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Department of the Interior
Bureau of Trust Funds Administration
Description
Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA) manages over $8.2 billion in monetary trust assets, and delivers trust funds accounting and management services to Indian trust beneficiaries. BTFA’s trust responsibilities include holding funds for Tribes and funds for individuals (i.e., Individual Indian Monies (IIM) accounts). Tribal and Other Trust Funds are comprised of approximately 4,100 accounts with monetary assets of approximately $6.8 billion and over 408,000 Individual Indian Monies (IIM) accounts with monetary assets of approximately $1.4 billion.
Designated Services
Previously-reported Services
Managing Individual Indian Monies (IIM) accounts
Description
Individual Indian Monies (IIM) accountholder’s have an IIM account established for them by BTFA. An Individual Indian Money (IIM) account is an interest-bearing account managed by BTFA on behalf of an individual who has money or other assets held in trust for them by the Federal government. An Individual Indian often inherits fractional owner interests through either a will or a probate process. Also, trust land ownership can be acquired through a purchase or a gift deed.
Managing IIM accounts usually begins with a compelling beneficiary “life need” to access the monetary assets held in their IIM account to pay for necessities like utilities, housing, food, and medical needs. The beneficiary may engage with BTFA in a few different ways. The beneficiary may check the balance and recent transaction history, update account information with a new address or change disbursement instructions, access the trust funds that have posted into IIM account, make a request for disbursement of funds from their account. The beneficiary may also seek information about their interests in tracts of land so that they can make informed decisions about managing the asset.
Why this service was designated
Ownership of an IIM account is important to an Indian trust beneficiary, especially if they receive trust fund revenue from land/resources managed in trust by the federal government. When a beneficiary relies on trust income, accurate and timely account management services are critically important. BTFA manages approximately 408,000 IIM accounts. BTFA’s Trust Operations – Field division responds to an average of 200,000 beneficiary requests annually.
Quarterly data reported
Q3 2023
What we learned from this quarter's data:
BTFA saw an impressive increase in CSI overall satisfaction score from (84) to (91), with an increase of 7 points. However, the Q3 “Efficiency” score dropped by 5 points from (67) to (62). In addition, the scores for the “Transparency” dropped by 3 points from (75) to (73) and a small drop in “Trust and Confidence” from (72) to (71).
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 36335
Surveys offered: 964
Responses: 25
Q2 2023
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (84), and only 2 points lower than the score for FY23 Q1. However, the Q2 “Satisfaction with service” score dropped by 9 points. In addition, the scores for the usual satisfaction drivers also dropped i.e., the “Employee Helpfulness” score dropped by 8 points (74) and the “Employee Effectiveness” score also dropped by 8 points (75). Importantly, the “Trust in BTFA” score only dropped by 2 points from Q1’s score of 74.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 42052
Surveys offered: 1815
Responses: 39
Q1 2023
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (86), and matched the score for FY22 Q4. The drivers for this high Q1 score were: Employee Helpfulness (82), Employee Effectiveness (83) and Service (82). For Q1, the “Strongly Agree” score for EFFICIENCY increased by 6 points over the FY22 Q4 score; and the “Strongly Agree” score for EASE increased by 10 points over the FY22 Q4 score. Importantly, the “Strongly Agree” score for “increased TRUST in BTFA” increased by 8 points over the FY22 Q4 score.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 43181
Surveys offered: 2260
Responses: 42
Q4 2022
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (84), even though it was a 2 point drop from Q3. The drivers for this high Q4 score were: Employee Helpfulness and Employee Effectiveness. For Q4, the “Strongly Agree” score for EFFICIENCY increased by 8 points over the Q3 score; and the “Strongly Agree” score for EASE increased by 4 points over Q3. Importantly, the “Strongly Agree” score for “increased TRUST in BTFA” increased by 9 points over the Q3 score.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 39459
Surveys offered: 1911
Responses: 64
Q3 2022
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (86), an increase of 7 points over Q2. The drivers for this high Q3 score were: Employee Helpfulness and Employee Effectiveness. For Q3, the “Strongly Agree” score for Efficiency dropped by 3 points. However, the “Strongly Agree” score for EASE increased by 3 points over Q2.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 41162
Surveys offered: 2183
Responses: 81
Q2 2022
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (79). The drivers for this high Q2 score were: Employee Helpfulness and Employee Effectiveness. For Q2, the “Strongly Disagree” score for Efficiency improved by 11 points. Corresponding to this improvement, was a “Strongly Disagree” improvement of 6 points for EASE.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 39635
Surveys offered: 1731
Responses: 70
Accessing "Beneficiary Services"
Description
BTFA establishes IIM accounts for individuals with an interest in trust funds and/or trust or restricted lands on one or more of the approximately 150 Indian Reservations with individually owned trust lands. These funds or fractional owner interests are often inherited by an individual, through either a will or a probate process. Land interests can also be acquired through a gift deed process. Not every individual American Indian is an IIM accountholder.
We interact with our beneficiaries principally through four occasions: when they need current information regarding their trust and monetary assets (balance, recent transaction history, timing of expected payment, etc.), when they need to update their account information, when they have an immediate need to access the trust revenue funds, and when they need information about their interests in tracts of land so that they can make informed decisions related to estate planning, financial planning, gift deeds, consenting to land use, or participating in land consolidation efforts.
Why this service was designated
Beneficiary Services is BTFA’s all-encompassing, customer facing service. Beneficiaries are highly dependent on BTFA to provide a seamless service where all beneficiary requests are met. BTFA is the sole federal entity with the delegated authority to perform Indian trust funds accounting and management duties.
In order to meet our beneficiaries’ needs, BTFA’s business processes must align back office processing and front line transactional tasks. Back Office services include: account maintenance service, safeguarding of trust funds, receipting of revenue and posting of trust funds to the correct account. Front line services include: responding to requests for information about trust assets, financial education, and completing beneficiary service transactions such as address updates and/or a disbursement of funds.
Quarterly data reported
Q1 2023
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (86), and matched the score for FY22 Q4. The drivers for this high Q1 score were: Employee Helpfulness (82), Employee Effectiveness (83) and Service (82). For Q1, the “Strongly Agree” score for EFFICIENCY increased by 6 points over the FY22 Q4 score; and the “Strongly Agree” score for EASE increased by 10 points over the FY22 Q4 score. Importantly, the “Strongly Agree” score for “increased TRUST in BTFA” increased by 8 points over the FY22 Q4 score.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 43181
Surveys offered: 2260
Responses: 42
Q4 2022
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (84), even though it was a 2 point drop from Q3. The drivers for this high Q4 score were: Employee Helpfulness and Employee Effectiveness. For Q4, the “Strongly Agree” score for EFFICIENCY increased by 8 points over the Q3 score; and the “Strongly Agree” score for EASE increased by 4 points over Q3. Importantly, the “Strongly Agree” score for “increased TRUST in BTFA” increased by 9 points over the Q3 score.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 39459
Surveys offered: 1911
Responses: 64
Q3 2022
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (86), an increase of 7 points over Q2. The drivers for this high Q3 score were: Employee Helpfulness and Employee Effectiveness. For Q3, the “Strongly Agree” score for Efficiency dropped by 3 points. However, the “Strongly Agree” score for EASE increased by 3 points over Q2.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 41162
Surveys offered: 2183
Responses: 81
Q2 2022
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (79). The drivers for this high Q2 score were: Employee Helpfulness and Employee Effectiveness. For Q2, the “Strongly Disagree” score for Efficiency improved by 11 points. Corresponding to this improvement, was a “Strongly Disagree” improvement of 6 points for EASE.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 39635
Surveys offered: 1731
Responses: 70
Previously-reported Services
Prior to the first service designation exercise in 2022, HISPs were collecting data using methods unique to each agency, resulting in data that was not standardized. This previously-reported data was collected to increase visibility and awareness regarding customer experience through feedback data. Per A-11 guidance, service providers will collect feedback in a more standardized way.
Contacting the Trust Beneficiary contact center
Description
The Trust Beneficiary Call Center (TBCC) plays a critical role in the delivery of trust fund management services to Indian trust beneficiaries. The TBCC provides an easy-to-access primary point of contact for making inquiries about their trust assets. TBCC surveys customers who use the Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
Quarterly data reported
Q1 2022
What we learned from this quarter's data:
When compared to the FY’21 Q4 satisfaction levels, the Q1 results indicate a sustained high level of satisfaction with the TBCC for: “Trust”, “Ease” and “Employee”. However, Q1 satisfaction with “Efficiency” dropped due to the continued telephone workaround and issues with an external telephone provider while attempting to convert to a VOIP system. Problems included loss of the TBCC toll free telephone number for 24 hours.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: phone
People served: 41976
Surveys offered: 2123
Responses: 121
Q4 2021
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the Q4 survey responses closely mirrored the Q3 responses. The results indicate a sustained level of satisfaction with the TBCC for “trust”, “efficiency” and “ease”; as compared to the Q2 satisfaction levels.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: automated_phone
People served: 40381
Surveys offered: 2418
Responses: 109
Q3 2021
What we learned from this quarter's data:
As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score for the TBCC was high (83). Compared to Q2, there was also a 6% increase in Strongly Agree for Trust/ Confidence; and a 10% increase in Strongly Agree for Process Ease. In addition, there was a large drop in dissatisfaction, from Q2, with the time it took to complete a transaction. This is supported by a 13% increase in the Strongly Agree score for this driver
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: automated_phone
People served: 37641
Surveys offered: 2518
Responses: 129
Q2 2021
What we learned from this quarter's data:
RESULTS: Surveys: Due to COVID 19 restrictions, the TBCC was not operating under normal business conditions duringQ1 and Q2. Therefore, surveys were suspended because we did not want to burden our Indian trust beneficiaries with responding to surveys. However, we resumed the daily customer satisfaction surveys on March 10, 2021.
Operational Metrics: Unfortunately, the pandemic telework solution and temporary call management queue, that is being used for responding to incoming beneficiary inquiries, did not include the ability to capture performance metrics such as: speed to answer, call handle time and abandoned rate. Therefore, the performance metrics reported under Operational Metrics do not reflect actual performance for Q2.
PAIN POINTS: As expected, the CSI overall satisfaction score was high (84). The drivers for this high score were Service, Transparency, Employee Helpfulness and Employee Effectiveness. Fortunately, TBCC Call Technicians and Agency staff were able to maintain beneficiary satisfaction by continuing to manage beneficiary expectations and providing callers with realistic timeframes for account updates and disbursements. Unexpectedly, for the Satisfaction, Trust, Ease and Efficiency A-11 Required Questions, the ““Strongly Disagree”” response scores were higher than anticipated. These scores may be partially due to the pandemic telework solution and temporary call management queue, that is being used for responding to incoming beneficiary inquiries, which requires that the caller wait for a long period of time before their call is answered. (Sometimes 5 minutes or more). BTFA anticipates deploying a new incoming call management system within the next 30 days.
Service details
Transaction point: Trust Beneficiary Call Center
Channel: automated_phone
People served: 34829
Surveys offered: 1183
Responses: 41