Company: SABC Pension Fund
Company Description: The SABC Pension Fund and The SABC Medical Scheme are separate legal entities available to staff and pensioners of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the national broadcaster. They are each independently governed by a management board, share a CEO and administered by different external administrators. They cater for 3,910 members, with 4,262 dependants thus 8172 beneficiaries.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year - Communications Research
 Nomination Title: The SABC Medical Scheme
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
December 2022 – February 2023.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 247 words used.
The SABC Medical Scheme is a vital player in the private healthcare landscape and caters to a diverse membership base.
The employees and pensioners of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (the members of the closed SABC Medical Scheme) have passed through very challenging times. The parliamentary acceptance of the institution of a National Health System in 2023 has now been passed into law (during May 2024) which continues to raise issues of concern and uncertainty and is currently the subject of extensive litigation by medical aid schemes and industry bodies due to the perception that it is unfeasible to implement in its current form. (See press clippings)
In addition in 2021 the employer reduced its staff complement by 20%,. (See press clippings.)
As the information needs, opinions and perceptions of all our stakeholders are important to us, in 2022 we decided to engage with our full stakeholder base (our valued management board, our members and contact personnel from our Administrators (Medscheme.)) in a psychometrically rigorous research process to surface these and tailor our engagement and service strategy and process accordingly. We also wished to ascertain stakeholder assessment of the reputation of the SABC Medical Scheme and its governance practices. In 2024 we have revaluated the defined variables as an indicator of the success of this strategy.
The critical dimensions in this research model serve as both a valuable startpoint for our stakeholder engagement and service process as well as a mode of primary engagement for these groups.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 237 words used.
Using research as the primary engagement and assessment mechanism in the reputation management process was conceptualised by the CEO of the SABC Medical Scheme , who also serves as CEO of the SABC Pension Fund.
In developing the research model and process for the SABC Medical Scheme, the SABC Pension Fund’s annual “Pencil me In” research and engagement model and process, conducted annually over the past 9 years, has been used as terms of reference. This initiative has had significant impact on the perceptions of the SABC Pension Funds service, credibility and reputation.
While the critical dimensions of communication, service and reputation have been modelled accordingly to the “Pencil me in” research model, the remaining batteries in the research model for the SABC Medical Scheme have been adapted to the variables relevant to the SABC Medical Scheme and its stakeholders. (Please refer to model in research report attached.)
Based on findings from the 2023 study, engagement and service intervention has been planned and executed and in 2024 the study has been undertaken again to evaluate this intervention against original findings.
Core goals in conducting both the 2023 and 2024 studies have included the measurement of stakeholder perceptions and rating of:-
- Core issues impacting on the medical scheme environment
- Communication and engagement processes, channels and intervention
- Service variables and service needs
- Information and education needs
- The impact of the above on the SABC Medical Scheme reputation and credibility
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2019. Even if your initiative started before 2022, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2022 only (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
The CEO has worked with an external research partner who:-
- Developed a psychometrically rigorous integrated measurement model
- Developed and hosted online survey sites
- Performed statistical analysis across all demographic variables, extrapolated findings and reported on these in 2023 and 2024
- Provided a comparative analysis in reporting against the initial benchmark
Project is branded “A Second Opinion” and 100% quantitative sample is taken of:-
- Management Board (10)
- Members (3879)
- Contact personnel from administrators (19)
User friendly survey sites (3) developed and personalised e-mails sent requesting participation.
http://cohesioncrd.co.za/sabcmed/trustee/trustee.htm
http://cohesioncrd.co.za/sabcmed/admin/admin.htm
cohesioncrd.co.za/sabcmed/member/member.htm
Response to all three surveys has been high, yielding following confidence levels :
- Contact personnel from administrators. 18 responses, yielding a 95% confidence level with a 5,44 point confidence interval
- Members. 590 responses yielding a 95% confidence level with 3,71 point confidence interval
- Trustees. 9 responses yielding a 95% confidence level with 10,89 point confidence interval
Research methodology in 2023 surfaced core stakeholder perceptions, allowing us to address these issues resulting in the following results. (see report for full extrapolation across all variables.)
2024 shows increases in ratings of service variables from 81,88% to 83,16%, in engagement and communication from79,93% to 82,22% and in perceived reputation of the fund from 86,94% to 88,52%. (Please refer to contributing variables in full report.)
Research methodology has been both qualitative as well as quantitative and broader concerns are surfaced in the openended comments.
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 84 words used.
- Work Plan
- Appendix 1: Information on employer issues and the proposed National Health Insurance legislation
- Appendix 2: The Executive summary of findings and recommendations
- Appendix 3: The detailed Research Report indicating findings and methodology
- Appendix 4: Member Brochure (Detailed)
- Appendix 5: Member Z-Card (Foldable summary of member benefits) - Cover
- Appendix 6: Member Z-Card (Foldable summary of member benefits) - Details
- Appendix 7: Member Decision-making Map for deciding on benefit Options
- Appendix 8 - Correspondence from CEO to members regarding passing of NHI Bill
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