Governance update

Process and Standards Group (PSG)

The PSG met as a hybrid meeting in May, with the in-person element kindly hosted by Aviva in London.  In the Plenary session, the group discussed the progress of Standards development projects as well as the delivery of the FCA FRN format changes.

The Focus session, held on the same day as the Plenary session, brought together aspects of the Market Landscape Review exercise.

All inputs and minutes from the May PSG meeting can be found on website to those who have access.

The group next meets in mid-August to review outcomes from its annual project prioritisation exercise that will launch in June.

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.

Phase 3 - Protection

Awaiting confirmation from the Working Group if demand exists for OpenAPI and JSON versions of LoA Protection Standards.

Phase 4 - LoA Request

The LoA Request schemas will be published shortly.

Future Milestones - Q2 2023

  • Complete technical development of Draft A LoA Request Standards;
  • Publish LoA Request Standards.

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 Quarter 3 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.

Future Milestones - June

  • Commence 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.
  • Workshop on the 20 June 2023 to discuss Placement Process with Working Group.

Enhanced CIC Research

Research activity to investigate the potential to support Enhanced Critical Illness Cover (CIC) / Children’s Critical Illness Cover within the Protection Quotes and New Business Standards.

Progress

  • Research Group meeting held in early May and on the basis there was little industry demand to progress with a common definition of ‘Enhanced’ cover, it was agreed to recommend that the research activity concludes. This decision was ratified at the May meeting of PSG.

Future Milestones

  • None, as the research activity has now concluded.

BAU Change Requests

Ongoing activity in relation to maintenance of current Standards via change management process.      

Progress

  • Work continues to finalise ‘Provisional Build’ Standards amended as a result of 7-digit FRNs - a significant number of Standards were published as ‘Final’ during the month.

Future Milestone - June

  • Continue finalisation 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