Public Plan Trustees Institute – Level I

Course Agenda

Learning Objectives

Public Plan Governance and Emerging Issues

• Navigating state, local and federal legislation
  • Understand the structure and scope of state, local and federal legislation as it pertains to governance, compliance and decision making.
• Headline risk for public plans
  • Identify and analyze headline risks associated with public plans, understanding how they can affect stakeholder perceptions and plan sustainability.
• IT and cybersecurity
  • Explain the importance of IT and cybersecurity measures in protecting public plans and ensuring compliance with legal standards.
• Recruitment and retention with public benefits
  • Evaluate strategies for recruitment and retention that leverage public benefits to attract and retain talent.
• Role of policy makers and elected officials
  • Assess the role of policymakers and elected officials in shaping legislation that impacts public plans, and identify ways to engage effectively with these stakeholders.

Investing Public Plan Assets

• Working with your investment consultant
  • Develop the skills to communicate your financial goals and risk preferences clearly, evaluate investment recommendations critically and work collaboratively with your investment consultant.
• Investment process, objectives and policies
  • Articulate the investment process, including key objectives and policies that guide decision making in collaboration with an investment consultant. 
• Asset classes and allocation strategy
  • Analyze various asset classes and develop an appropriate allocation strategy that aligns with the organization's financial goals and risk tolerance.
• Selecting managers and monitoring performance
  • Evaluate criteria for selecting investment managers, and establish effective monitoring practices to asses performance and ensure the accountability.

Trustee Board Strategies

• Strategic planning
  • Understand the risk assessment process to identify potential challenges and opportunities in the strategic planning process.
• Principles of change management
  • Apply principles of change management to facilitate smooth transitions and ensure stakeholder buy-in during strategic shifts.
• Business improvement strategies
  • Develop and implement business improvement strategies align with organizational goals and enhance overall performance.
• Managing trustee board meetings
  • Effectively manage trustee board meetings, ensuring productive discussions, clear communication and strategic decision making.

Plan Administration and Communication Concepts

• Trustee role in public plan administrative issues
  • Understand the trustee's responsibilities in overseeing public plan administration, including ensuring compliance with fiduciary duties; evaluating administrative policies and procedures; and effectively addressing issues related to governance, funding and stakeholder communication.
• Communicating with plan members
  • Identify the legally required communications for plan members, and develop strategies for effective engagement to enhance member understanding and participation.
• Navigating public comments, communications and headlines
  • Navigate the complexities of public comments and communications, including managing media headlines that impact public perception of the plan.
• Legal issues for public plans and plan member benefits
  • Understand legal issues affecting public plans and plan member benefits, and know how to address concerns and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.