EPN525 - Enhancements to the Monthly Interface and new performance measures and targets

• The enhancements to the Monthly Interface will go-live in January 2018
• These enhancements will improve the validation of your data and help you to reduce errors
• We have also developed new performance measures and targets to help you monitor and improve the timeliness and quality of your interface submissions
• We will introduce the measures and targets in January 2018 and ask you to work to them from February 2018 for your January 2018 interface

Enhancements to the Monthly Interface

We wrote to you in October 2017 to advise you of a delay to the proposed go-live date of the enhancements that we are making to the Monthly Interface.

We are pleased to confirm that the enhancements will now go-live in January 2018 for your December interface. By taking the additional time to test the enhancements thoroughly we have ensured that the best possible solution will be released to you.

You will have received a communication in early October 2017 detailing the specific changes to the monthly interface. Further information can also be found online at Civil Service Pensions: Your Monthly Interface. We recommend all employers revisit this information to ensure you are best prepared for go-live.

In preparation for go-live you had the opportunity to attend sessions at the October 2017 Regional Employer Forums. For those employers who were unable to attend, we will be scheduling conference calls in January 2018.

Performance measures and targets

We are also introducing new Monthly Interface performance measures and targets. Their purpose is to help you to improve the timeliness and quality of monthly data submissions by clearly outlining what we expect of you and reporting to you on how you are performing. The measures largely formalise the process that already exists in terms of submission timeliness but we will also ask you to meet a quality target of no more than 2% or 100 errors in your interface data.

The performance measures and targets are as follows:

Timeliness:

• Submission of a single interface file per month, no more than two days before or after your agreed submission date; 
• If you are advised of errors and warnings in your data, submission of a Data Validation Report return ahead of your next interface. 

Quality 

• No more than 2% or 100 data errors in your initial interface submission (we aim to reduce errors to 1% in 2019 and 0.5% in 2020);
• If you are advised of errors and warnings in your data, submission of a single completed Data Validation Report return. 

MyCSP will monitor your performance against the measures and targets. They will provide reporting from January 2018 (for your December 2017 interface) and will expect you to meet these targets from February 2018 (for your January 2018 interface). Where you are unable to meet these targets, MyCSP will offer guidance and support, and if necessary, work with you to create a remediation plan to improve your performance. However, further escalation through Cabinet Office may be required where performance does not improve.

If you are concerned that you will not be able to meet the new performance targets and measures, please contact your Interface Analyst or Service Delivery Manager.

Further information

We will be updating the “Your Monthly Interface” section of the Civil Service Pensions website with further information in January 2017.

Email support

You can email any questions regarding the enhancements to:

monthlyinterface@mycsp.co.uk.

Support from your Interface Analyst

To address validation issues in-month, or discuss the performance measures and targets, you should contact your Interface Analyst (IA) at interfaceteam@mycsp.co.uk.

Guidance for developers

We have updated the Developer’s Guide and produced a scenarios document that sets out examples on how to complete the new Monthly Interface. 

If a third party provides your Monthly Interface, you will need to make sure the guidance is available to them.

You can request a copy of the guidance by emailing interfaceteam@mycsp.co.uk.