Professional Interest Communities Pilot FAQs
As part of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Long-Term Growth Strategy, the Community Engagement Strategy Work Group volunteers have developed the Professional Interest Communities Pilot as a revision to the section structure to enhance engagement across SOA membership, from seasoned professionals to new members. The proposed structure includes Community Groups and corresponding Interest Groups. For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions that follow.
When will the Professional Interest Communities Pilot start and what sections will participate?
The pilot launches in November and will continue through the second quarter of 2022. Throughout this time, members of the pilot will help evaluate and refine the Professional Interest Communities to ensure they meet your needs.
The pilot will launch with one Community Group:
- Emerging Topics Community, comprised of the following sections:
- Modeling
- Predictive Analytics and Futurism
- Technology
What is the structure of the Professional Interest Communities?
The Professional Interest Communities structure will evolve the existing 20 SOA sections into:
- Community Groups. A free benefit to SOA members, Community Groups are organized around actuarial practice areas and special interests. Non-SOA members can purchase access for a minimal fee. They will function under a new governance structure and offer you:
- New ways to engage directly with SOA members and staff
- Expanded opportunities for volunteering and leadership
- Integration with new technologies, including the new SOA Hub app
- Interest Groups. Members of Interest Groups are connected by professional and personal interests that offer additional volunteer and leadership opportunities. These groups exist within Communities and are focused on topics, providing you a deeper interaction with areas such as Modeling, Predictive Analytics and Futurism, and Technology.
How were Sections selected for the pilot?
The Community Engagement Strategy Work Group evaluated a range of criteria for selecting the sections to participate in the pilot. Their goal was to identify sections that offer a broad representation of your peers to help ensure the pilot is as effective as possible. The sections were selected based on:
- Size and engagement levels
- Number of active volunteers
- Volume of content produced and research undertaken
The three identified sections will function as Knowledge Groups inside the newly formed Emerging Topics Community.
What are the specific Community Groups and their corresponding Interest Groups?
Each Professional Interest Community and the corresponding Interest Groups are listed below. Each of the current section’s primary focus areas will be known as a Knowledge Group. Each Community will also have a Content, Research and Influencer Group.
| Community | Knowledge Group |
|---|---|
| Life & Annuity |
Financial Reporting |
| Health |
Dental |
| Retirement |
Retirement |
| Emerging Topics |
Predictive Analytics & Futurism |
| Risk Analysis |
Enterprise Risk Management |
| Interdisciplinary Topics |
Actuary of the Future |
Can you provide more details on Groups?
Within each Community are different types of Groups – some created by SOA and others created by you. Each Community has SOA-created Knowledge, Content, Research and Influencer Groups. These Groups collaborate on topics and information. Take a closer look at these Groups:
| Knowledge Group |
Members share an interest in an actuarial specialization or specific topic and want to discuss trends and issues within their area of expertise. Each section’s primary focus area will be known as a Knowledge Group. |
| Content Group |
Members will assist with development of webcasts, articles, podcasts and session proposals. They will ensure content is accurate and of high quality. |
| Research Group |
Members will focus on research topics that are relevant for the Community and Group. |
| Influencer Group |
Members will help promote the many offerings for the Community and Group. |
How will content creation be managed?
Each Community Group will have a Content Group. The Content Group will collaborate with the Knowledge Group to propose topics or issues on which members need to receive information. Each Content Group will determine the best way to provide this information and collaborate with the Knowledge Group members to ensure the content is accurate and of high quality.
How will the Community Groups and Interest Groups be governed?
Each Community Group will have a Community Advisory Team (CAT) of nine to 12 elected members who will serve a three-year term. The CAT will oversee the activities of their assigned Groups. Each CAT will have a Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary/Treasurer to be determined by the elected members of the CAT. Groups will report to their CAT. Each Group will determine a Lead and Co-Lead to serve a one-year term.
Is there a fee to join the Professional Interest Communities Pilot?
The Professional Interest Communities Pilot is just that – a pilot program to test the validity of the proposed new structure. Pilot participants will be providing valuable feedback on this structure and as such will not be operating as traditional sections. For this reason, there is no fee for SOA members to participate in the Professional Interest Communities Pilot.
What does this mean for me and my section?
If your section is not included in the pilot, there are no immediate changes. Your section will continue to function as it has through 2022. At the conclusion of the pilot, an assessment will be conducted and key performance metrics evaluated. Based on the pilot assessment, a recommendation will be made to the SOA Board of Directors regarding the Professional Interest Communities structure. If the pilot is successful, there will be a place for all sections within the new structure.
What if I have more questions about the Professional Interest Communities Pilot?
If you have additional questions, please email us at communities@soa.org.