The Pensions Regulator

Research shows success of Trustee toolkit

The Pensions Regulator's Trustee toolkit is very effective as a learning tool in educating lay trustees of both DB and DC schemes, according to research.

Feedback from respondents was overwhelmingly positive with the toolkit considered to be easy to use, reliable, well designed and to contain content relevant to trustees' own schemes. The flexibility, user-friendliness, presentation and real-life scenarios of the toolkit were commended, as well as its relevance for trustees regardless of their level of experience.

Almost all the trustees taking part in the research had had some traditional topic specific training, generally from scheme advisers. However, trustees who had completed the toolkit demonstrated a more rounded knowledge and understanding of the governance requirements for their schemes. Respondents also felt their confidence had been greatly increased across a wide range of areas as a direct result of the Toolkit training.

The research showed:

The toolkit is proving very effective as a learning tool - feedback from all users of the toolkit was overwhelmingly positive.

Those who had completed the toolkit demonstrated a more rounded knowledge and understanding of governance requirements for their schemes than those who had done few or no modules.

Key advocates of the toolkit included professional advisers and trustees.

Trustees of DC schemes (or DC sections) showed the greatest improvement in confidence (starting from a lower base than DB trustees) and are planning to give more time to DC matters.

The toolkit was judged to contain much content relevant to trustees' own schemes, even for experienced trustees, and makes a positive difference to trustee knowledge and the way they run their schemes.

The toolkit was considered to be easy to use, reliable and well designed. Trustees like the flexibility of access it offers, allowing them to work at their own individual pace.

A DB scheme trustee who completed the toolkit commented: "I thought it was highly professional, better than I had expected. I liked the multimedia aspect of it and being able to work at my own pace. I thought the case studies and the reference material were excellent."

The regulator's free e-learning programme the Trustee toolkit was designed to deliver the learning required for lay trustees of occupational pension schemes to meet their knowledge and understanding requirements.

Research was carried out to determine the effectiveness of the Toolkit both as a learning tool and as an agent for change in the behaviour of lay trustees and the governance of pension schemes. The qualitative research, a mix of focus groups and discussions, was conducted by iQ.

To view the research on the Pensions Regulator website visit:

http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/onlinePublications/factsandfigures.aspx

To sign up to the toolkit visit: http://www.trusteetoolkit.co.uk