The PIPAs – no speeches required!

These are the kinds of comments that I have heard over many years of judging awards. If you have never been a judge, you may not know what it is like in the judging room. The reality is very different, and is one of the main reasons I keep volunteering and coming back for more. 

My days at Muse Advisory are spent working with trustees to help them secure the best that the industry has to offer from service providers, and helping improve the situation when things have gone wrong. 

The Pensions Expert team captures feedback on the discussion, so that those who take the time to submit entries do hear what was well received and where they may have come up short

I am always interested to read about the developments that scheme service providers are delivering to their clients. It broadens my knowledge of what is happening in the market.

As a judge at the Pension and Investment Provider Awards, you are allocated three or four categories to assess. If you are lucky, that means you might end up with around 20 entries to read. When there are popular categories, there can be quite a few more.

Normally three or four judges assess each category. Each judge will focus on the information in the entries and bring their own perspective. 

This can lead to some interesting discussions and debates, with majority decisions in some cases, and no one having a casting vote. Given that judges are encouraged to bring their wider experience to the discussion, even those not judging the category add in their views. 

The Pensions Expert team captures feedback on the discussion as well, so that those who take the time to submit entries do hear what was well received and where they may have come up short.

The PIPA awards are very clear with the entry requirements for each category. They do vary slightly from category to category, but in the scheme services awards three areas that are commonly covered are performance, service and innovation. Some tips for those writing entries:

• Focus on what you did in the past year, and make sure the performance is evident and relevant. Where there is an impact on member outcomes or member experience, that is always helpful. Ultimately, we are all here to help the members, even though for most of us they are not our direct clients.

• Be sure to focus on the role that you played in the case study. It is always interesting when two or three award submissions all reference the same case study. In almost all cases, one of the companies has the primary role within the case study, and it counts against the other companies that have used the case study but not focused on the value they added.

• In the innovation section, do not repeat something you have used in last year’s entry. The judges have long memories and you will not get credit for the same thing two years running, however good it is.

• Stick to the word count. You can add in pictures, and maybe a graphic or two, but do not add videos (they are likely to be outside the word count), or text-heavy graphics that try to circumvent the word count rules.

At the end of the judging session, many entries will have been cast aside. Some will have been strong, but not provided the same insight as those which have made the shortlist. 

Normally, there are three or four entries that have made it on to the shortlist and will be up in lights at the awards ceremony. 

Those that are strong in a particular area, or have come very close to winning, may receive a Highly Commended award. But at the awards ceremony, everyone is waiting for that one winner to be announced. 

The nominated attendee will come up on the stage and take their moment in the spotlight with the celebrity host and Pensions Expert representative. But do not get any ideas — no speeches are required.

Ian McQuade is chief executive of Muse Advisory