Pensions Administration Operational Support Service Framework

Norfolk County Council on its own behalf and on behalf of the Pension Funds listed below wish to let a Multi-Provider Framework Agreement for the provision of specialist operational support for pension administration services primarily in the support of The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Cheshire West and Chester Council (as Administering Authority of the Cheshire Pension Fund)
- Essex County Council (as Administering Authority of the Essex Pension Fund)
- Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (as Administering Authority of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund)
- City of Wolverhampton Council (as Administering Authority of the West Midlands Pension Fund)
This framework may also be used by:
- Any LGPS administering authorities as defined in the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/2356) (as amended) including the Firefighters' Pension Scheme and Police Pension Schemes and any of their participating employing authorities, or in relation to the LGPS in Scotland, any administering authority and any of their scheme employers as defined in the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (SSI 2018/141) (as amended),
- NILGOSC in Northern Ireland and employing authorities as defined in the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (SRNI 2014/188) (as amended),
- The Board of the Pension Protection Fund.
- NHS Business Services Authority (administrators of the NHS Pension Scheme)
- Any other administering authority or scheme manager of a public-sector pension scheme or any public-sector body that requires pensions related services, and
- Any LGPS Fund(s) or groups of funds, or any bodies, organisations or companies established by them for the purpose of operating on a collective basis.
This Framework will be split into Lots.

Provision of operational administration services across a range of Pension Administration work areas, including but not limited to:
Data interrogation and rectification, to include the following aspects:
- Data exploration and analysis of member data sets, providing detailed outcome reports and identification of issues and gaps and required resolution activities
- Undertake rectification and remedial data cleansing activities e.g. support with McCloud projects, employer transfer, Pensions, Administration System implementation support
- Support Funds with data readiness and data quality assessments to determine for annual regulatory activities and for bespoke recalculation projects e.g. Valuation, McCloud, Pension Dashboards, Annual Benefit Statements etc.
Temporary/Ad-hoc general Pensions Administration support including but not limited to:
- Pensioner payroll services
- Benefit calculations and member processing
- Interim staffing support e.g. Pensions Manager
- Employer led LGPS consolidation
- Member transfer exercises
- Production of member Annual Benefit Statements

Provide specialist support to design, develop and deliver effective pensions related multi-channel communications and engagement strategies including but not limited to;
- Successful targeted education and engagement programs for members and other stakeholders
- Brand redesign, development and advice
- Measuring the effectiveness and success of engagement, service delivery, user experience and outcomes and recommendations on change and improvement.
- Written and digital content and design advice and delivery including use of appropriate language (e.g. Plain English)
- Compliance with accessibility requirements and standards including translation, neurodiversity and equality support
- Public relations and Stakeholder management to support with pensions specific communications in response to events e.g. cyber related issues, government announcements, LGR etc.

Support for business change and transformation including, but not limited to:
- Support with large scale pension administration transformation processes e.g. shared services
- Pensions Administration project delivery including those arising from legal judgements and legislative changes e.g. support with McCloud projects, employer transfer, Pensions Administration System implementation support.
- Design advice and delivery of business change management frameworks
- Review and design of pensions administration procedural policies / documents / strategies and recommendations on change and improvement and advising on best practice.

Independent assurance, risk and internal controls including, but not limited to:
- Pensions specific internal audit and assurance services e.g. member or employer engagement review, pensions counter fraud
- Third line assurance review, check and challenge
- Best practice advice

Technology services including, but not limited to:
- Development of bespoke calculation tools
- Development of artificial intelligence and automation tooling e.g. robotics to assist with general pensions administration processing
- Reporting and Business Intelligence tools and strategies
- Advice and