The document discusses the UK's implementation of the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) system. EESSI will allow the electronic exchange of social security data between EU member states. The UK project has three tiers: 1) the EU-wide EESSI infrastructure, 2) the UK National Access Point, and 3) interfaces with individual UK department systems. Progress is being made towards developing the UK National Access Point and integrating department systems by the April 2012 deadline.

1. Electronic Exchange of
Social Security
Information
(EESSI)
TRESS Seminar
02/07/10
Gary Taylor
Department for Work and Pensions

2. Background
• Gary Taylor
• Project Manager – Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
• Initial objective was to establish the business impacts associated with
the introduction of Regulation (EC) 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) 987/09.
• Necessity to establish the changes early enough to facilitate the delivery
of required activities to provide operational staff with the relevant skills
to administer the changes from the 01/05/10.
• Secondary objectives were to identify and plan any future changes to the
business as a consequence of any other associated changes scheduled
to take effect post the introduction of the new regulations.
• Other main objectives were to establish the activities and timescales
required to enable the electronic transfer of DWP data by no later than
the 30/04/12.

3. Changes in the New EU Regulations
• The Project identified a total of 29 change activities as a consequence
of the introduction of the new EU Regulations from the 01/05/10.
Business Areas Number of Changes
Pensions 7
Across all Business Areas 6
Occupational Diseases 5
Unemployment 4
Sickness 4
Debt Recovery 2
Death Grants 1
Total 29

4. Project Deliverables
• For every main change identified the Project has delivered a series of
activities or products to facilitate the introduction of the relevant change.
These include:
• Technical/Awareness Communication products
• E-Learning Training Modules
• Revision of DWP Guidance products
• Revision of DWP Internal Facing Documentation
• Revision of DWP Customer facing Letters
• Revision of Small DWP IT Systems
• Updates to relevant Websites

5. Further Impacts
• In addition a key change across all the business areas is the complete
revision of all social security coordination forms from paper e-forms to
paper structured electronic documents (SEDs) and portable
documents for the use by customers.
• The delivery for the agreed content of these new forms has been
scheduled by the European Commission to occur over 3 separate stages
in 2010.
• The first set of documents were provided to all Member States for
immediate use in May 2010.
• The second set of documents are scheduled for delivery in August 2010.
• The remaining documents are scheduled for delivery in November 2010.

6. Business Processes by Category
Main Business Flows and Associated SEDs
Category Flows SEDs
Sickness 23 70
Unemployment 8 35*
Pensions 9 197*
Occupational Diseases 13 51*
Recovery 13 35
Family Benefits 10 27
Applicable Legislation 3 9
Horizontal 6 14
Total 85 438
* The figure contains Country variants for the same SED

7. Implementation Results
• Across all the relevant Departments everyone was ready to implement
the new regulations from the 01/05/10.
• Departments have been receiving new SEDs and Portable Documents
from other Member States.
• UK Departments have also been issuing new SEDs and Portable
Documents to other Member States.
• Obviously with only a two months having past since the introduction of
the new regulations there has been insufficient cases yet to test many of
the changes introduced by the new regulations.
• Overall positive responses from all of the UK Departments impacted by
the introduction and implementation of the new regulations.

8. Issues / Challenges to Date
• Challenge for the business is the need to actually run both the old and
new regulations for Social Security Coordination.
• This brings an additional layer of business process to determine
whether the Country or the type of Customer is currently applicable to the
new regulations.
• Challenge around the transitional period where the use of old and new
coordination forms will need to work without any adverse effect on the
customer experience.
• Still some clarity required in some of the regulations particularly around
some of the implementation aspects.
• Still some clarification of the impact of the new regulations on National
Legislation.
• The expected initial teething problems of introducing new processes
and new forms, which will reduce through familiarity and repetition
of activities over time.

9. Implementing Regulation 789/09
• Article 4(2) of implementing Regulation 789/09 States:
• The transmission of data between the institutions or the liaison bodies
shall be carried out by electronic means either directly or indirectly
through the access points under a common secure framework that can
guarantee the confidentiality and protection of exchanges of data.
• Article 95(1) of implementing Regulation 789/09 States:
• Each Member state may benefit from a transitional period for exchanging
data by electronic means as provided for by Article 4(2) of the
implementing Regulation. These transitional periods shall not exceed 24
months from the date of entry into force of the implementing regulation.
• As a consequence of these requirements we have been exploring the
options for the UK and the associated Departments to be able to send
and receive social security coordination data through an electronic
exchange to the timescales specified.

10. UK EESSI Programme - Objectives
• To lead on the co-ordination of the UK EESSI implementation activities.
• To manage the engagement with UK Stakeholder Departments, the
European Commission EESSI Project Team and the Commission’s IT
supplier.
• To work with UK Departmental stakeholders to secure funding for the full
lifecycle of the UK EESSI NAP Project and to agree requirements.
• To ensure the UK is EESSI enabled by providing a single National Access
Point for exchange for social security information according to the
reference architecture, process flows and document format set out by the
EC.

11. The Three Tiers of EESSI Implementation
Tier 1 – EU EESSI Main Infrastructure
Tier 2 – UK EESSI National Access Point
Tier 3 – DWP EESSI Interface Solution

12. Tier 1 - EESSI Main Infrastructure
The first tier is the main EU Infrastructure. This is the responsibility of the
European Commission to deliver in Partnership with the respective IT
Suppliers.
DWP are stakeholders in the delivery of this project through the UK
representation as a Member State and at the decision making forums of the
European Commission.
These forums consist of the Administrative Commission (AC), the Technical
Commission (TC) the Task Force and the use of ad hoc working groups
formed as and when they are required.
The UK is not one of the six Member States selected to take part in the formal
testing of the EESSI main Infrastructure solution.

13. EESSI High Level Architecture
CI
CI CI The set CI IT systems
of
CI The sTESTA Member National servicesCI
and developed
National
backbone is operated
State 2 for EESSI by the EC are
Network
Network
and maintained by the referred CI as
to
Member EC “Coordination Node”
CI
State 1 EESSI
International Network
sTESTA
CI
Member State 3
National
Network CI
Member National
State “n” Network
CI CI CI
Member CI
National National State 4
Network Network
CI
CI
CI CI
CI Coordination Access
CI
Competent
Node Point Institution

14. IT Systems connected to the EESSI Network
CI CI
CI CI The “Coordination Node”
CI encompasses all EESSI Member National CI
National systems deployed in the 2
State Network
Network Data Centre and operated CI
by the EC. CI
Member
State 1 EESSI
“Access Points” are International Network
operated by Member sTESTA
States. They are accessible
both via National Networks
CI
as well as sTESTA. Member State 3
National
Network CI
Member National
State “n” “Competent Institutions”
Network
CI CI are connected to CI
National
Member National Networks.
CI
National State 4
Network Network
CI
CI
CI CI
CI Coordination Access
CI
Competent
Node Point Institution

15. Tier 2 - UK EESSI National Access Point
• To implement a single National Access Point (NAP) and a web
interface application for the UK which would enable the electronic
exchange of social security information with institutions in other EU
Member States before the end of transitional period in April 2012.
• The UK EESSI NAP, is the IT solution for the Tier 2 EESSI
infrastructure which will be shared and used by a number of UK
Departments.
• Cross Government discussions are ongoing to determine a common
set of requirements to facilitate an electronic exchange through a
single web interface solution for the UK.

16. Tier 2 - UK Access Point
CI
CI
EESSI requires that all
Competent Institutions
Member CI
access the International National
State 2
EESSI backbone network Network
via “Access Points”
CI
CI
EESSI
Backbone
Network
Coordination Access International Part National Part of Competent
Node Point of Access Point Access Point CI Institution

17. Tier 3 - DWP EESSI Implementation
• Tier 3 is where the existing business transactions will need to be
configured to interact with the UK EESSI National Access Point.
• This Tier is looking to determining the most efficient and cost
effective approach to completing the transactions required.
• For DWP this has established that there should be a minimum level of
data entry completed automatically for the EU data exchanges
from data already held on other existing Departmental IT systems. The level
of automation will increase depending on the volume and content of each
data exchange required.
• It is envisaged that there will always be some manual data entries
required by an end user to complete the relevant transaction.
• DWP are therefore responsible for the design, development &
implementation costs associated with any solution that is required to
interface with the UK EESSI National Access Point.

18. Tier 3 - DWP Proposed Solution Overview
HMRC Existing DWP Existing
IT System IT System
Access Point
EESSI Interface DWP Existing
Solution IT System
EESSI DWP
Network
IPAP NPAP Network
DWP existing
IT System

19. Sending messages via Access Points
CI CI CI
CI
CI Member National CI
National State 2 Network
Network
CI
Member CI
State 1 EESSI
International Network
sTESTA
CI
“Competent Institutions” Member State 3
National
Network
send messages via the CI
Member
National Network to the National
State “n” Access Point that is Network
CI CI responsible for them. CI
Member CI
National National State 4
Network Network
CI
CI
CI CI
CI Coordination Access
CI
Competent
Node Point Institution

20. Message exchange via the Coordination Node
CI CI CI
CI
CI Member National CI
National State 2 Network
Network Access Points relay
CI
ALL messages to
Member CI
State 1
the Coordination
EESSI
Node.
International Network
sTESTA
CI
Member State 3
National
Network CI
Member National
State “n” Network
CI CI CI
Member CI
National National State 4
Network Network
CI
CI
CI CI
CI Coordination Access
CI
Competent
Node Point Institution

21. Message delivery via appropriate Access Point
The Coordination Node relays
CI CI
CI CI messages to the Access Point
CI of the destination Competent National
Member CI
National Institution. The Access Point Network
State 2
Network delivers them to the CI. CI
Member CI
State 1 EESSI
International Network
sTESTA
CI
Member State 3
National
Network CI
Member National
State “n” Network
CI CI CI
Member CI
National National State 4
Network Network
CI
CI
CI CI
CI Coordination Access
CI
Competent
Node Point Institution

22. Tier 2 - UK EESSI Programme Structure

23. UK EESSI Programme Governance
• The UK EESSI NAP Project is currently governed by the
UK EESSI Programme Board and the UK EESSI Steering
Committee.
• The UK EESSI Programme Manager is Amy Malik – DWP.
• The Tier 2 UK EESSI NAP Project is also currently being
managed by Amy Malik.
• Each Tier 3 UK Departmental EESSI project will report
progress through their own internal Departmental
Governance arrangements.

24. Tier 2 - UK NAP Stakeholders
• The NAP will be used by the following UK Departments (represented on the UK EESSI Steering
Committee and Programme Board):
• Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), The Pension Service, Disability and Carers Service,
Jobcentre Plus.
• Department of Health (DoH), Overseas Health Team
• HM Revenue & Custom (HMRC), Benefits & Credits Change
• Northern Ireland Social Security Agency (NISSA)
• Department of Health, Social Security and Public Services Northern Ireland (DHSSPSNI)*
• Other key Stakeholders are (represented on the UK EESSI Steering Committee):
• Cabinet Office (Assurance capacity from a Pan Government IT Strategy’s perspective)
• HM Treasury (Advisory capacity from a perspective of funding)
• Government of Gibraltar (which will have it’s own National Access Point but would like to
share knowledge with the UK)
• DWP, DH and HMRC are the Departmental sponsors and they have agreed to equally share the
costs of the UK EESSI NAP solution.
• * DHSSPSNI is represented at the UK EESSI Steering Committee and the Programme Board by NISSA

25. Progress of the UK EESSI NAP Programme
Pre-feasibility Phase High-level Key Milestones
Milestone Progress Date
Obtain funding commitment from Departmental Completed April 2009
sponsors for UK EESSI NAP Programme team
in FY 2009-2010
Establish Cross-Government Governance Completed June 2009
Structure for UK EESSI Programme and UK
EESSI NAP Programme
High-level business requirements and solution Completed August 2009
options
MOU 1 signed off by funding Departments Completed September
2009
DWP EESSI Project Gate 0 approved Completed September
2009

26. Progress of the UK EESSI NAP Programme
Feasibility Phase High-level Key Milestones
Milestone Progress Date
Functional requirements for Web Interface Completed January 2010
Service
UK EESSI NAP high-level logical architecture Completed March 2010
Make SRO/ Accreditor / Data Owners aware of Completed April 2010
the use of S-TESTA (EC’s network) and key
security concerns
Commence planning options for sourcing Commenced January 2010
development of UK EESSI NAP
Investment Decision made Delay to June due to Project July 2010
Review exercise

27. Progress of the UK EESSI NAP Programme
Implementation Phase High-level Key Milestones
Milestone Progress Date
UK EESSI NAP development and delivery August 2010
commenced
UK EESSI NAP accredited and ready for August 2011
Departmental integration testing
Completed Integration Testing with the relevant March 2012
UK Departments
All relevant UK Departments connected to NAP March 2012
and EESSI to go live
UK start exchange SEDs with all Member April 2012
States in EEA

28. Questions