The World Economic Forum Partnership with Mercer and the OECD


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The World Economic Forum Partnership with Mercer and the OECD

Last updated: 27 October 2009

This is a two-year partnership to research new ways for employers, governments and providers to improve the productivity and retirement security of the world’s workforce in a rapidly ageing and less healthy world. Our research findings and insights can be accessed from this website.

Research methodology: 19 workshops in 11 cities around the world and over 50 interviews, involving approximately 200 CEOs, senior executives, government ministers, academics, and representatives from international organizations.

The value of the World Economic Forum global research in collaboration with Mercer and OECD

"Transforming Pensions and Healthcare in a Rapidly Ageing World: Opportunities and Collaborative Strategies" inspires employers and policymakers to expand and shift their strategic thinking. The report makes a compelling case for immediate and collaborative action by the private and public sectors. Even more impressive, the analysis sets out a pragmatic blueprint for transformation, by identifying the most promising 11 strategies and providing three key scenarios of the future against which to consider the effectiveness of each. The 11 key strategies range from the now existing, but underappreciated, to new and highly innovative options that merit serious consideration.

At a time when recovery from the recent economic turmoil places pressure on already stretched resources, this research provides global leaders with a powerful decision-making framework for evaluating and prioritizing alternative pension and healthcare financing strategies. Employers, providers and governments will need to collaborate in new ways to meet the challenges identified by this research. In particular, the massive challenge we face of financing pensions and healthcare during our unprecedented ageing of societies requires collaborative intervention at earlier stages in the lifespan and not only near or at retirement age. This research is a clear call for strategic thinking by global leaders reviewing their pension and healthcare agendas. Mercer intends to continue to work in partnership with many major employers , governments and providers to seek out effective innovation and practical solutions in these areas.

I am personally proud of being a part of this unique and important global research as Chairperson of the Steering Committee. This publication is the outcome of two years of global research conducted by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Mercer and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which distills insights from interviews and workshops with approximately 200 global leaders from around the world.

M. Michele Burns
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Mercer

Mercer Perspective

Transforming pensions and healthcare: Opportunities and collaborative strategies

This article provides an overview of the findings of a two-year project conducted by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Mercer and the OECD, addressing the challenges of financing pensions and healthcare in the future and stressing the importance of all stakeholders to work collaboratively to develop successful strategies.

Written by, Chiemi Hayashi of the World Economic Forum, Heli Olkkonen of Mercer, Bernd Jan Sikken of the World Economic Forum and Juan Yermo of the OECD

Heli Olkkonen Chiemi Hayashi Bernd Jan Sikken Juan Yermo

Defining roles: Employers as players or spectators?

Employers play a vital role in the provision of financially sustainable retirement and health care benefits. Here we describe the critical relationship between employers and other stakeholders, focusing on the need for companies to evaluate their position – engaged or reluctant – in addressing the challenges of providing these benefits.

John Betts

Practical investment decision-making solutions for defined benefit funds

Pension fund performance and its associated investment strategy are the key drivers of successful retirement benefits. Skillful investment management requires both timeliness and quality in the decisions made. This article recommends a governance framework, including clear decision-making structures that support fiduciaries in achieving their investment objectives.

Adrian Hartshorn Vicki Stokoe

Making DC plans more effective

With the global movement toward DC plans for retirement provision, this article discusses the two action areas in response to the key retirement options discussed by the Forum: the challenges facing countries when establishing a personal accounts system and the need for improved employee financial education and advice, with examples of how to simplify decision making.

Neil Lloyd

Health care strategies: Opportunities for the employer?

Here we review the employer actions set out under the key options designated by the Forum report as being crucial to the development of financially sustainable health care, noting some of the differences between the developed and the developing worlds.

Amy Laverock Jenny Hawker

Why workforce planning still matters

Despite a temporary talent surplus created by the economic downturn, global talent shortages – brought on by shifting demographics and aging workforces – will emerge again soon. That is why workforce planning remains an indispensable tool that can help organizations remain competitive and well positioned to succeed.

Rick A. Guzzo Jason Jeffay