Overview

Schedule

Monday, October 21, 2013

• 8:00 am
  Registration

• 9:00 am
  Orientation for New Pool Staff – Part I (Show details)

  An introduction for newer staff to important concepts, functions, and focus in local government risk pooling. This session explores the origins of pooling, various coverages provided by the pools, the benefits of pool membership compared to commercial insurance, the core functions within pools, underwriting approaches and financial metrics. Key takeaways:
  • How different functions within pools relate to one another.
  • The unique characteristics of intergovernmental risk sharing pools.
  • How pools may perform similar functions in very different ways.

• 10:00 am
  Online Training: Issue & Interest Group Meeting (Show details)

  NLC-RISC is working with interested pools to develop issue groups around key areas where there are opportunities for greater collaboration among NLC-RISC members. The Online Training Issue Group (OTIG) is the first formal group to explore this model. Join members of the OTIG to discuss online training and e-learning initiatives. Learn what others are doing with online training and the challenges and successes that pools have experienced. This is one of many opportunities for RISC members to engage on this topic and to provide input and feedback into possible goals and objectives that the Online Training Issue Group may want to consider. Key takeaways:
  • An understanding of pools' online training and e-learning initiatives.
  • An opportunity to brainstorm the benefits and challenges of providing online training and e-learning programs to member municipalities.
  • Knowledge of the key vendors providing online training tools and services.
  • Input in the development of the key goals for the Online Training Issue Group.

• 10:00 am
  NLC-RISC & Agility Business Continuity Program: Interest and User Group Meeting (Show details)

  The NLC-RISC/Agility Recovery Solutions Business Continuity Program is now in full operation. Ten NLC-RISC member pools are using the program to provide disaster preparedness and recovery services for their members. This pre-conference session provides an overview of the current program and gives Agility users an opportunity to share their strategies for making the best use of their membership and brainstorm new ideas. Both current Agility users and others who are interested in finding out more are welcome. Key takeaways:
  • Find out the current status of the NLC-RISC/Agility Group Declarations Sharing Program.
  • Discuss with your peers strategies for encouraging members to realize the benefits of implementing MyAgility.
  • Learn how your peers are using Agility webinars, videos and other resources in their loss control programs.

• 10:30 am
  Orientation for New Pool Staff - Part II (Show details)

  Continue the discussion about different pool structures and approaches with a panel of pool administrators. Topics include different delivery service models, managing competition, capital structures, decision-making considerations, and core functions. Key takeaways:
  • Understanding the different ways that pools are structured and view their membership.
  • Gain an appreciation for the different ways pools define and fulfill member needs.
  • Hear perspectives on the future of pooling, and the challenges pools will face.

• 11:30 am
  Lunch on Your Own

• 12:30 pm
  Meet & Greet (Show details)

  Grab a beverage and light snack, greet your old friends and meet some new ones.

• 1:00 pm
  Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire and Its Legal Aftermath (Show details)

  A lead plaintiff’s attorney for the victims of the Station Nightclub Fire, which killed 100 people in 2003, examines the root causes of the tragedy and the strategies plaintiffs' counsel used to build the legal case for compensation. Using video from the event itself, computer reconstructions and fire test videos, John Barylick explains how the independent actions of multiple persons (including the local fire marshal) combined to create this tragedy. Mr. Barylick also explores how plaintiff’s counsel established liability on the part of several key players, particularly the state and city involved, and ultimately assembled a
  global settlement fund of over $176 million with contributions from 28 different defendants. Key takeaways:
  • Gain a renewed appreciation for managing risk in places of public assembly.
  • Enhanced understanding of issues pools may want to address with their member municipalities to reduce exposure to catastrophes.

• 2:30 pm
  Health Reform Update: Riding the Wave of Change (Show details)

  With nearly full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on the horizon, public sector organizations must address a complex calculus of plan eligibility terms, employee contribution requirements, hours/scheduling/staffing, management issues, and collective bargaining issues. This will affect the entire public employer value proposition and will require making choices and decisions that will have significant strategic, financial and operational impact, going well beyond merely determining “pay versus play.” In this session, we’ll analyze PPACA’s impact on benefits administration, total rewards management, and organizational strategy, to help you effectively lead your organization through the change and uncertainty. Key takeaways:
  • An update on the latest regulatory guidance, delays, and other changes impacting healthcare reform.
  • Upcoming requirements relating to taxes, fees, government reporting, communication with employees, and more.
  • Identifying opportunities for “second level” cost control.
  • Ensuring that your organization establishes sound strategic direction first, and then addresses healthcare reform requirements, rather than letting healthcare reform drive strategy.

• 2:30 pm
  Managing Catastrophic Events: Lessons Learned (Show details)

  A pool doesn’t have much time to plan a response after a catastrophic event strikes a member. Each catastrophe is different, so no response can be completely scripted in advance, but pools can benefit from the lessons learned by their fellows. This session explores how two pools organized their responses to recent catastrophes, the lessons they learned as their responses unfolded, and how pools can plan now to maximize the effectiveness of their operations and processes. Key takeaways:
  • Planning in advance to address the elements of catastrophe response will enable the pool to provide better service to its member.
  • Communicating with the member is key to ensuring its engagement in and satisfaction with the response.

• 2:30 pm
  Pool Approaches to Covering Special Exposures (Show details)

  Pools offer a variety of specialized coverages to meet the unique needs of their members, so their approaches to special exposures can differ widely. Join us for a comparative review of NLC-RISC member pool treatment of three exposures that can be challenging for pools: sewer back-up/water main break, land use, and sex abuse/molestation. Explore associated loss experience derived from NLC-Mutual claims data. Joining the discussion will be several senior pool representatives, who will share the policy reasons behind their pools’ approaches. Come prepared to share how your pool handles these sometimes thorny issues. Key takeaways:
  • Learn how NLC-RISC pools are structuring the specific coverage they offer for sewer back-up/water main break, land use and sexual abuse/molestation.
  • Hear your fellow pools discuss why they chose their current approach to these special exposures, and how their approach has worked for the pool and its members.

• 4:00 pm
  Obesity is Officially a Disease: What Does That Mean for Cities & Pools? (Show details)

  Beginning in June 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially recognizes obesity as a disease. The disease definition could reduce some of the stigma for people struggling to manage their weight, and encourage doctors to talk to their patients about their weight and obesity treatment. The definition may also mean possible changes in policy, tax, and insurance coverage and reimbursement. This disease definition may ultimately benefit U.S. organizations that are trying to manage continued escalating costs for obesity-related health issues. This session will explore what changes may occur as a result of the AMA definition, (including changes that are already under way), and their impact on organizations that manage municipal health plans. We talk about what this change means for cities’ population health management programs. As part of that discussion, we will feature results from an innovative weight-management pilot program for individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher. Key takeaways:
  • Learn what changes may occur as a result of the AMA recognizing obesity as a disease.
  • Identify what opportunities this new definition may present for health and wellness programs.
  • Hear about innovative weight-management programs and the impact on overweight individuals.

• 4:00 pm
  Finding Fiscal Health: Financial Ratio Benchmarking for P&C and Work Comp Pools (Show details)

  Get an overview of the latest results of the NLC-RISC P&C and Work Comp financial ratio benchmarking project. This session will identify key ratios and benchmarks germane to P&C and Work Comp pools, and also provide peer pool comparisons. How pools might use these ratios and benchmarks will also be examined. Key takeaways:
  • Gain perspective of your pool’s financial condition over time compared to other pools.
  • Learn how this perspective will aid analysis of prior years, and strategy modeling of future years.

• 4:00 pm
  The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Cloud Computing (Show details)

  Public and private entities are increasingly exploring the “cloud” as a way to reduce cost and maximize the efficiency of their computer infrastructure. Any organization contemplating a move to the cloud should thoroughly understand the implications of moving its IT infrastructure and applications out of its direct control. The North Carolina Interlocal Risk Management Agency recently moved to a “private-cloud” provider, and its CIO will examine the benefits, risks and lessons learned from that move. This session will also look at contractual guidelines pools may want to employ if they are negotiating a contract with a cloud provider. Key takeaways:
  • Financial benefits of moving to the cloud.
  • Operational Efficiencies that come with cloud computing.
  • Checklist of items you will want to ensure are in your cloud contract.

• 5:00 pm
  Welcome Reception (Show details)

  Join us immediately following the afternoon sessions for cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres. Registered guests are invited ~ badges are required .
  

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

• 7:30 am
  Breakfast Buffet & Think Tank Sessions (Show details)

  Grab breakfast and join your colleagues in one of the four following think tank sessions. Note: Registered guests are invited ~ badges are required. Tables will be set up in the pre-function space for those not attending the think tank sessions.
  

  • Health Benefits
    
  • Underwriting
    
  • Claims
    
  • Loss Control
    

• 8:00 am
  Registration

• 9:15 am
  Legal and Regulatory Ramifications of Data Breach (Show details)

  Data breaches are very common, and they are currently happening to RISC members’ own cities and other public entities, whose databases can be rich resources of private information. When a data breach occurs, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements is among the most important considerations. Failure to comply exacerbates the potential harm to the victims of the breach and can increase an organization's potential liability. Knowing in advance the legal and regulatory requirements helps a pool and its members better plan for the day when they will have to implement a response. Come benefit from the expertise of a practicing data breach attorney, who assists organizations daily with legal and regulatory requirements that play a role in directing data breach response and recovery efforts. The discussion will be useful for pools that offer cyber coverage to their members and also to pools that are developing their own breach response and recovery plans. Key takeaways:
  • Understand the legal and regulatory requirements that flow from a data breach.
  • Learn how your response to a data breach can affect the degree of financial and reputational loss you and your members experience.

• 10:30 am
  Exploring Predictive Analytics as a Tool for Workers’ Compensation Claims Management (Show details)

  This session will discuss how municipal pools can utilize predictive modeling to leverage their data and improve decision-making within their environments. Learn about one pool’s efforts to utilize predictive modeling in the workers’ compensation program to enhance the claims intervention and management process through more efficient use of claim resources, reduced loss costs, and improved loss forecasting. Key takeaways:
  • Learn why CIRMA decided to evaluate this tool.
  • Learn how CIRMA packaged the data for the preliminary “Proof of Concepts” process, including the importance of quality data assurance.
  • Hear about the preliminary observations from the “Proof of Concept” and next steps.

• 10:30 am
  Understanding Pool Responses to Cyber Liability Exposures (Show details)

  Publicity about the nation’s cyber vulnerability is at an all time high, as institutions from well-funded major corporations to small local governments experience the expense and inconvenience of security breaches. Local governments are increasingly concerned about the potential costs of a breach. Some of the internal and external costs are forensics, legal, public relations, notification, remediation and liability. Pools are responding to their members’ concerns by offering coverage for first and third party losses arising from network security breaches and compromise of private information. This session will explore the differences and similarities among the cyber coverage offerings of RISC member pools. It will also introduce Net Diligence, a new data breach education and response resource that NLC-RISC has arranged to be available to its member pools at a reduced cost. Key takeaway:
  • Learn how NLC-RISC member pools are structuring cyber liability coverage for their members.
  • Hear about NLC-RISC’s special purchasing arrangement with Net Diligence, and how it can help pools that provide cyber liability coverage service to their members on a cost effective basis.

• 10:30 am
  Using Your Health Data to Drive Better Outcomes & Lower Costs

• 11:45 am
  Lunch and Annual NLC-RISC Business Meeting (Show details)

  Registered guests are invited ~ badges are required.
  
  The agenda items for the NLC-RISC Annual Business Meeting include:
  

  • Election of the 2013-2014 NLC-RISC Board of Directors
  • Recognition of outgoing Board members
  • Recognition of Stutz Award Winners
  • Chair's Report on NLC-RISC Activities

• 1:15 pm
  Social Media and Mobile Marketing: Strategies for Engaging the Next Generation of City Officials (Show details)

  Like many of us, city officials are constantly on the move and connected 24-7. Even though social media and mobile technology are slow to emerge as one of the main communication tools for public entity pools, they will become increasingly important as the demographic of city officials changes in the next several years. Learn practical tips and strategies you can start to use now to engage and connect with your members on social media, and what are some trends on the horizon that pools should consider. Key takeaways:
  • The main social media and mobile technologies that pools should be using now.
  • Specific examples of how to effectively use these technologies.
  • Increased awareness of what tools are on the horizon that pools should be thinking about.

• 1:15 pm
  The Capital Markets and the Changing Reinsurance Landscape (Show details)

  The last 24 months have seen tremendous growth in the capital markets for insurance and reinsurance risk transfer. As catastrophe (cat) bonds become more mainstream, pools will want to think about how they might access the new capacity. The capital markets will increasingly no longer be the domain of only the largest insurers. In May 2013, the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust issued a 3-year $20 million catastrophic bond, Sunshine Re. This session will provide an overview of the capital markets and the Florida Sunshine Re transaction.

• 1:15 pm
  Officer Fitness, Wellness & Injury Reduction: Scientific Methodologies to Help Public Safety Survive and Thrive on the Street (Show details)

  Reducing injuries and promoting wellness in the public safety community is a challenge for risk managers and the public entity pools that insure them. We will examine the trends and science behind public safety injuries. Learn how public entity risk pools can work with their members to reduce soft tissue trauma and injuries. We will also examine best practices from around the country; their successes, challenges and lessons learned. Join this interactive session and leave with these key takeaways:
  • Learn national best practices and methodologies for addressing public safety injuries.
  • Identify potential strategies or partnerships to help overcome the cultural issues and barriers to safety and wellness initiatives.
  • Learn what pools, public safety departments and educational institutions have done to approach the complex issues of officer wellness and safety.

• 2:45 pm
  The Power of Data: Using Analytics to Drive Decisions in Pooling (Show details)

  Collecting data isn't enough. You need to know what to do with the information you have and how best to translate that into meaningful and effective programs and services. Join our panel of three data analysts - all at different stages in analyzing data for their organization - and learn how you can use your data to help inform management decisions relating to underwriting, coverage, and loss control initiatives. This session will discuss the technologies they have utilized to bring efficiencies to this process and what specific programs have been rolled out as a result of their efforts. Even if you aren't a numbers person or just tackling data analytics for the first time, this is a don't miss session designed to provide practical tips on how best to use the information you already have available in your organization. Key takeaways:
  • Why is data analysis especially important for risk pools?
  • Using data: How to figure what’s important and what’s not and how to analyze it.
  • Examples of how organizations are using data analytics to drive decision-making.
  • Practical tips and considerations to start using data analytics in your organization.

• 2:45 pm
  Birth of an Exchange: Tales from the Delivery Room (Show details)

  Oregon’s health insurance exchange, Cover Oregon, opened enrollment on October 1, and has become one of the first full-fledged marketplaces in the nation. In this session, you’ll hear the story of what it takes to make an exchange; how the Oregon health pool has positioned itself alongside this new competitor, and what the future may hold for healthcare transformation in the state. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own stories of how exchanges are developing in their states. Key takeaways:
  

  • Understand how exchanges fit into the health insurance landscape.
  • Develop strategies for pools as they work alongside the exchange in their states.

• 2:45 pm
  Train-The-Trainer: Workplace Investigation Training for Your Members (Show details)

  Employment claim costs have been increasing. Preventing claims is the best way to keep costs low. One way to do that is by conducting effective workplace investigations when issues arise. Yet supervisors often lack the training or experience to conduct impartial, thorough, and effective investigations. Failing to do so can have dire legal consequences, particularly when the issue is complicated. The challenge, as every pool knows, is providing training in a way that will result in participants actually learning the subject matter, with the ability to apply their newfound knowledge in the workplace.
  
  This session will demonstrate a hands-on investigation workshop CIS used with its pool members this past spring and provide you with materials that you can use with your members. The workshop includes a case scenario with an intriguing cast of characters. Attendees learn the investigation process and best practices for interviewing witnesses, maintaining confidentiality, and documenting the investigation. Finally, they apply what they’ve learned by being part of the investigation team for the case scenario that interviews witnesses, reviews the evidence and draws conclusions. Key takeaways:
  • Learn best practices for conducting effective workplace investigations
  • Obtain materials for developing a hands-on investigation workshop for your members

• 4:00 pm
  Evening On Your Own

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

• 7:30 am
  Networking Breakfast (Show details)

  Join your colleagues for a breakfast buffet to start the last day of the conference. Registered guests are invited ~ badges are required.

• 7:30 am
  Pool Administrators Roundtable (Show details)

  This session is for pool administrators only. A buffet breakfast will be served in the meeting room.

• 8:00 am
  Registration

• 9:00 am
  The Leadership You Need Now and For the Future (Show details)

  Many organizations are faced with the same problem - developing leadership for the future. In this keynote address, international speaker David Rabiner will discuss the most important qualities leaders need to be modeling now - not just for their own leadership, but for the purpose of setting the example for future leaders. More important, David will be laying out the obstacles that keep average managers from demonstrating peak leadership qualities. Finally, David will make the connection between personal leadership development and the establishment and improvement of your organizational culture - a critical element for retaining quality employees.

• 10:30 am
  Responsible Reserving For Health Pools

• 10:30 am
  Pool Strategies for Developing the Next Generation of Leaders (Show details)

  A mass exodus of baby boomers from the workforce is anticipated over the next five to ten years. Many pools are already experiencing this trend as key staff head into retirement. Explore the demographic and generational shift occurring in the workplace and how this shift may impact the way that pools do business. Learn what skills are likely to be critical for the next generation of pool leaders. Hear from your peers about strategies they are using to ensure knowledge transfer, as well as ways to attract and retain the next generation of pool leaders. Key takeaways:
  • Identify the generational differences in the workforce and how that might impact the way you do business.
  • Learn how a smaller pool has provided leadership development opportunities for their staff and what they've learned from that process.
  • Share your thoughts about the opportunities and challenges these changes present and possible solutions.
  • Leave with a checklist of actionable items for staff and supervisors to review and begin addressing leadership gaps in your organization.

• 10:30 am
  Emerging Issue: Accessing Driving Records and the DPPA (Show details)

  This session will explore the emerging issue of inappropriate access of driving records. What is the Drivers Privacy and Protection Act (DPPA) and why was it created? What are the implications of the DPPA and what types of claims are being brought against municipalities? Explore the effect on public entity pools as a result of inappropriate access and use of driver’s license data and the unique issues it can create ~ ranging from coverage questions, legal strategy, and claim staff capacity to the need for additional resources and training. Key takeaways:
  • General awareness of the DPPA and potential claim issues for inappropriate access and use.
  • What drivers’ license systems are used in your state and how do law enforcement personnel access these systems and for what purpose.
  • Identify training needs for law enforcement to mitigate potential claims.

• 11:45 am
  Lunch and General Session: Trends in Technology & Emerging Solutions for Pools (Show details)

  Some pools have jumped on the technology bandwagon and others are slow to come around. This session will explore the current technology challenges and trends within the pooling community. What are some of the emerging solutions and benefits to risk pools, and what should pools be thinking about now as they evaluate potential technology solutions? Key takeaways:
  

  • Current technology challenges within the Pooling community.
  • Trends to address such challenges.
  • Emerging technology solutions and benefits to the Risk Pooling community.

• 1:15 pm
  The 2013 U.S. Supreme Court & Government Liability (Show details)

  In its last term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several decisions that are likely to affect potential claims against cities and city officials. Some of those decisions directly address municipal liability, but were overshadowed by landmark decisions issued the same week. And two of the landmark decisions – relating to rights of same-sex domestic partners – have implications for future claims. In its next term, the Supreme Court will hear cases addressing fair-housing liability, free speech rights, prayer in public meetings, and other subjects affecting the viability of suits against public bodies. Key takeaways:
  • Gain a better understanding of which recent Supreme Court decisions may affect (favorably or unfavorably) the exposure of cities and their officials to lawsuits.
  • Consider and appreciate the potential implications on municipal liability of several important decisions that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear in the next year.

• 1:15 pm
  The Role of Technology in Pool Operations (Show details)

  As our earlier general session suggests, technology is an increasingly important tool in pool operations, but envisioning what your pool needs, finding the right developer or package, and developing and implementing the application in a cost-effective manner are difficult challenges. In this “show and tell” session, several pools will provide a brief introduction to a technology solution they are using, followed by an opportunity to see first hand how each solution works. Each pool will have a few minutes to provide an overview of their technology solution. Attendees will then have an opportunity to engage in up to three small group discussions around the key technologies that interest them the most. We will rotate technology tables every 15 minutes. Key takeaway:
  • Ideas about how new technology might help make your pool more effective and efficient.

• 2:45 pm
  Enterprise Risk Management for Pools (Show details)

  What is Enterprise Risk Management and why does is generate so much press? Explore whether this commercial enterprise risk assessment is appropriate and valuable in a public entity and pool setting. Learn what questions you should be asking and how to get started to evaluate whether ERM is right for your pool. Key takeaways:
  • Gain a common understanding of what we mean by Enterprise Risk Management.
  • Learn the various components of an ERM program.
  • Identify the key questions pools should be asking to determine whether ERM is right for them.

• 2:45 pm
  Face-To-Face: A “New Marketing Strategy” (Show details)

  Phone, email, text messaging, social media, web-based information, direct mail ~ All of these allow us to connect with our members in easy and effective ways, but are we losing the face-to-face connections that are essential in building strong relationships with members? This session will explore strategies pools can use to get staff out from behind their desk and in front of members. And, once you are in front of them, how do you communicate the value the pool offers to them in a clear, concise and efficient manner? Key takeaways:
  • Learn strategies for getting staff in front of members.
  • Learn how to engage others, such as agents, to help communicate the value the pool offers to them.
  • Develop the key talking points for your "elevator" speech. How do you effectively communicate the value of the pool once you are in front of members so they want to stay with or join the pool?

• 5:30 pm
  Closing Reception: Miller Pavilion at the Oregon Historical Society (Show details)

  Registered guests are invited ~ badges are required
  
  Join us for cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres at the Oregon Historical Society. Access to the Brooks & Julian Gallery will be available during the time of the reception. Upon conclusion of the reception, attendees may take in the Portland nightlife ~ all of which is within walking distance of the Oregon Historical Society or a quick ride on the Portland Streetcar. We will provide a continuous loop shuttle until approximately 8:00 pm.

Hotel/Travel

The Nines
Portland, OR
(877)229-9995

Room Rates: $179.00 per night plus tax (currently 12.5%) and TID assessment (currently 2%)

Book your room

Presenters