57.—(1) An administering authority may prepare a written statement of the authority's policies in relation to such of the matters mentioned in paragraph (2) as it considers appropriate (“its pension administration strategy”) and, where it does so, paragraphs (3) to (7) apply.
(2) The matters are—
(a)procedures for liaison and communication with Scheme employers in relation to which it is the administering authority (“its Scheme employers”);
(b)the establishment of levels of performance which the administering authority and its Scheme employers are expected to achieve in carrying out their Scheme functions by—
(i)the setting of performance targets;
(ii)the making of agreements about levels of performance and associated matters; or
(iii)such other means as the administering authority considers appropriate;
(c)procedures which aim to secure that the administering authority and its Scheme employers comply with statutory requirements in respect of those functions and with any agreement about levels of performance;
(d)procedures for improving the communication by the administering authority and its Scheme employers to each other of information relating to those functions;
(e)the circumstances in which the administering authority may consider giving written notice to any of its Scheme employers under regulation 65 (additional costs arising from Scheme employer's level of performance) on account of that employer's unsatisfactory performance in carrying out its Scheme functions when measured against levels of performance established under sub-paragraph (b);
(f)the publication by the administering authority of annual reports dealing with—
(i)the extent to which that authority and its Scheme employers have achieved the levels of performance established under sub-paragraph (b); and
(ii)such other matters arising from its pension administration strategy as it considers appropriate; and
(g)such other matters as appear to the administering authority after consulting its Scheme employers and such other persons as it considers appropriate, to be suitable for inclusion in that strategy.
(3) An administering authority must—
(a)keep its pension administration strategy under review; and
(b)make such revisions as are appropriate following a material change in its policies in relation to any of the matters contained in the strategy.
(4) In preparing or reviewing and making revisions to its pension administration strategy, an administering authority must consult its Scheme employers and such other persons as it considers appropriate.
(5) An administering authority must publish—
(a)its pension administration strategy; and
(b)where revisions are made to it, the strategy as revised.
(6) Where an administering authority publishes its pension administration strategy, or that strategy as revised, it must send a copy of it to each of its Scheme employers and to the Scottish Ministers as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(7) An administering authority and its Scheme employers must have regard to its pension administration strategy when carrying out their functions under these Regulations.
(8) In this regulation references to the functions of an administering authority include, where applicable, its functions as a Scheme employer.