Governance update

Process and Standards Group (PSG)

The annual project prioritisation exercise has been launched with the PSG. The group is asked to prioritise a number of potential projects, with returns due by mid-July. We will produce an analysis of those returns to be discussed at the group’s mid-August meeting.

More detail can be found here.

Standards Technical Architecture Group (STAG)

Criterion will continue to liaise with the STAG on the technical direction of Standards, and how the emergence and adoption of new technologies will shape their future.

There have been no recent meetings with the group and no further meetings are planned.

Standards projects

LoA Standards development

Development project to develop Standards to support the Letter of Authority fulfilment process for DB, DC pensions, annuities, protection and investment products.

Criterion has published draft standards to support LoA Request integration, bringing to a close the initial developments covering request and fulfilment of LoA data encompassing DC Pensions, investment products and protection policies.

Criterion will continue to work with providers, advisers and technology suppliers to support realisation of the value that these standards provide.

Occupation Codes List Update

Update Implementation Group

Supporting industry adoption of the revised occupation codes standard used in quotations and new business processes.

  • The final lists, v3.1 and a combined v2 to v3.1 occupations list have been published.
  • Providers agreed to support the combined v2.0 and 3.1 of the occupations list but requested that the implementation window becomes H2 2024.
  • They were reminded that providers implementing the combined list could implement at any time without disruption to their existing partners.

Future Milestones - Q3 2023

  • A further meeting will be arranged for September 2023 to review current development plans

Group Risk Quotes and Placement

Project to develop Standards for Group Risk Quotes (GRQ); similar Re-Pricing and Rate Review processes; and Placement.

  • The BRD Draft E was signed off in January and the Candidate Design was agreed with the GRQ Working Group. A detailed plan has been developed and the GRQ Standards technical development will commence in June to deliver JSON and OpenAPI Standards for GLA for New Business, Rate Review and Re-Pricing with the Draft A Standards being published late summer 2023.
  • Some analysis for the Placement process has been carried out internally and a workshop took place with the Working Group.

Future Milestones - July

  • Continue technical development of the GRQ Standards for GLA New Provider, Rate Review and Repricing for Request and Response;
  • Continue analysis for GRQ Placement for GLA;
  • Further workshop to discuss updated Placement Process diagram with Working Group.

Protection Policy Retention

Develop standards supporting communication to advisers and other distributors of events in relation to protection policies that might put at risk continuing cover.

Progress

  • Project kick-off meeting held.
  • Events scoping questionnaire developed.

Future Milestone - August

  • Review questionnaire outcomes with working group.

BAU Change Requests

Ongoing activity in relation to maintenance of current Standards via change management process with a current focus on FCA FRN updates.

Progress

  • The vast majority of ‘Provisional Build’ Standards amended as a result of 7-digit FRNs have now been published as ‘Final’ on the website – only one remains outstanding.

Future Milestone - July

  • Publish last remaining Final version of Standards updated for 7-digit FRNs;
  • Continue to review current policy of Provisional Builds in all cases and report outcomes to PSG.

Standards published since last update