HomeMy Public PortalAboutTHE NETWORK, INC - Fraud Hotline ServicesReport Line'4�
Hotline Services from The Network
a proposal for
City of Carson, CA
presented by
Pedro E. Alvarado
Sales Representative
IV.
V.
Table of Contents
ReportLine Proposal
ReportLine Program Overview ................................................ ..............................4
The ReportLine Advantage ...................................................... ..............................5
ReportLine Hotline Overview ................................................... ..............................6
A. Identify and Respond to Workplace Issues ................. ...............................
6
Technology Assisted In -Depth Interview ............................................... ..............................6
Rapid Dissemination and Follow Up .................................................... ...............................
6
Comprehensive Incident and Summary Reports ................................. ...............................
6
End -to -End Case Management ............................................................. ..............................7
ReportLine Specifications ....................................................... ..............................8
A. In -Depth Interview ........................................................ ..............................8
1. Accessing the Hotline ...................................................................... ..............................8
2. Greeting ........................................................................................... ..............................8
3. Company /Location /Employee Information ....................................... ..............................8
4. Caller Briefing ................................................................................... ..............................9
5. Caller Identification Information ....................................................... ..............................9
6. Incident Documentation ................................................................... ..............................9
7. Incident Coding ............................................................................... .............................10
8. Technology Assisted Interview ....................................................... .............................11
9. Automated Interview Analysis ......................................................... .............................11
10. Real Time Quality Assurance ......................................................... .............................12
11. Next Step Instructions /Closing Statement ...................................... .............................12
12.The Incident Report ........................................................................ .............................12
13.Quality Assurance ........................................................................... .............................13
B. Rapid Dissemination and Follow Up ......................... ...............................
13
1. Standard Incident Report Dissemination ........................................ .............................13
2. Escalation ........................................................................................ .............................13
3. Callback Process ............................................................................ .............................14
C. Case Management ( Optional) ................................... ...............................
15
D. Direct Access to the Link2 System ( Optional) ........... ...............................
17
1. Accessing the System ..................................................................... .............................17
2. User Training ................................................................................... .............................17
E. Web Reporting System ............................................. ...............................
17
F. Comprehensive Summary Reports ........................... ...............................
18
1. Online Access ................................................................................. .............................18
2. Summary Reports ........................................................................... .............................18
Education & Awareness Overview* ........................................ .............................19
Step1: Implementation ........................................................................ .............................19
Step 2: Ongoing Communication ......................................................... .............................19
ReportLine Program Page 2
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
VI. ReportLine Program Budget ................................................... .............................20
VII. ReportLine Program Agreement & Terms ............................. .............................21
VIII. ReportLine Program Timeline ................................................ .............................26
ReportLine Program Page 3
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
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Reduce Loss from Illegal and Unethical Activities
with Employee Feedback and Communication
The ReportLine Program features superior hotline service engineered to
collect actionable feedback from employees on issues that could damage
your company. It also includes compelling communications designed to
secure employee involvement in protecting your company. Our
comprehensive approach enables you to:
Provide a Risk -Free Way to Voice Concerns. An objective third -party
reporting option, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, increases the
likelihood that employees will report issues to you instead of seeking
external intervention.
Improve Compliance with Laws, Regulations and Company Standards.
Implementing a reporting system like a hotline helps your company comply
with laws such as the Sarbanes -Oxley Act, Federal Sentencing Guidelines
and Canadian MI 52 -110. It demonstrates your commitment to good
governance to your stockholders, employees, customers and vendors.
Identify Serious Issues Early. The hotline serves as an early warning
system, allowing you to respond with appropriate corrective measures and
identify trends and "hot spots ".
Prevent Unacceptable Behavior. The hotline and communication
materials combined act as a deterrent, educating your employees on vital
issues and motivating them to take an active role in prevention.
Reduce Liability and Demonstrate Due Diligence. Having an effective
system in place for employees to report misconduct can dramatically
reduce your exposure to liability, potential fines and negative publicity.
Reduce Loss from Misconduct. The most common way to detect illegal
activity is through tips from employees, customers, vendors and
anonymous sources. Utilizing a well - publicized hotline to collect this
feedback can cut losses by 50% per scheme, according to the Association
of Certified Fraud Examiners.
ReportLine Program Page 4
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
i
II. The ReportLine Advantage
Experience — ReportLine is a service of The Network. More than 20 years
ago, The Network pioneered the anonymous hotline using a comprehensive
approach that is still our company's core business today.
Optimal Mix of People and Technology — Our unique interview process
leverages the strengths of people and technology to improve both the
accuracy and the completeness of the information you receive. Highly
trained, experienced Interview Specialists use our proprietary Link2 system
to conduct a thorough, automated interview that dynamically adapts to the
issues identified in each call.
Advanced Call Center —The Network operates a technologically advanced
Call Center ensuring the most rapid and efficient intake and dissemination
of information available today.
Extensive Screening & Training — With our rigorous hiring processes and
ongoing- targeted training, we deliver the highest level of reliability,
efficiency and accuracy.
Comprehensive Approach — Our comprehensive approach involves
educating employees on company standards and encouraging feedback.
This approach has proven to deliver substantial benefits to employers,
employees and stakeholders.
ReportLine Program Page 5
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
III. ReportLine Hotline Overview
A. Identify and Respond to Workplace Issues
A 2417 confidential hotline, combining exceptional personnel with
the most advanced systems available.
The Network's ReportLine is a powerful, 24/7 hotline service that
features a technologically advanced call center staffed by the most
experienced Interview Specialists in the industry. These professionals
utilize The Network's award - winning Link2 system to conduct detailed
interviews and generate actionable Incident Reports.
Technology Assisted In -Depth Interview
■ Callers access the hotline, both domestically and internationally,
24 -hours a day.
■ A highly trained Interview Specialist conducts a thorough, 50-
point interview, documenting all the details in an Incident Report.
■ During the interview, the Link2 system suggests questions based
on the type of issue being reported, making each interview
unique.
■ An Incident Code is assigned based on the type of issue
reported, which triggers additional incident - specific questions
and guidelines, to ensure the completeness of your information.
■ The Link2 system performs real -time quality assurance checks to
ensure the Incident Report is accurate and complete. Finally, our
dedicated Quality Assurance Team monitors the quality and
clarity of Incident Reports.
Rapid Dissemination and Follow Up
The Link2 system automatically disseminates the Incident Report
within minutes to your designated contacts via email.
Incident Reports requiring immediate attention are escalated.
Our Escalation Team immediately begins calling your designated
emergency contacts to relay information.
Our callback process allows you to ask additional questions of
anonymous callers.
Comprehensive Incident and Summary Reports
The Incident Report is well organized, allowing you to quickly
assess the incident.
Incident Report data is also available through the Case
Management Module.
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City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
Each month you receive valuable reports that help you analyze
hotline activity, recognize trends, and identify "hot spots ",
document due diligence, identify corrective actions and develop
future communications, policies and training programs. These
reports are also available on -line.
End -to -End Case Management
■ From initial notification of a complaint through its final resolution,
you can document activities in a convenient, centralized system
that helps you ensure complaints are resolved appropriately.
■ You can search for reports, add information, assign cases for
investigation and review case status.
■ The system automatically creates a detailed activity log that
provides compliance documentation and offers real -time
reporting to help you manage your workload.
• You can review performance through standard management
reports, ad -hoc reports and real -time data queries.
• The system offers a two - tiered approach with Case Managers
and Investigators who can submit follow -up questions for
anonymous callers while creating a seamless workflow.
ReportLine Program Page 7
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
IV. ReportLine Specifications
A. In -Depth Interview
Utilizing our advanced, Link2 system, a highly trained, experienced
Interview Specialist conducts a thorough interview documenting
information in an organized, actionable Incident Report.
1. Accessing the Hotline
Your employees call The Network's toll -free number, 1- 877 -888-
0002, with 24/7 access throughout the 50 United States,
Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Your customers, shareholders and /or other constituencies utilize
the same phone number listed above.
English and Spanish speaking Interview Specialists are always
available at The Network. Interview Specialists have access to
translation services in more than 150 languages, 24 hours a day.
2. Greeting
a. Callers immediately receive a pre- recorded greeting:
"Thank you for calling, For English, please press 1 now."
(Recorded in English)
"For Spanish, please press 2 now." (Recorded in Spanish).
"The Network's Ethics & Compliance Hotline is a confidential,
third -party option for reporting illegal and unethical activities. We
cannot provide advice or offer opinions on workplace issues.
Please remain on the line. All calls are answered in the order
they are received."
b. Calls are automatically routed to the best Interview Specialist
with the necessary skills to take the call.
c. Callers are greeted in the following manner:
`Thank you for calling the Ethics & Compliance Hotline. This is
[Interview Specialist's name]. Are you calling regarding a
previous report or do you wish to file a new report ?"
d. If the caller is filing a new report, the Interview Specialist asks:
"May I have the name of the company you are calling in
reference to ?"
3. Company /Location /Employee Information
At the outset of each call, the Interview Specialist documents the
caller's company name and detailed location information by
ReportLine Program Page 8
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
referencing a location database provided in The Network's
standard format (Excel) by City of Carson, CA.
Next, the Interview Specialist checks for any special instructions
in the Notes section of the greeting prior to taking a report. This
aspect of our interview process enables you to tailor the call flow
to meet any special needs you may have or refer issues back to
the company.
4. Caller Briefing
The Interview Specialist explains to the caller what to expect
during the call:
"Before we begin, I want you to know that l am going to ask you
a series of questions to help me understand your concern. For
instance, I'll need to know who was involved, what occurred and
when it happened. This interview can take 10 -15 minutes or
more. Let's get started."
5. Caller Identification Information
a. The Interview Specialist then attempts to identify the caller:
"May I have your first name or do you wish to remain
anonymous ?"
b. If the caller chooses to identify him /herself, the following
information is collected:
• Caller's first and last names
• Caller's relationship to employer (i.e. vendor, employee, etc.)
• Caller's title
• Best time to contact the caller
• Caller's phone number
• Caller's email address
c. The Interview Specialist asks all callers how they learned about
the hotline as a measure of communications effectiveness.
6. Incident Documentation
a. The Link2 system allows the Interview Specialist to focus on
understanding the caller's concern, while keeping the interview
and documentation of details on track. For instance, the Link2
system ensures that all parties mentioned in the call are clearly
identified and their roles in the incident are understandable.
Among the information captured:
• Identification of persons involved and their title(s)
• When the issue occurred
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City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
• Where the issue occurred
• Details of how the issue occurred
• How long it has been occurring
• How often it has been occurring
• How caller knows about this
• If there is documentation that would help the company's
investigation
• Others who have knowledge of the issue
• If a supervisor has already been notified of the issue
• What steps, if any, have already been taken to address the
issue
b. Interview Specialists may also add observations to the report for
your consideration. This information is not part of the narrative
provided by the caller, but it may describe the caller's demeanor
and provide valuable insight. For example: "caller was
uncooperative, caller's speech was slurred, caller was very
angry."
7. Incident Coding
As part of the incident documentation, the Interview Specialist
assigns an Incident Code based on the primary issue reported by the
caller.
To ensure accurate and consistent use of Incident Codes, the Link2
system displays a definition and examples for each of the codes.
Interview Specialists also receive extensive training on proper
application of Incident Codes.
ReportLine's 24 standard Incident Codes:
• Accounting /Audit Irregularities
• Conflicts of Interest
■ Customer Relations
■ Discrimination
• Employee Relations
• Falsification of Company Records
• Fraud
■ Fraudulent Insurance Claims
• Improper Loans to Executives
• Insider Trading
ReportLine Program Page 10
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
• Kickbacks
• Policy Issues
• Product Quality Concern
• Release of Proprietary Information
• Retaliation against Whistleblowers
• Safety Issues and Sanitation
• Sexual Harassment
• Substance Abuse
• Theft of Cash
• Theft of Goods /Services
• Theft of Time
• Unauthorized Discounts
• Wage /Hour Issues
• Workplace Violence/Threats
If a call uncovers two or more distinct issues, the Interview Specialist
will produce companion reports. All the relevant information already
provided by the caller is pre - filled in the companion report allowing
the Interview Specialist to focus on documenting the details of each
issue.
8. Technology Assisted Interview
Additional system - generated questions and instructions are triggered
by the Incident Code, helping the Interview Specialist dig deeper into
the unique aspects of a particular issue and ensuring all relevant
information is captured. For example:
Insider Trading: "Describe the insider information, how they
received it, and the amount of illegal trading or benefit. How did
individual witness the issue, what was the documentation, when did
it occur ?"
Theft of Goods: "Describe the stolen goods (value, size, color) and
the financial impact on the company."
These questions and instructions also help the Interview Specialist
validate the Incident Code assigned to the report based on their
relevance to the caller's concern.
9. Automated Interview Analysis
The Link2 system actively analyzes the report and identifies factors
or combinations of factors that require additional information. For
instance:
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City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
Victim Identification Prompt: If an anonymous caller is the victim
and there are no witnesses or evidence to corroborate their report,
the Link2 system prompts the Interview Specialist to encourage the
caller to give their name and contact information so that the incident
can be investigated.
"In order for the company to investigate an issue in which you're the
victim, they need the ability to get in touch with you. Are you sure
you do not wish to provide your name at this time ?"
10. Real Time Quality Assurance
During the interview, the Link2 system monitors information intake.
Before the call is concluded, the Link2 system issues a warning
regarding missing information and potential errors for the Interview
Specialist to review with the caller. The report cannot be completed
until every critical system data requirement is met.
To produce the highest quality reports, The Network continually
reviews and updates Integrity Check criteria based on our
experience and feedback from our clients.
11. Next Step Instructions /Closing Statement
a. The Interview Specialist confirms the caller is satisfied that all the
information they called to report has been conveyed.
b. Callers who give their names are provided a report number and
asked to call back if they have information they wish to add to
their report. The Interview Specialist concludes the call by
saying:
"We appreciate your call. Since you have provided your name
and contact information, your company now has the option to
contact you should they have questions or require additional
information. Allow me to give you a report number as a record of
your call today, your report number is (XXXXXJ. You will need
this number if you call back to add information to this report."
c. Anonymous callers are given a report number to reference in
subsequent calls and are asked to call back two weeks from the
date of their call.
d. The Interview Specialist concludes the call by saying:
"We appreciate your call. Allow me to give you a report number.
Do you have a pen? Your report number is WXXXJ. Please call
us back on [Date] with the report number in order to see if the
company has any additional questions to ask."
12.The Incident Report
The information gathered during the call is organized in a detailed
Incident Report.
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City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
13. Quality Assurance
In addition to the Automated Interview Analysis and the Automated
Integrity Check that the Link2 system performs during the call, The
ReportLine's dedicated Quality Assurance team also evaluates
reports to ensure quality standards are met. Reports are subjected
to manual Quality Assurance based on the complexity of
customization, Interview Specialist quality scores /tenure, incident
type, etc. A combination of automated and manual reviews is
utilized to ensure the quality and clarity of every report.
The rapid delivery of thorough, actionable Incident Reports for
your immediate response.
1. Standard Incident Report Dissemination
a. Incident Reports are disseminated within an average of four
hours. All reports are guaranteed dissemination within one
business day via email to up to three designated recipients.
b. Our dedicated Dissemination Team monitors all dissemination
activity, ensuring the successful transmission of all Incident
Reports.
2. Escalation
a. We immediately call your designated personnel if we receive an
Incident Report that meets the following criteria:
Threat or harm to employees, customers, or operations
Any significant incident projected to reoccur within 24 hours
b. If one of the following ten Incident Codes is assigned to a report,
the Interview Specialist is automatically prompted to ask if the
incident will happen again within the next 24 hours. If the caller
believes it will, then escalation is automatically triggered. Those
Incident Codes are:
• Falsification of Company Records
• Fraud
• Fraudulent Insurance Claims
• Kickbacks
• Release of Proprietary Information
• Substance Abuse
• Theft of Cash
ReportLine Program Page 13
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
Theft of Goods /Services
Product Quality Concern
Workplace Violence/Threats
c. The Interview Specialist or our Quality Assurance Team can also
override the Link2 system and designate a report for escalation
at their discretion. These reports are checked by the Escalation
Team prior to escalating.
d. Once a report designated for escalation is complete, it is
automatically relayed to our dedicated Escalation Team for
immediate notification of the designated person.
The Link2 system provides the Escalation Team with the list of at
best three emergency contacts that you provide, which contains
the contacts' telephone numbers (pager, work, cellular and
home), where they can be reached during business hours,
holidays and weekends, and the order in which they should be
called.
The Escalation Team uses the following escalation process:
■ Calls are made to the first contact within an average of 15
minutes of completion of the report by calling pager, work,
cellular and home numbers.
■ If the first contact cannot be reached, a message is left and
the same procedure is followed for the two additional
contacts.
■ Once a contact is reached, a summary of the report can be
read, emailed or faxed and the escalation of the Incident
Report is complete.
■ Escalated Incident Reports are also disseminated via email
to your designated contacts through the normal
dissemination process. (On the Incident Report, a priority
level of "1" designates a high priority report that has been
escalated.)
3. Callback Process
a. Anonymous callers are asked to call back on a specific date,
giving you an opportunity to ask additional questions during the
investigation and resolution of the issue. Any caller can call back
at any time with the report number and add information to the
report.
b. Your additional questions can be submitted online through the
Case Management Module or via E -mail before the scheduled
callback. Questions submitted on -line are added to the Link2
ReportLine Program Page 14
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
system in real -time. Questions received via email will be added
to the Link2 system within one business day.
c. Email Process:
You can submit callback questions by emailing them to
ReportLine at networkcallbacks(a_tnwinc.com in the following
format:
• Subject Line: Question for the caller
• Your company name
• Your contact first and last name
• Original Incident Report number
• Callback question(s) written exactly as they should be asked
to the caller (limited to 2,000 characters)
d. If the anonymous caller calls back as instructed, the Interview
Specialist will ask the additional question(s) and document the
response(s) as an addendum to the original Incident Report. The
updated Incident Report will then be disseminated to your
original designated contacts via email marked "Callbacks ".
e. If the anonymous caller calls back as instructed, and there are
no additional questions from your company, the Interview
Specialist will thank the caller and notify him /her that there are
no additional questions. No further callback arrangements are
made in this case, although the caller is invited to call back if
there is ever any additional information to add to the report.
If any caller calls back to provide additional information, the
Interview Specialist will document the information as an
addendum to the original Incident Report. The updated Incident
Report will then be disseminated to your original contact via
email "Callbacks ".
C. Case Management (Optional)
Document the Investigation and Resolution of Allegations
The Link2 system's Case Management module centralizes all
components of your incident reporting system, from notification
through investigation and resolution. The system helps you manage
workflow and provides you with a historical record of your
investigation. Case Management is web - based, so case managers
and investigators can easily access the system and document their
activity from virtually anywhere.
You determine system and Incident Report access by user type
(Case Manager or Investigator), company location, and /or incident
ReportLine Program Page 15
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
type. Users are alerted by email when an incident requires their
attention, and then they log in to the Case Management module.
The two -tier hierarchy ensures that only those authorized to assign
and investigate reports have access to that data.
Case Managers have access to all of the incidents for the locations
and /or incident types for which they have been assigned access
rights. They can:
• Search /sort for specific incident information
• View incident report data
• Assign an Investigator, or transfer a case to another Investigator
• Approve /close a case
• Send a case back to an Investigator
• Transfer approval authority to another Manager
• Document activities in the Case Log
• Follow up with anonymous callers
• Access and view monthly management reports and request ad
hoc reports by setting custom date ranges
Investigators have access only to the incidents assigned to them.
They can:
■ Search /sort for specific incident information
• View incident report data
• Document activities in the Case Log
• Transfer an assigned case to another Investigator, when
authorized to do so
• Document resolution (outcome, disposition, reward)
recommendations
• Send a case to the Approval Authority for closure
■ Follow up with anonymous callers
Actions taken by Case Managers and Investigators during the
incident investigation and resolution process are automatically
documented in the Case Log and tagged with a date, time and user
ID stamp. Actions include:
■ Entering new information into the Case Log
• Assigning an Investigator
• Transferring a case to another Investigator
ReportLine Program Page 16
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
• Transferring Approval Authority
• Sending a case for approval
• Sending a case back to an Investigator for additional work
• Approving /Closing a case
D. Direct Access to the Link2 System (Optional)
Enter reports from your desk into a centralized database of ethics
complaints
You can enter reports based on the face -to -face interviews that you
conduct directly into the Link2 system so that all complaints are
documented in one centralized database for ease of reporting and
consistency of documentation.
1. Accessing the System
Your designated users will be given rights in the system to add
reports, so that all your ethics allegations reside within the Link2
system database. These users will enter data following the same
process as Interview Specialists.
2. User Training
Up to three users entering the reports will receive a user's guide
electronically in the form of a Word document.
E. Web Reporting System
Anonymous reports can be submitted via the web
In addition to calling the hotline or participating in an internal
reporting process, reports can be anonymously submitted via our
secure, web -based self - reporting system. The format follows the flow
of ReportLine's highly successful telephonic interview process,
requiring the critical information that you will need to investigate.
After submitting a report, the participant receives a confirmation
number as a receipt.
Web Reports are:
• Documented in the Link2 system
• Disseminated or escalated like other Incident Reports
• Included in monthly summary reporting
• Accessible through The Link2 system's Case Management
module
ReportLine Program Page 17
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
F. Comprehensive Summary Reports
Valuable reports to analyze incidents and hotline activity, recognize
trends and "hot spots ", document due diligence, identify corrective
actions and aid in the development of future communications,
policies and training programs.
1. Online Access
Secure, online access to report data is via the web. A web based
report system offers many features including:
Review and print report data from anywhere via the Internet.
Search, view and print report data based on a variety of criteria
including date range, DBA, location, etc.
Up to 3 company representatives may access Link2.
2. Summary Reports
a. Each month your designated contacts receive valuable Summary
Reports via email as a PDF attachment. These reports help you
analyze hotline activity, recognize trends and "hot spots" in your
organization, document due diligence and identify corrective
actions and ongoing communication needs.
b. Summary Reports include:
Executive Summary Report: This report shows the total
incidents for the month and year -to -date tabulated by type
and frequency, the percentage of issues that were previously
reported to a manager and an issue type summary showing
the number of calls per Incident Code. As a means of trend
analysis, these percentages are also reported using
ReportLine's entire client base ( "Market "). The top ten issues
are also shown in a graph.
Activity Report: This report details all call activity for the
month by location and by type of concern reported, including
call location (city and state), report number and date, if the
incident was previously reported to management and a brief
summary of the incident (Incident Code, caller name, and
name of the reported individual).
Hot Spot Report: This report shows locations that have
reached or exceeded your designated number of Incident
Reports for the month. City of Carson, CA designates a
number of reports per location to consider the location a "hot
spot." This report will show all those locations within the
month that reached this number. For City of Carson, CA, this
number is [Hot Spot Threshold Number].
ReportLine Program Page 18
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
V. Education & Awareness Overview*
Reach the Unique Workplace Audience
Materials for program support facilitate two -way communication by
introducing the program to employees, educating them on vital issues
and encouraging participation.
Your employees are your company's strongest defense against illegal and
unethical activity. Providing a hotline helps your company identify and
respond to potentially damaging issues. The most effective programs to
control misconduct solicit employee involvement and educate them on their
role in prevention and detection.
The Network provides all the tools you need for a comprehensive feedback
and communication program.
Step 1: Implementation
The Network provides implementation tools that ensure successful
launch of your hotline:
Employee Kits — Employees receive materials that describe the
hotline, its purpose and how to report illegal or unethical
behavior.
Location Awareness Centers — High- impact materials like
posters and letters from management posted prominently in
employee common areas help promote the message of the
program. The Network can provide sturdy acrylic displays to help
create a unified message center.
Step 2: Ongoing Communication
You can sustain the momentum of your program by periodically
updating materials to maintain top -of -mind awareness of the hotline
program. Posters in high- traffic areas educate employees on
important workplace issues and preventive techniques.
New materials draw attention to the issues, reminding employees of
the program and the company's commitment to workplace ethics.
The Network's in -house agency can support your communication
campaign by creating employee mailings, payroll staffers, wallet
cards and web pages for your intranet, creating a well- rounded
communications effort that supports the hotline and helps you prove
your due - diligence regarding the anonymous complaint process.
* - Education & Awareness materials are not included in the Annual
Fee.
ReportLine Program Page 19
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
VQ, �����o�U ^�������ra�� �������
--n- ---' Program Budget
ReportLinm Service Budget
One-timeSetUpFee ------------------------------.. $1.0O0.0O
Amnuo|Fea ............................................................................................................ $2.187.5U
includes calls that result inan Incident Report. The fee for calls above the limit is
$35 per call for calls resulting in an Incident Report and 818 per call for all other calls
(general inquiry calls, referral calls, etc).]
Case Management (Optional) Budget
CaunManagens ----------------..
RapurtLnaPmgram
City of Carson, CA
--$ 850.00/User
--$ 350.00/User
Page 20
December 30, 2004
VI1. ReportLine Program Agreement & Terms
This Agreement for Program Services (the "Agreement "), dated December
30, 2004, is between The Network, Inc. ( "Provider "), located at 333
Research Court, Norcross, GA 30092, and City of Carson, CA ( "Client "),
located at 701 East Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745.
A. Services
The parties agree that Provider will provide Hotline Program Services
(the "Services ") for Client pursuant to the terms of the description of
services and fees shown herein.
B. Use of Hotline
ReportLine is intended to be offered only as an option for employees,
former employees and other program participants to report any illegal
and unethical activity that causes loss or harm to a company, its
employees or customers. It is intended to be positioned as an option for
reporting these incidents to an independent third party, should an
individual feel uncomfortable with reporting to those within the company.
Consequently, in order to maintain the quality of service, Client cannot
describe or use ReportLine for other purposes. Client must obtain
written permission to publish the ReportLine number and any other
information relating to its description and /or purpose prior to its
publication. It is the Client's responsibility to enforce this policy
throughout the company. Should the Client violate this policy, The
Network retains the right to re- structure service fees or terminate
service.
C. Effective Date and Term
The effective date of this Agreement is TBD. Provider will perform the
Services from the effective date through 12 months (the "Term ") and
shall automatically renew for successive twelve -month periods unless
earlier terminated in accordance with this agreement.
D. Cancellation
This Agreement may be canceled by either party (a) in the event of a
"Default" after the expiration of notice and cure periods; or (b) by either
party without cause upon forty -five (45) days' advance notice to the
other party. Following such expiration or cancellation, Client will
immediately return to Provider or destroy all materials in its possession,
custody or control, which promote or describe the Services.
E. Confidential Information
Each party will maintain the confidentiality of "Proprietary Information"
except as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.
"Proprietary Information" means any information (a) identifying a hotline
ReportLine Program Page 21
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
caller or the subject of his /her call; (b) contained in a Client - provided
database used in processing calls; (c) Provider's toll -free number; (d)
related to the Services which is not otherwise available to the public, or
(e) identified as confidential by Provider or Client.
F. Intellectual Property
Each party mutually reserves, and agrees to recognize, respect and
preserve any and all intellectual property rights the other party has or
may be entitled to claim in any Created Works. "Created Works" are
defined as all works in any medium which are authored, co- authored,
developed, refined, completed, obtained, owned or possessed by the
party, including all copyrights, trademarks, service marks, and patents
which apply thereto, and any derivative work based thereon, except for
any existing rights in works provided to one party by the other.
G. Data Retention Policy
All Incident Report data is retained for a period of 12 months from the
original date of the Incident Report. Case Management module data is
retained for 36 months from the original date of the Incident Report.
With the exception of selected data, after this period all Incident Report
data is purged.
Selected Incident Report data is then archived for billing and statistical
reporting purposes including: Report Number, Date of Report, Type of
Call, Company Name, City, State, Zip Code, Client ID Number, Incident
Code, and Date(s) of Callback(s). Once report data has been archived,
it cannot be restored to its original form.
H. Default
Any of the following will constitute a "Default" under this Agreement:
a. A breach of a material covenant of this Agreement which
continues without cure for a thirty (30) day period after either
party's receipt of written notice thereof; or
b. The filing of a petition for bankruptcy by a party, the insolvency of
a party, or the filing of an involuntary petition for bankruptcy
against a party shall entitle the other party, upon twenty -four (24)
hours written notice, to terminate this Agreement; or
c. Client's failure to perform its payment obligation.
d. The parties agree that damages for breach of this Agreement will
be limited to the actual damages incurred as a result of the
breach and the breaching party will not be liable for any special,
punitive, incidental or consequential damages arising out of or
related to any breach of this Agreement.
ReportLine Program Page 22
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
I. Indemnity
Each party (the "Indemnitor ") will indemnify and hold harmless the other
party (the "Indemnitee ") from and against any and all claims, damages,
demands, actions, losses, costs and expenses, including attorney's fees
reasonably and actually incurred ( "Claims ") arising out of or related to
the performance or non - performance by the Indemnitor (except for
Claims caused by the negligence or willful misconduct of the
Indemnitee), or the Indemnitor's material breach of its obligations under
this Agreement.
J. Disclaimer
Provider will utilize good faith efforts to perform the Services, although
Provider will not be liable for the mistakes or errors in the performance
of the Services unless they are caused by the negligence or willful
misconduct of Provider. Provider will not be responsible for the
verification or review of the accuracy, relevance, or legality of
information contained in reports of hotline calls provided to Client and
Client waives any claim related thereto.
K. Notice
Any notice required or allowed under this Agreement will be effective
when received in writing at the following address.
Designated location for notice:
The Network, Inc.
333 Research Court
Norcross, GA 30092
Attn: Mr. Jim Ganley
City of Carson, CA
701 East Carson Street
Carson, CA 90745
Attn: Ms. Kelly Guzman
L. Payments
Budget is valid for 90 days from date of proposal. Payments are due net
30 upon receipt of invoices. Total Budget will be invoiced upon proposal
acceptance. The Annual Renewal Package Fee, including hotline
service and Case Management Module, will be invoiced annually 60
days prior to the renewal date.
M. Collection and Disputes
Client agrees to pay Provider according to the terms on the invoices.
Amounts not paid within thirty (30) days after the date of invoice shall be
considered past due. On past due accounts, Client agrees to pay a
finance charge on any unpaid balance in the amount of 1.5% per month.
ReportLine Program Page 23
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
Provider will be entitled to recover any cost of collection, including
reasonable attorney fees.
N. Miscellaneous
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Georgia.
A specific waiver by either party of any of the terms and conditions of
this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of the same or other
provisions of the Agreement at any time in the future.
Any approvals required by either party to this Agreement shall not be
unreasonably withheld.
Neither party shall be responsible for any damage or delay which is
caused by an Act of God, government regulation, disaster, fire, flood,
war, or civil disorder which is beyond the control of either of the parties
to this Agreement, and which makes it illegal or impossible to perform
the Agreement or any of its terms.
O. Terms
The following is important information either provided by Client or
assumed by Provider in order to develop a budget and prepare for
efficient implementation of the proposed service. Any and an revisions,
additions or deletions to these terms may result in a revised
budget and /or implementation timeline,
ReportLine Service Terms:
The number of employees calling Provider from North America (U.S.,
Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands) is 825.
Provider's ability to translate calls is subject to Tele- Interpreters'
translator availability.
For more accurate documentation of a caller's location, applicable
location database information will be provided via Excel and will be
updated monthly in the same format.
Program period: TBD — 12 months.
Programming other than the specifications outlined herein is billable at
$150.00 per hour.
ReportLine Program Page 24
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
City of Carson, CA
DATE:— 1/10/05
THE NETWORK, INC.
DATE:
BY:
area AVIla
I
TITLE: City reasurer
jameS A. Malone
ReportLine Program Page 25
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004
VII1. ReportLine Program Timeline
Due Date
Event/Task Description
Who
TBD — at least 2 -4
Signed agreement to The Network
City of Carson,
weeks prior to
CA
start date
TBD — at least 2
Dissemination, contact and other
City of Carson,
weeks prior to
information for program set up to The
CA
program start date
Network
TBD — at least 1
Location Database to The Network
City of Carson,
week prior to
CA
program start date
TBD — always on a
Program Live (start) Date
The Network
Friday
TBD — First month
First Month's Management Summary
The Network
after program start
Reports
date (this is a
calendar month,
not a program
month)
TBD — as needed,
Escalation Information Updates
City of Carson,
at least 5 business
CA & The
days notice
Network
required
TBD — as needed,
Dissemination and Location Database
City of Carson,
at least 5 business
Information Changes
CA & The
days notice
Network
required
TBD — as needed,
Location Database Information Updates
City of Carson,
at least 24 hours
(standard only)
CA & The
(business day)
Network
notice required
45 days prior to
Annual Program Evaluation and Renewal
City of Carson,
program year -end
CA & The
renewal date
Network
ReportLine Program Page 26
City of Carson, CA December 30, 2004