Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

1What is a sports officiating integrity and compliance program?
A sports officiating integrity and compliance program is designed to establish a culture within an organization that promotes prevention, detection and resolution of instances of conduct that do not conform to federal and state law, as well as the organization’s ethical and business policies and procedures. Put simply, an effective integrity and compliance program will prevent small problems from growing into large ones.
2What is the difference between a code of conduct and an officiating integrity and compliance program?
A code of conduct is just one component of an integrity and compliance program. Others include the following: policies and procedures, education and training, a reporting system including a hotline, a designated integrity/compliance officer, impartial and unbiased investigations, corrective action, and ongoing oversight and evaluation.
3Why does my organization need an integrity and compliance program?
Any form of business entity, including a sports organization having officials, is well served by having such a program. The focus should be on having the tools and controls in place that reduce risks, project an ethical culture, and ensure the services provided are consistent and best practice.
4What is the best way for employees and independent contractors to report concerns anonymously?
Leading hotline service providers furnish cost-effective telephone and web-based confidential reporting tools that provide for reporting illegal, unethical, or improper conduct. Ideally, hotline services provide clients and their employees and independent contractors two methods for reporting concerns – telephone and web-based reporting.
5Why is it important to keep an integrity and compliance program simple?
The more complex, the more difficult it is to communicate the program to employees and independent contractors. Training employees and independent contractors annually on the basic components of the program is essential to ensuring the program’s effectiveness.
6In sports officiating, what is typically our greatest area of risk?
Damage to your reputation.
7Is it practical to just establish an integrity and compliance program in our officiating department or should we push for creating a program for our parent organization first?
While it may be preferable for such a program to span the entire enterprise, it may be more practical to start with the officiating department which could serve as a model for the parent organization.

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