Evaluating the pensions dashboards connection process: what we've learned

As we move closer towards pensions dashboards becoming a reality for savers across the UK, we would like to share what we have learned from the organisations that have connected directly to the central digital architecture (CDA).

Earlier this year, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) commissioned independent evaluators Ecorys to examine how the connection process has worked in practice. This blog post sets out the rationale behind the report and the insights gained from it.

Designing the connection process

Connecting to the pensions dashboards ecosystem is a technically complex and security-critical undertaking. It was essential that every organisation connecting to it could demonstrate they were ready to do so securely and reliably.

For that reason, the connection process was designed as a structured, sequential journey comprising 4 stages: pre-connection engagement, pre-registration, registration and technical connection. Each stage has defined readiness criteria that organisations must meet before progressing.

This phased approach was intended to provide a robust assurance framework, giving both connecting organisations and PDP a clear structure to work through while ensuring that security and data integrity were maintained at every step.

What a process evaluation tells us

A process evaluation is a well-established approach in government that asks what can be learned from how something was delivered, rather than simply whether it achieved its intended outcomes. It examines what worked well and less well, where delays may have occurred, how issues were resolved, and what lessons should shape future activity.

This evaluation forms part of a wider assessment of PDP delivery. With the majority of directly connecting organisations having completed their connection journeys, this was a sensible time to capture that learning.

The evaluation was carried out using a mixed-methods approach, combining analysis of programme data with interviews conducted with 12 connecting organisations and 6 MaPS stakeholder groups between February and March 2026.

A new process for everyone

It is worth being clear about the context in which connection has taken place. Pensions dashboards are a novel infrastructure in the UK. While similar products exist in some other countries, the UK’s pensions landscape is distinct in its scale and complexity, and the approaches taken elsewhere could not simply be transplanted here.

There was no established domestic playbook to follow, no prior cohort of connected organisations to learn from, and no existing benchmark for how long the process would take. Connecting organisations, and our team supporting them, were working through something genuinely new.

Findings and insights

What worked well

The early stages of the process (pre-connection engagement, pre-registration and registration) generally worked well. These were consistently described by connecting organisations as clear, structured and proportionate.

The support provided by the PDP team was widely highlighted as a strong enabler of progress. Organisations valued the team’s responsiveness, pragmatism and willingness to engage directly when problems arose, combining formal written guidance with direct calls and structured issue tracking.

The use of pathfinder organisations, who volunteered to connect early and help test and refine the process, proved particularly effective. Their experience strengthened guidance and processes ahead of wider connection, making the journey smoother for those who followed.

Timeframe challenges

The evaluation found that, on average, connection journeys took almost twice as long as initial indicative timelines suggested. The technical connection stage proved more complex and time-intensive than early estimates reflected, accounting for most of the connection duration.

Variation in organisations’ technical architectures, internal capacity and readiness also played a significant role in delays. Organisations with dedicated teams and relevant expertise tended to progress more efficiently, while those with legacy systems or competing organisational priorities found the process more demanding.

Confidence in facilitating connection

The headline finding is a positive one: all organisations in scope for the evaluation successfully connected to the CDA. Stakeholders widely described the process as robust and effective in assuring secure connection.

We are confident in our ability to support organisations through the connection process, and the lessons from this evaluation are helping us do that even more effectively.

What this means for the future

While most of the initial cohort of connecting organisations, and nearly 1,500 pension providers and schemes, have connected, further connection activity is anticipated. This includes updates to standards and architecture that may require already-connected organisations to revisit elements of the process. We will also be facilitating the connection of commercial organisations developing private sector dashboards.

The evaluation identifies 7 lessons to inform how the connection process evolves. These include setting more realistic and transparent timelines based on empirical data from completed connections, building on the pathfinder model, increasing flexibility in role definitions to reduce the risk of delays, and improving the availability of testing environments.

These findings come at a useful moment. As we look ahead to the next phase of connection activity, we have a clearer, evidence-based picture of what works, where to focus improvement efforts, and how to support those coming through the process in future. Likewise, we have good insights into how engagement with industry can help test and improve new processes.