ICP 2 Supervisor

The supervisor is operationally independent, accountable and transparent in the exercise of its responsibilities and powers, and has adequate resources to discharge its responsibilities.

Independence


2.1

The supervisor is operationally independent and free from undue government or industry interference that compromises that independence.

 


2.2

Legislation governing the supervisor provides the necessary legal protection from legal action against the supervisor and its staff for actions taken in good faith while discharging their duties. In addition, the supervisor’s staff is adequately protected against the costs of defending their actions.


2.2.1    

Having necessary legal protection from legal action promotes the independence of the supervisor by enabling its staff to make decisions and take action against a regulated legal entity even though such action or decision may be contested by that entity.

2.2.2    
In this context, legislation should protect the supervisor and its staff from criminal or civil liability for decisions made and actions taken in the course of discharging their supervisory responsibilities, provided that the action or decision was not taken in bad faith or illegally.

2.3

Procedures regarding the appointment and dismissal of the head of the supervisor and members of its governing body (if such a governing body exists) are transparent.


2.3.1    

Public procedures regarding the appointment and dismissal of the head of the supervisor enhance independence, as they limit the potential for government interference in the management of the supervisor. Those procedures should be codified in legislation.

2.3.2    
Those procedures should disclose, for example, who appoints the head of the supervisor and members of the governing body, the length of those appointments and the reasons for which the head of the supervisor or members of the governing body can be dismissed before the end of their term, if applicable.

2.3.3    
Legislation should disclose the general criteria for appointing members of a governing body, including that they possess relevant qualifications, knowledge and experience to oversee the activities of the supervisor, as well as the mechanism for their remuneration (for example, salary, daily allowance or voluntary work). The procedures regarding the appointment of the members of the governing body should result in a balance of skills, knowledge and experience amongst the members of the governing body as a whole.

Accountability


2.4

The supervisor has effective internal governance structures, processes and procedures to preserve the integrity of its actions and decisions and to enable it to account to its stakeholders.


2.4.1    

A well-defined internal governance structure and strong internal governance processes support the accountability and integrity of the supervisor. The supervisor’s internal governance includes its organisational structure and management arrangements, lines of responsibility, and systems of risk management and internal controls. In this context, integrity refers to the supervisor always acting with probity, respectability and lawfulness, and within the bounds of its delegated authority.

2.4.2    

Regardless of the supervisor’s governance structure, the responsibilities of the governing body, the responsibilities of Senior Management, communication channels and decision making authorities, including delegation thereof, should be documented in writing to facilitate compliance with internal controls, including proper authorisation of actions taken by or on behalf of the supervisor. In addition, well-defined communication channels help ensure prompt escalation of significant issues to appropriate levels within the supervisor.

2.4.3    
The supervisor should have a process to develop and implement a strategic plan that sets out its goals and priorities, given the responsibilities and objectives assigned to it by legislation. Such a plan should cover a specific period of time, such as two or three years. The supervisor should report on its performance against that plan to the government and other stakeholders, including insurance industry participants, consumers and the general public.

2.4.4    
The supervisor should identify the individual or group of individuals responsible for the implementation and review of the internal governance arrangements. The internal governance processes and procedures should be subject to regular independent review, for example by an internal audit function or a public auditor.

2.5

The supervisor applies requirements and supervisory procedures consistently and equitably.

 


2.5.1    
The supervisor should have internal mechanisms to help ensure that it is consistent in the actions and decisions it takes.

2.5.2    
Cases where circumstances are similar should lead the supervisor to take similar actions or decisions. Actions taken in a particular case in the past should be considered in new cases where the circumstances are similar, unless a change in the requirements or supervisory procedures occurred in the time between the two cases.

2.6

There are processes to appeal against supervisory decisions which do not unduly impede the ability of the supervisor to make timely interventions in order to protect policyholders’ interests or contribute to financial stability.


2.6.1    

Procedural fairness enhances public confidence in the supervisory process. Parties subject to a decision made by the supervisor should be able to receive the written reasons for the decision and to appeal the decision to an impartial review body or tribunal. The manner in which the supervisor’s decision could be subject to judicial review, or in which decisions can be appealed, should be defined and transparent, and included in the notification of the decision.

2.6.2    
The existence of an appeal or review mechanism helps ensure that the supervisor’s decisions are made within the law as consistently as possible and are well reasoned. Appeal processes should be specific and balanced to preserve supervisory independence and effectiveness. However, these processes should allow the supervisor to exercise its powers quickly in cases where expeditious action is required. In certain cases, these processes may provide that the decision of the supervisor remains in force until the appeal or review mechanism has produced a final decision on the appeal, unless otherwise ordered by a court.

2.7

The supervisor, including its staff and any third party acting on its behalf (presently or in the past), are required by legislation to protect confidential information in the possession of the supervisor.

Transparency


2.8

The supervisor is transparent to the public, supervised entities and the government about how it exercises its responsibilities.

 


2.8.1    
Transparency reinforces accountability of supervisors. The supervisor should publish information about itself and the insurance sector, including:
  • its objectives and responsibilities;
  • its goals and priorities for the future;
  • its activities in light of its goals and priorities in the previous year;
  • its resources, including human, technological and financial;
  • data and analysis about the state of the insurance sector; and
  • supervisory measures taken in relation to problem or failed insurers, subject to confidentiality considerations and in so far as it does not jeopardise other supervisory objectives or prejudice another case pending before the supervisor.

2.8.2    
The supervisor should seek to publish a report at least annually that contains the elements listed above as well as its audited financial statements. This type of report is a key document by which a supervisor accounts to its stakeholders.

2.9

The supervisor publishes its requirements, policies and supervisory procedures. The supervisor consults publicly on significant changes that it makes to requirements, policies and supervisory procedures.

2.9.1    

The supervisor publishes and regularly reviews requirements, policies and supervisory procedures to ensure they remain appropriate for the characteristics of the industry, emerging risks and evolving international standards. Some requirements may be contained in primary legislation, while others may be contained in instruments issued by the supervisor, such as guidance and industry advice. The supervisor should ensure these instruments are made available to the public, for example on the supervisor’s website.

2.9.2    

A critical element of transparency is for the supervisor to provide the opportunity for meaningful public consultation on proposed requirements and supervisory procedures. Meaningful public consultation benefits from participation by a diversity of stakeholders. Consequently, the supervisor should have methods in place to encourage and solicit stakeholder participation. All persons (presently or in the past) gaining access to confidential information should be subject to the penalties for the wrongful disclosure of that information.

2.9.3    

The supervisor should have written procedures on the types of documents that are subject to public consultation as well as the process and timelines for consultation. Some documents used in the supervisory process may not be suitable for consultation, such as detailed procedural manuals that are used to guide staff of the supervisor in the performance of their day-to-day duties.

2.9.4    

In some jurisdictions, the development and issuance of requirements may be outside of the control of the supervisor; for example, the power to enact legislation may be vested in another government body or supranational bodies that have a direct role in the legislation in force in their member countries. In such cases, the consultation process may also be outside the remit of the supervisor. To the extent possible, the supervisor should be involved in the development of the requirements, for example, by participating in consultations, and the supervisor should keep the public and the industry informed of proposed changes.

Resources


2.10

The supervisor has sufficient resources, including human, technological and financial resources, to enable it to conduct effective supervision.

 


2.10.1    

The supervisor’s financial resources and staffing policies should enable it to attract and retain highly skilled, competent and experienced staff with the necessary professional qualifications, where required. The supervisor should have the ability to hire or contract the services of external experts when necessary.

2.10.2    
The supervisor should have a process for regularly reviewing its human resources needs, the skills and experience of existing staff and its projected human resource requirements over the short to medium term.

2.10.3    
This review could lead the supervisor to implement initiatives to bridge gaps in numbers and/or skills. These could include more flexible hiring policies or schemes for secondment of staff from industry or other supervisory authorities within the jurisdiction or internationally. These initiatives may help in providing access to specialist skills on a temporary basis. Secondments for supervisory staff to industry or other supervisory authorities enhance the skills and experience of staff particularly to better understand industry practices. When implementing such initiatives, the supervisor should have safeguards in place to avoid conflicts of interest and protect confidential information, such as by restricting access to certain information.

2.10.4    
The supervisor should provide adequate training opportunities for its staff to ensure that their skills and supervisory practices remain up to date with evolving supervisory and regulatory developments and changes in the industry.

2.10.5    
The technological resources available to the supervisor should enable supervisory staff to collect and store securely, quickly access, and efficiently analyse information about the entities it supervises.

2.11
Where the supervisor outsources supervisory activities to third parties, the supervisor:
  • sets expectations for their role and work;
  • monitors their performance;
  • ensures their independence from the supervised entity or any other related party; and
  • subjects them to the same confidentiality rules and professional standards as the staff of the supervisor.


2.11.1    

Outsourcing of selected supervisory activities to third parties can complement the supervisor’s resources with valuable expertise. However, supervisory activities are primarily the responsibility of the supervisor. The supervisor should retain accountability for and oversight of any outsourced activities to the same degree as non-outsourced activities. Outsourcing should not adversely affect the supervisor`s ability to conduct effective supervision or meet its objectives.

2.11.2    

The process used to select third party providers should be fair, open and transparent. All qualified third party providers should have equal access to information regarding the process. Prior to engaging a third party, the supervisor should assess the proposed provider’s competence and experience and the safeguards for the handling of data, including treatment of confidential information. The decision to select a provider should be made free from conflicts of interest, or where such conflicts cannot be avoided, they should be managed.

2.11.3    
A written agreement should govern the relationship between the supervisor and the third party provider. The agreement should describe all material aspects of the outsourcing arrangement, including the services to be provided, remuneration of the third party provider, resolution of disputes and procedures governing the sub-contracting of services.