12 July 2018
The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA), the independent body dedicated to
driving up standards in pensions administration, announces the publication of its Administration
Governance Trustee Checklist. This has been developed in response to The Pensions Regulator’s
(TPR) drive to improve the Governance of Pension Schemes, under its 21st Century Trusteeship
initiative. TPR has identified that trustees should focus on the key areas which are vital for good member outcomes, including administration and recordkeeping. The checklist is an additional tool to help trustees to evidence and action appropriate levels of governance over their administration provider.
Fergus Clarke, Executive Director of PASA, said: “The Pensions Regulator’s drive to improve the
overall governance of pension schemes includes administration. We have prepared this checklist to assist trustees to manage their relationship with their administrator and to identify if there are any areas which need further attention. Designed to be an easy and at a glance way for trustees to undertake a governance review of their administration function, we have set out the questions people should be asking their provider to assess suitability and highlight any problem areas that need addressing. “In cases where trustees pinpoint any areas of concern, we advise engaging with the provider to first air concerns and assess how significant a risk this presents to member outcomes, before agreeing corrective action to mitigate this. Trustees who are able to check off all points positively can be confident that they are delivering good governance in relation to the PASA Standards of administration and record keeping.”
Lesley Titcomb, Chief Executive of The Pensions Regulator, said: “The Pensions Regulator
welcomes the development of tools like this, which provide ways for trustees to assess their current levels of governance and set targets for improvement. As part of our work on 21st Century Trusteeship we would like to encourage trustees to regularly assess their board effectiveness and we welcome initiatives developed by industry to support TPR’s drive to improve governance.”
To view the full checklist, click here.