After working on a new e-learning resource for public pension plan trustees and executives for more than a year, Board Smart has now launched the platform.

Board Smart notes that the launch is timely, given the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely curtailed in-person meetings, which until this point have been the primary way that trustees have learned how to do their jobs and received ongoing education.

The platform showcases 20-minute “Expert Talks” created by a faculty with in-depth knowledge of public pensions: former trustees, system executives, governance and investment experts, actuaries and attorneys. Each of these talks includes a downloadable transcript, system self-assessments, instant nationwide feedback and peer benchmarking, case examples, further resources and references, user forums, and a national public pension policy repository.

“Ensuring trustees have the tools, training and information they need to make sound decisions on highly complex governance and pension issues remains one of the biggest challenges facing retirement systems,” says Rick Funston, Board Smart founder and chief executive officer. “Board Smart is poised to fundamentally change and improve the learning and collaboration experience for trustees. It builds on the on-boarding offered by the systems themselves and provides every trustee with what they need to know and ask about key governance matters. This new tool will help retirement systems strengthen pension fund governance, foster more frequent trustee interactions, generate benchmarking data, save time and reduce travel and meeting costs.”

Curriculum topics range from board operations to asset management to risk intelligence. The tool can be customized both for the retirement system and the individual learner. It tracks completion for continuing education credits and creates system-specific reports. It is being offered on a subscription basis, with a standard subscription providing up to 20 user accounts.

More information is available at www.boardsmart.com.