ࡱ> CEB%` <$bjbj .2̟̟%8s2.(V"xxxxxx$h zxxxx->>>xx>>>:.,x" }RZ C0sdR <x&|>dxxxXxxxsD6 6  Case Study Participant Assistance Program, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), U.S. Department of Labor First Place Winner of the USA Services 2008 Citizen Service Award The USA Services Citizen Service Award recognizes federal agencies who are: ensuring their customers are getting accurate information, improving customer satisfaction, engaging in creative public outreach, and attracting, training and retaining the right people. Below is EBSAs story Background: EBSAs Participant Assistance Program helps participants in employer-sponsored retirement and health plans understand their rights and obligations under the complex requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and assists them in obtaining plan benefits that have been inappropriately denied. This Program fulfills its mission through public outreach events, publications, maintaining EBSAs website, and through direct responses to over 170,000 inquiries and complaints handled annually by its 108 Benefits Advisors nationwide. Ensuring the Accuracy of Information: Many EBSA Benefits Advisors have advanced degrees in law or accounting, and EBSA conducts an extensive two week training course for new Advisors, which provides instruction on the laws and regulations. Since Advisors are located in regional offices throughout the country, ongoing training is regularly conducted through Net Meeting webinars and monthly conference calls are held to keep Advisors current with issues. Written responses by email or letter are reviewed by a supervisor and new staff is closely monitored when handling phone calls to ensure accuracy and thoroughness of responses. All inquiries are entered into a database/tracking system, which provides status reports on open cases, and nature and disposition of complaints. Regional and national office staffs conduct accountability reviews of individual citizen contact records to ensure the answers given and actions taken were handled according to EBSAs high standards. Standard Operating Procedures have been issued on topics such as calculation of benefit recoveries, further ensuring consistency and accuracy. Customer Satisfaction: Working with the Gallup Organization, a customized survey was developed that provides EBSA with detailed, real time data on the Benefits Advisors interactions with the inquirers. EBSA set a goal that by 2007, 67% of participants/complainants that contact EBSA for assistance will rate their satisfaction with the service 4 or 5 on a 5 point scale. The satisfaction score improved from 53% to 62% by 2004 and EBSA reached its goal of 67% in 2005, two years early. Advisors again raised the score in 2006 to 69%, with the 4th quarter score reaching 72%. 92.2% rated the service the same or better than other agencies. EBSA used this detailed data to develop training to improve service performance. Gallup met with each office to review individual Advisor performance, overall office performance and provide customer service training. Each regional office was required to develop and monitor action plans for improvement. Quarterly reports were distributed comparing scores of each office, creating a healthy competitiveness among the regions. New procedures for handling phone calls and follow-up were put in place as a result of customer feedback. In 2007, the Agency surveyed its compliance assistance customers (employers, plan sponsors). The Benefits Advisors achieved World Class Status, a designation reserved by Gallup for the highest performers (above 75th percentile). The Advisors received a satisfaction rating of 82%. Public Outreach: EBSA maintains a toll-free hotline from which citizens may choose to be connected to EBSAs publications request fulfillment center or directly to a Benefits Advisor located in the callers geographic jurisdiction. EBSA maintains an information rich website with access to the laws and regulations, technical advisory opinions, Frequently Asked Questions, and over 60 publications, geared to both plan participants and employer/plan administrators. These products provide valuable information on the rights and responsibilities of each with respect to health and retirement benefits. In 2007, EBSAs website hosted over 2.8 million visits, a 172% increase over 2006. Inquirers/complainants may submit questions electronically on the website that will be answered by a Benefits Advisor. The volume of electronic inquiries has increased by over 3000% since 2001. The hotline number and website address are widely published in agency public service announcements, press releases, and publications. EBSA also has a very active grassroots outreach program. Benefits Advisors speak at plant closings to dislocated workers about their options for continuing health benefits, conduct compliance seminars, brief Congressional and other federal and state agency staff about the services EBSA offers, as well as make speeches and radio appearances.In FY 2007, EBSA Benefits Advisors conducted nearly 1,800 outreach events across the country reaching more than 152,000 individuals. Attracting, Training and Retaining Employees: EBSA recruits from many law schools across the country, often bringing law students on as interns and training them as Benefits Advisors. Many of these students stay with EBSA once they graduate. EBSA looks for technically qualified individuals who have an interest in public service and possess the unique temperament it takes to listen to and handle complaints from individuals faced with very serious health or financial situations. Once on board, EBSA Benefits Advisors receive extensive training in ERISA, COBRA and HIPAA as well as other health and retirement laws and regulations that affect their work and are mentored by more senior Benefits Advisors. In addition, data generated from the customer satisfaction studies is used to provide feedback and to train staff and elevate the level of service provided to citizens. Continuous in-house technical training is provided and courses through professional organizations for employee benefit plan professionals are available as well. Many Benefits Advisors have obtained or are pursuing their Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the Wharton School of Business. The Agency values the Benefits Advisors work and rewards excellent performance with monetary and non-monetary recognition. Because of the expert knowledge they gain from handling participant as well as compliance issues, they are strong candidates for and are often promoted to higher grade investigative or policy positions within the Agency. Their work is intellectually challenging and rewarding. All of these factors contribute to EBSAs ability to recruit, retain, grow and advance its knowledgeable staff. EBSA contact: Terri Thomas, 202-693-8655,  HYPERLINK "mailto:Thomas.Terri@dol.gov_" Thomas.Terri@dol.gov USA Services Citizen Service Awards program contact: Karen Trebon, 202-501-1802,  HYPERLINK "mailto:Karen.Trebon@gsa.gov" Karen.Trebon@gsa.gov 6/10/08     PAGE  PAGE 3    @ \ SDL ">@P+-=?Jr!!!!###βhk90JCJOJQJ^JhP0JCJOJQJ^JhG0JCJOJQJ^JhW0JCJOJQJ^JhQZPJaJhQZ5PJ\aJhQZ0JCJOJQJ^J hQZ0J5CJOJQJ\^J;  wx D e   !+## & F$a$$;$##w#x## $$$$$$$$$!$"$+$,$-$8$9$:$;$<$ &`#$gdagdP$a$ $7$8$H$a$gdW#3#4#^#_#`#t#u#v#w####### $ $ $$$$$ڴn`NnAn``=hPhghP0JPJaJ#jhghPPJUaJhP0JCJOJQJ^J#jhP0JCJOJQJU^JhQZ0JCJOJQJ^J hQZ0J5CJOJQJ\^J)hWhQZ0JB* OJPJQJ^JphhW0JCJOJQJ^J/jhWhW0JCJOJQJU^J)jhWhW0JCJOJQJU^J hWhW0JCJOJQJ^J$$$$$$$ $"$#$)$*$+$,$-$.$4$5$6$7$8$9$:$;$<$hW0JmHnHuhahP hP0JjhP0JUhajhaU,1h/ =!"#$% DyK yK :mailto:Thomas.Terri@dol.gov_DyK Karen.Trebon@gsa.govyK 8mailto:Karen.Trebon@gsa.gov@@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DA@D Default Paragraph FontVi@V  Table Normal :V 44 la (k@(No List Ng@N HTML TypewriterCJOJPJQJ^JaJ6U@6 Hyperlink >*B*ph4 @4 PFooter  !.)@!. 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