Its name has been scandalized and its funds have mismanaged, and since the scandal broke in 2005, the Social Security Board has been fighting to restore its battered image. The board has a new Chairman and CEO, and now it has a new logo - complete with re-defined vision and mission statements. It is a part of the Board's strategic business transformation project. So what's in a logo? Keith Swift tried to find out.

Keith Swift Reporting,
This morning Social Security Board member Meliton Auil unveiled the institution's new logo. It is a new logo for what Chairman Michel Chebat says is a new Social Security Board.

Michel Chebat, Chairman - Social Security Board
"What we present to you this morning is not only a new logo, mission, and vision statements. We present to you a new way of thinking, a new way of service to our customers."

A new way because Chairman Chebat says that simply put - the old Social Security Board wasn't doing its job.

Michel Chebat,
"To bring to an end a period of unfavorable public attention and imperfect service provision to our stakeholders. We have heard the concerns and criticisms of our customers and it has encouraged us to take a long meaningful look at our processes, technology, work force competencies as well as our corporate culture.

We also found that the goals we were trying to achieve in our mission and vision statements were not entirely representative of the needs of our dynamic society. Similarly our logo did not accurately represent the benefits that our scheme offers. Today we hoist the sails of our Social Security Board ship set off on a well planned and carefully chartered course of sustainable growth, improve transparency, and greater integrity."

The man captaining that ship is Chief Executive Officer Dr. Louis Zabaneh.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Chief Executive Officer - SSB
"This new logo has been chosen as a catalyst to this change. It encapsulates our evolution, our strength and our commitment to serve our customers to the best of our ability. We are in the process of changing ourselves for the better."

And Zabaneh says better will be a new customer oriented Social Security Board. If Zabaneh gets his way, lines like this one will be a thing of the pass. Of course it sounds good and the new logo might look good but will it make a difference? Zabaneh says it already has.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh,
"Our customers will begin to feel or have already began to feel, we're getting excellent feedback, where our staff is concerned. The kind of service that they get, the turnaround time being reduced in various requests that they make of the Social Security Board."

Keith Swift,
Has the wait time been cut down because the last time I checked it took two weeks to get your Social Security card?

Dr. Louis Zabaneh,
"Yes we have benchmarked not only that turnaround time but all our various services. We have looked at over 2,700 processes and benchmarking them - getting rid of those that are inefficient and takes some time. So yes, that is one that we are looking at but certainly there are others as well."

Social Security's reformation comes months before the general election. Zabaneh says its just a coincidence.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh,
"We are not guided by any political agenda. We are guided by a board of directors who have been vocal, who have said what they have to say to ensure protection of the fund. As far as we are concerned with our transformation, we have our own timetable. We are doing the best that we can to make sure we meet with that timetable, regardless of what is going on in the political environment. We have to do what we have to do and this is the time for us to do it now."

New Social Security cards will be issued with the new logo but the old cards will still be valid. And while it doesn't say much for customer care efficiency, the Social Security Board will still be closed on Wednesdays in order to facilitate training for staff.