Pension Fundamentals training course programme 2024

The following programme timings apply to in-person training dates only. 

Day one

9.30am – Registration and refreshments

9.55am – Chair’s introduction to the day - Local Government Association 

10.00am – Duties and responsibilities of Pension Committees and Boards - Aon

• the legislative framework
• governance arrangements
• oversight bodies

11.30am – Refreshment break

11.45am – Benefit structure - Local Government Association

• the basis of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• final salary versus CARE schemes
• a tour of the 2014 scheme

1.00pm – Lunch

2.00pm – The legal landscape - Osborne Clarke

• LGPS specific duties and responsibilities
• common problem areas
• wider duties and responsibilities
• what happens when things go wrong?

3.15pm – Refreshment break

3.30pm – Good governance - Scheme Advisory Board

• what does good governance look like?
• mandatory and desirable policies in the LGPS
• how strategies and policies assist the scheme manager

4.15pm – Close

Day two

9.30am – Registration and refreshments

9.55am – Chair’s introduction to the day - Local Government Association

10.00am – Investment framework - Scheme Advisory Board

• the investment regulations
• investment and funding strategy statements
• your investment duties

11.00am – Investment basics - Ninety One

• the different types of investment classes and how they work
• risk and return

12.00pm – Refreshment break

12.15pm – Working with your pool - London CIV Ltd / Border to Coast

• how different pool models work in practice
• roles and responsibilities 
• working effectively together

1.15pm – Lunch

2.15pm – Valuations

• the purpose of an actuarial valuation 
• assets and liabilities 
• how liability calculations work
• the assumptions used

3.15pm – Refreshment break

3.30pm – Funding - Hymans Robertson

• the importance of a funding strategy
• different employers - different characteristics and objectives
• communicating with employers and employer covenants 

4.15pm Close

Day three

9.30am – Registration and coffee

9.55am – Chair’s introduction to the day - Local Government Association 

10.00am – Being a responsible asset owner - Scheme Advisory Board

• stewardship
• cost transparency
• fiduciary duty

11.00am – Refreshment break

11.15am – The LGPS landscape - Scheme Advisory Board

• how the LGPS landscape is evolving 
• the impact of proposed policy changes

12.00pm – A view from the bridge - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 

• the role of the responsible government department
• issues on the radar

12.45pm – Lunch

1.45pm – Meeting the Pension Regulator's expectations - Nick Gannon/Lucy Stone 

• monitoring performance on key processes
• reporting balance
• data management
• pensions dashboards

2.45pm – Refreshment break

3.00pm – Cyber security - Tony Gee, Pen Test Partners

• assessing and understanding the risk
• your role

4.00pm – Close