positions if his research so demands;
• deliver results and opinions that contribute to the advancement of social security related research in Europe;
• translate research results to the broader public;
• make research results relevant for policy making; be able to translate questions from policy-makers into research questions, deal with them and explain the results to policy-makers.
Previous knowledge
Applicants for this Master in Advanced Studies must have a university degree, obtained after at least four years of study in one of the following fields: law, criminology, economics and applied economic sciences, political sciences, sociology or communication sciences, public health, medicine or dentistry. More specifically, this means that they need a Master degree (or equivalent degree). Applicants must also have taken at least one course (equivalent to a minimum of 5 study points) relating to social security in order to obtain this university degree. In exceptional cases, especially when the applicant shows long-term involvement in social security, persons with another academic degree may be admitted upon motivated request.
Is included in these courses of study
Activities
5 ects. Social Security Management and Informatics (B-KUL-C03A9a)
Content
The course consists of two units: one dealing with general issues of managing social security, the other concentrating on electronic data management in social security.
In the first unit the general management theories and skills will be tested as to their applicability and significance in a social security environment. It will start with a focus on the recollection of values that are needed for a better social security management: accountability, transparency, predictability, participation and dynamism. Once these basics are covered, the unit will select certain areas essential for management: strategic planning, risk management, internal auditing, actuarial assessment of financial sustainability, service quality, human capital policy, … An overview will be given of the various management approaches currently applied within administrations in different parts of the world. The quality assessment of social security administration (delivery of benefits; quality of service) will be highlighted, focusing on good practices. The unit will contain many practical illustrations.
The second unit dealing with electronic data management will be built up around several topics:
• What do stakeholders (socially insured people, employers, policy makers, …) expect with regard to a social protection system; information management in support of a social protection system; privacy and data protection.
• Possible strategic advantages of digitalization and critical success factors: ICT as a utility; ICT as an enabler.
• How to meet the expectations? Common vision on information management (information collection, information storage, information processing, information exchange) and information security (structural measures, organizational measures, ICT-technical measures, legal measures). This unit will also look into ICT as a utility (some focus areas: ICT governance, sourcing strategy, architecture, program & project management, open standards, agile development, service management, procurement, ICT-personnel planning) and ICT as an enabler (some focus areas: sharing and reuse, API (application programming interfaces) economy, end-to-end automation, big data analytics, artificial intelligence).
During the whole unit, this will be illustrated with concrete examples of best practices.
Course material
Course reader
Format: more information
The course is offered as a distance learning course. Students study the course on the basis of the course materials and study guide provided by the programme.
Evaluation
Evaluation: Social Security Management and Informatics (B-KUL-C23A9a)
Explanation
Written off-campus exam (open book) with open questions. The exam is followed by an oral explanation.