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Key Area 1 |
Review the level & quality of the then present LIBERATA service and compare the current service against best practice service provision. |
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Action for service improvement |
Agree and implement Pension Administration Development Programme commencing in 2002/2003. |
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Current status |
The pension administration development programme is attached at Annex A. This details the progress made against each objective. Note: the timescales for implementation of actions were changed to meet other requirements e.g. document imaging was introduced before workflow. |
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Key Area 2 |
Establish a specification that will meet the needs of all stakeholders |
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Action for service improvement |
Consult with pensions staff and employing bodies on the revised service specification produced by SECTOR for effective introduction from 1 April 2003 |
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Current status |
The SECTOR report service specifications were based upon standard response times taken from the LGPC Benchmarking questionnaire. This did not cover all functions but where standards were given the response times shown averaged between 5 and 10 working days. The Oxfordshire County Council specification gave response times of, on average upto 30 days, although this is, depending on complexity and the need for full disclosure of information, as short as 3 days or as long as 3 months. The SECTOR report went on to state that there were no serious backlogs of work. However, this was found to be incorrect when the team transferred back in-house. As previous reports have noted this backlog along with the low level of staff experience has meant that staff training has had to take priority before tackling the backlog. We have also undertaken a business process re-engineering exercise within the team and as a result have created a team to deal with the backlog and to improve our response times. |
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Key Area 3 |
Compare the cost of providing the specification. |
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Action for service improvement |
Best Value Committee to confirm Option A strategy for in-house provision of service from 1 April 2003. Pension Fund Committee to approve at May 2002 meeting. |
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Current status |
Completed. The pension administration business plan and budget is submitted to the Pension Fund Committee in February each year, with an outturn report being submitted in August. In the first year (2002/2004) operating costs were £632,000 against a previous charge, from Liberata, of £871,000. Since then costs have risen but remain within the median range for benchmarked costs. The 2005/2006 budgets were £809,000 – a cost of £22.32 per member against the median benchmark of £22.53. |
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Key Area 4 |
Consider, supported by evidence, how the specification should be provided after termination of current LIBERATA contract on 31 March 2003 |
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Action for service improvement |
Appoint Pension Fund Manager to strengthen management of the pension function (including investment management. An appointment in the September 2002 is proposed subject to the approval of the Pension Fund Committee at May 2002 meeting. |
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Current status |
Completed. |
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Key Area 5 |
Carry out a consultation exercise with stakeholders |
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Action for service improvement (i) |
Improve the levels of communication and quality of information given to:
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Current status |
Forms and information provided have been changed to give better information. These are reviewed on a regular basis. |
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Action for service improvement (ii) |
Improve the timeliness of the lump sum payment so that all recently retired members receive it within the time period included in the new service specification. Improve the timeliness of the first pension instalment so that all recently retired receive their first instalment within the time period included in the new service specification. |
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Current status |
This is achieved in all cases where paperwork has been received. |
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Key Area 6 |
Review the procedures used to handle complaints |
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Action for service improvement (i) |
A formal complaints procedure and monitoring process should be incorporated into the service provision. This should be an item in the Development Programme. |
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Current status |
All complaints are recorded and replied to within 5 working days. Where a complaint is made under the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP) specified within the Pension Regulations the acknowledgement is made within 5 days and the complaint dealt with in accordance with IDRP timescales. |
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Action for service improvement (ii) |
Pension training for employing body HR staff should be introduced. This should be an item in the Development Programme. |
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Current status |
See Annex A. |
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Key Area 7 |
Review the process and cost of administering fire pensions and teachers’ compensation payments and consider whether the costs are fully recovered. |
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Action for service improvement (i) |
Investigate the computerisation of the firefighters pension records as a matter of urgency and obtain funding from the Fire Authority. |
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Current status |
Completed – see Annex A. |
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Action for service improvement (ii) |
Review the charges for Fire and Teachers pension administration and negotiate the revised charges with the LEA and Fire Authority for implementation with effect from 1 April 2003. |
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Current status |
Completed – see Annex A. |
Conclusion
Overall the majority of the actions arising from the Best Value review have been completed. Throughout the process the actions have been altered to take account of other factors and priorities, as in this last year we took the opportunity to undertake a business process re-engineering exercise rather than complete the implementation of task management since we felt that it would be more beneficial in the long term.
The new Pension Regulations introduced from April 2006 can now be incorporated in our process and task management implemented.
The Committee may wish to consider whether:
SUE
SCANE
Head of Finance & Procurement
Contact
Officer: Sally Fox, Pensions Services Manager 01865 816080
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