The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has published guidance aimed at supporting trustees, administrators, and advisers with managing administration through buy-in and superfund transactions.

PASA’s De-Risking Journey Management Working Group produced the guidance, which looked to challenge the ‘common misconception’ that scheme administration stops once a buy-in is completed.

It therefore highlighted the ‘critical role’ that administration plays before, during, and following the transaction to ensure smooth delivery, regulatory compliance, and positive member outcomes.

The guidance focused on areas schemes tended to encounter friction in, such as data integrity, rule alignment, member communication, deferred member complexity, risk management, and resourcing.

Drawing on real-world examples from the industry, the guidance aimed to provide practical actions to support schemes in planning early, avoiding delays, and maintaining confidence throughout the de-risking journey.

Furthermore, the guidance has been designed to support earlier, better-informed conversations between those involved in a transaction, and reinforce the importance of collaboration and realistic planning over reactive problem solving.

“Buy-in and superfund transactions are positive and increasingly common outcomes for schemes, but the operational impact is often underestimated,” commented PASA De-Risking Journey Management Working Group chair, Ian Wort.

“Administration doesn’t become simpler; it changes. This guidance is about helping trustees, administrators and advisers understand what good looks like in practice and how early alignment, clear decision-making and strong data governance can make a material difference to outcomes.”

PASA chair, David Fairs, added: “Good administration is fundamental to successful de-risking. This guidance reflects PASA’s continued focus on practical standards, operational resilience and member outcomes.

“It recognises the expertise of administrators and the vital role they play in delivering complex transactions smoothly, while giving trustees greater confidence operational risks are being actively managed.”

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