HomeMy WebLinkAboutContract 33884 CITY SECRETARY
CONTRACT NO.
ReportLine Hotline Services Program Agreement & Terms
This Agreement for Program Services (the "Agreement"), dated ", j,QL
is between The Network, Inc. ("Provider'), located at 333 Research 'Court,
Norcross, GA 30092, and City of Fort Worth ("Client"), located at 1000
Throckmorton St, Fort Worth, TX 76102, collectively referred to as the "parties."
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, and the Proposal for the City of Fort Worth dated March 16,
2006, which is attached hereto as Exhibit "A," and incorporated for all purposes
incident to this Agreement. To the extent the Proposal conflicts with this
Agreement, this Agreement shall control.
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 an organization, 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 organization.
Consequently, in order to maintain the quality of service, Client cannot
describe or use ReportLine for other purposes. It is the Client's responsibility to
enforce this policy throughout the organization. Should the Client violate this
policy, Provider shall provide the Client with written notice specifically
identifying the violation. The Client shall have thirty (30) days from the date the
Client receives notice of such violation to cure the violation. If Client fails to
cure the violation within the cure period, The Network retains the right to re-
structure service fees or terminate service.
C. Effective Date and Term
This Agreement shall be effective on the last date executed by the parties
("effective date") and remain in effect for a period of three (3) years from the
effective date. Client shall have the option to renew this agreement for two
consecutive one year periods. In the event Client wishes to renew, Client shall
provide The Network with written notice of such intent to renew. Unless
terminated earlier in accordance with this agreement, if Client fails to notify
Provider of intent to renew, and or fails to pay any renewal fees, this
agreement shall automatically terminate.
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.
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E. Confidential Information �,
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City of Fort Worth _ )6 r 13 V July,2006
To the extent permitted by law, 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 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. Nothwithstanding the foregoing, Proprietary /
Confidential information shall not include (i) information that is already known
to the Receiving Party prior to disclosure by the Disclosing Party; (ii) becomes
publicly available without fault of the Receiving Party; (iii) is rightfully obtained
by the Receiving Party from a third party without restriction as to disclosure;
(iv) is approved for release by written authorization of the Disclosing Party; (v)
is developed independently by the Receiving Party without use of or access to
the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information; or (vi) is required to be
disclosed by law or governmental regulation, provided that the Receiving Party
provides reasonable notice to Disclosing Party of such required disclosure and
reasonably cooperates with the Disclosing Party in limiting such disclosure.
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. Provider shall receive Client's written consent to
utilize any Client-copyrighted material, including Client's logo, for advertising or
publicity purposes.
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
thirty-six (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,
City of Fort Worth, 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
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City of Fort Worth July,2006
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 or the
negligence, omission(s), or intentional misconduct of the breaching
party. Neither party will be liable for any special, punitive, incidental or
consequential damages arising out of or related to any breach of this
Agreement.
I. Indemnity
Provider will indemnify and hold harmless the Client 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 Provider (except for
Claims caused by the negligence or willful misconduct of the Client), or the
Provider's material breach of its obligations under this Agreement.
J. Disclaimer
Provider will perform its duties and obligations in accordance with industry
standards; however, 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 Fort Worth
1000 Throckmorton Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Attn: Charles Boswell, City Manager
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
Education & Awareness materials, will be invoiced annually 60 days prior to
the renewal date. Education & Awareness Materials' shipping and handling
fees will be invoiced upon delivery to client.
M. Collection and Disputes
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City of Fort Worth July,2006
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 1.0% per month.
N. Miscellaneous
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the state of Texas.
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, natural 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.
It is expressly understood and agreed that Provider shall operate as an
independent contractor as to all rights and privileges granted herein, and not
as agent, representative or employee of the Client. Subject to and in
accordance with the conditions and provisions of this Agreement, Provider
shall have the exclusive right to control the details of its operations and
activities and be solely responsible for the acts and omissions of its officers,
agents, servants, employees, contractors and subcontractors. Provider
acknowledges that the doctrine of respondeat superior shall not apply as
between the Client, its officers, agents, servants and employees, and
Provider, its officers, agents, employees, servants, contractors and
subcontractors. Provider further agrees that nothing herein shall be
construed as the creation of a partnership or joint enterprise between Client
and Provider.
If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining
provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.
Provider agrees that the Client shall, until the expiration of three (3) years after
final payment under this contract, have access to and the right to examine at
reasonable times any directly pertinent books, documents, papers and records
of the Provider involving transactions relating to this Contract. Provider
agrees that the Client shall have access during normal working hours to all
necessary Provider facilities and shall be provided adequate and appropriate
work space in order to conduct audits in compliance with the provisions of this
section. The Client shall give Provider reasonable advance notice of intended
audits.
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
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City of Fort Worth July,2006
of the proposed service. Any and all revisions, additions or deletions to
these terms may result in a revised budget and/or implementation
timeline.
Schedule of Deliverables: Once Provider has received a signed Agreement
for the Services and all information to be supplied by Client, the Service will be
implemented within a two-to four-week time period. All other services will be
provided in accordance with the Program Timeline, which will be agreed upon
by the parties, and attached hereto and incorporated into this Agreement as
ExhibitB.
In order to receive incident and monthly summary reports in PDF format, Client
must have access to, or gain access to, Adobe Acrobat Reader software prior
to program set-up. Provider can provide Client assistance in gaining access to
Adobe Acrobat Reader software if necessary.
Additional Terms: The Network agrees to block all caller id/phone numbers
that come into our call center and will provide a live link from the City of Fort
Worth home page to The Network website for web-reporting.
[Signature page follows]
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City of Fort Worth July,2006
CITY OF FORT WORTH
BY:
Assistant City Manager
DATE: 7 5 9
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: ATTEST:
Assistant Cit Attorney City Secretary
M&C: C-21569
Date Approved: 7/ 8/06
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THE N RK I C.
BY:
TITLE: Y&V
DATE: �Va'
ATTEST:
[Name]
[Title]
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City of Fort Worth July,2006
EXHIBIT "A"
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PROPOSAL FOR CITY OF FORT WORTH
FORTWORTH
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Table of Contents
ReportLine Proposal
I. City of Fort Worth Proposal Summary .................................................................4
ll. ReportLine Program Overview.............................................................................. 5
III. Government Association Participation ................................................................ 6
IV. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners...........................................................6
V. The ReportLine Advantage....................................................................................7
VI. Implementation ...................................................................................................... 8
VII. ReportLine Specifications..................................................................................... 9
A. Telephonic Reporting: In-Depth Interview.............................................9
1. Accessing the Hotline.............................................................................9
2. Translation Services...............................................................................9
3. Greeting .................................................................................................9
4. Organization/Location/Employee Information ........................................9
5. Caller Briefing ......................................................................................10
6. Caller Identification Information............................................................10
7. Incident Documentation .......................................................................10
8. Incident Coding ....................................................................................11
9. Technology Assisted Interview.............................................................12
10. Automated Interview Analysis .........................................................12
11. Real-Time Quality Assurance..........................................................12
12. Next Step Instructions/Closing Statement.......................................12
13. The Incident Report.........................................................................13
14. Quality Assurance ...........................................................................13
B. Web Reporting System.......................................................................13
C. Rapid Dissemination and Follow Up...................................................14
1. Standard Incident Report Dissemination..............................................14
2. Escalation ............................................................................................14
3. Callback Process .................................................................................16
D. Case Management .............................................................................16
E. Direct Access to the Link2 System .....................................................18
1. Accessing the System......................................... ....18
.............................
2. User Training .......................................................................................18
F. Comprehensive Summary Reports.....................................................19
1. Online Access...................................................................
2. Summary Reports............................................................ r.l'w;a.: 8w� v
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
VIII.Education &Awareness Overview...................................................................... 20
Step 1: Implementation ............................................................................20
Step 2: Ongoing Communication..............................................................20
IX. ReportLine Program Budget............................................................................... 21
X. ReportLine Program Agreement& Terms.......................................................... 22
XI. ReportLine Program Timeline............................................................................. 26
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
I. City of Fort Worth Proposal Summary
City of Fort Worth Situation
City of Fort Worth is taking a proactive approach and looking for better ways to
manage your City's ethics and Human Resource issues. Beyond these concerns,
City of Fort Worth also has highly specialized reporting needs, such as a reliable
method for learning about fraud, waste, and abuse.
Objectives
■ Reduce losses from illegal or unethical activities
■ Protect the anonymity of whistleblowers
■ Promote ethical practices
The Network's Recommendation
The Network is pleased to offer the following recommendations to City of Fort
Worth, which we believe will offer a robust hotline program that will achieve all of
the objectives listed above.
■ Offer employees, contractors, and the general public an anonymous hotline
for reporting all allegations of illegal and unethical activities.
■ Implement a communications campaign that educates participants about
unacceptable behavior and promotes the hotline as a tool for reporting
inappropriate activities. The Network will develop educational materials for
each employee as well as awareness materials for each of City of Fort
Worth's locations.
■ Monitor follow-up activities using the Link2 system's Case Management
tool, which enables Case Managers and Investigators to document steps
taken to investigate and resolve issues that have been reported.
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
II. ReportLine Program Overview
Technology Assisted In-Depth Interview
■ Callers access the hotline 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 and provides
guidance based on the type of issue being reported; making each
interview unique and ensuring the completeness of the information you
receive.
■ The Link2 system performs real-time quality assurance checks to ensure
the Incident Report is accurate and complete while the caller is still
available to clarify any inconsistencies.
Rapid Dissemination and Follow Up
■ Incident Reports are automatically sent to your designated contacts within
minutes.
■ If an Incident Report requires immediate attention, our Escalation Team
immediately calls your designated emergency contacts to relay
information.
■ Our callback process allows you to ask new questions of anonymous
callers.
Comprehensive Reporting
■ The Incident Report is organized to help you quickly assess the incident.
■ Monthly management reports help you analyze hotline activity, recognize
trends, and identify "hot spots."
• Case Management reporting tools to help you analyze information in real-
time.
End-to-End Case Management
■ You can manage the entire complaint response process using a
convenient, centralized system.
■ Automated activity log provides compliance documentation.
• Real-time management reports and ad-hoc data analysis tools help you
monitor trends facing your organization.
Communications Support
■ The Network's experienced team will help you develop and implement an
effective employee communications campaign.
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
III. Government Association Participation
The Network is a proud and active corporate member of many associations
dedicated to professional accounting, auditing, and fraud-prevention. We share our
expertise and best practices through articles, seminars, and white papers. Our
memberships include:
■ Association of Inspectors General (AIG)
■ Association of Government Accountants (AGA)
■ National Association of Local Government Auditors (NALGA)
Federal agencies can purchase The Network's services via GSA contract# GS-
02F-0220R. Approved services include hotlines, case management, employee
communications and critical incident reporting.
IV. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
The Network's ReportLine hotline service also powers EthicsLine, the official
hotline of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The ACFE is the
largest anti-fraud organization in the world.
The ACFE operated EthicsLine until 2001, when they decided to outsource
operations to an organization that could provide consistent service excellence 24
hours a day in the major languages of the world. Based on a review of hotline
providers, the ACFE chose The Network to provide EthicsLine service.
The Network was selected because of the extremely high quality of information
provided by the interview process. The combination of real-time quality control
during the interview and stringent hiring and training processes help The Network
ensure an interview with an anonymous tipster yields sufficient information to
investigate the allegation.
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City of Fort Worth March 16, 2006
V. The ReportLine Advantage
ReportLine is a powerful, 24/7 hotline service that features a unique interview
process that delivers consistently high-quality information. Our experienced, well-
trained Interview Specialists utilize The Network's award-winning Link2 system to
conduct detailed interviews and generate actionable Incident Reports.
Experience
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" r The Network is the leading provider of hotlines to
complex organizations. With nearly 25 years of
`R` f experience as a hotline provider, we understand
- your needs.
Real-Time Quality Assurance
;. Our unique interview process leverages the
strengths of people and technology to gather the
most actionable information possible from every call.
Professional Services
.- - The Network's technologically advanced call center,
s staffed by experienced and well-trained Interview
10
Specialists, offers consistently efficient and
professional response 24 hours a day. Our data and
system security guarantees your information always
remains safe and confidential.
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Comprehensive Support
= The ReportLine service is supported by a secure
online case management system and complete
employee communications campaigns. ReportLine's
combination of tools ensures the program meets
your needs and delivers results.
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
VI. Implementation
Comprehensive Planning
Developing a best-in-class solution begins prior to implementation, when The
Network's Account Management team works with you to define your needs and
develop a program that will accomplish your goals. This period of planning
includes defining the specifics of the hotline service as well as reviewing your
communications plan for introducing the hotline, maintaining awareness of the
hotline and measuring the impact of the program. Your account team will work with
you to share best practices from our 20 years of experience and make
recommendations to maximize the benefit you receive from your program.
Hotline Service Planning
Your Account Management team will meet with you to plan the implementation of
your hotline program including:
■ Organization Messaging
■ Audience for the hotline including groups like employees and
vendors
■ General and conditional questions you would like included in
the interview
■ Link2 direct access and Case Management training
■ Any documentation services you require to support your
compliance efforts, such as documenting receipt of your Code
of Conduct
Employee Education
As part of the planning process, your Account Management team will work with
you to evaluate your communications needs. Whether you're using our materials
or not, we want to ensure that employees understand your behavioral
expectations, know how to use the hotline, and review awareness of the program
long after the initial implementation. The team will engage mPower
Communications, our in-house agency, as needed to ensure that the messaging
fits the look and feel of your program. We can help you choose the message and
media including:
■ Posters, wallet cards, signs and other printed collateral
■ Web pages
• Video training
• Mailings to employees homes
■ Documentation servicesU
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City of Fort Worth March 16, 2006
VII. ReportLine Specifications
A. Telephonic Reporting: 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 City of Fort Worth's custom toll-free number with
access throughout the 50 United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
■ Your customers, contractors and/or other constituencies utilize the
same phone number listed above.
2. Translation Services
■ English and Spanish speaking Interview Specialists are always
available at The Network. In order to offer comparable services to all
your hotline callers, Interview Specialists utilize translators to enable
them to conduct live interviews in more than 150 languages, 24 hours
a day.
3. 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."
Calls are automatically routed to the best Interview Specialist with the
necessary skills to take the call.
b. 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?"
4. Organization/Location/Employee Information
■ At the outset of each call, the Interview Specialist documents the
caller's City of Fort Worth and detailed location information by
referencing a location database provided in The Network's standard
format (Excel or ASCII) by City of Fort Worth.
• 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
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
interview process enables you to tailor the call flow to meet any special
needs you may have or refer issues back to the organization.
5. Caller Briefing
■ The Interview Specialist explains to the caller what to expect during the
call:
"Before we begin, I want you to know that I am going to ask you a
series of questions to help me understand your concern. For instance,
171 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."
6. 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.
7. 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
• 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 organization's
investigation
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
■ 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."
8. 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 are based on The Network's 20
plus years of experience working with anonymous hotlines:
■ Accounting/Audit Irregularities
■ Conflicts of Interest
■ Customer Relations
■ Discrimination
• Employee Relations
■ Falsification of Organization Records
• Fraud
• Fraudulent Insurance Claims
■ Improper Loans to Executives
• Insider Trading
• Kickbacks
■ Policy Issues
■ Product Quality Concern
■ Release of Proprietary Information
• Retaliation against Whistleblowers
• Safety Issues and Sanitation
■ Sexual Harassment
■ Substance Abuse
■ Theft of Cash ��'�
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• Theft of Goods/Services
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
• Theft of Time
■ Unauthorized Discounts
■ Wage/Hour Issues
■ Workplace Violence/Threats
If the interview 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.
9. 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 organization."
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.
10.Automated Interview Analysis
The Link2 system actively analyzes the report and identifies factors or
combinations of factors that require additional information. For instance:
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
his/her name and contact information so that the incident can be
investigated.
"In order for the organization 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?"
11.Real-Time Quality Assurance
During the interview, the Link2 system monitors information intake. Before
the call is concluded, the 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 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. 0� I,,
12.Next Step Instructions/Closing Statement 1 �,, .z �
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City of Fort Worth March 16, 2006
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 organization 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.
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 GkXXXX]. Please call us back
on [Date]with the report number in order to see if the organization has
any additional questions to ask."
13.The Incident Report
The information gathered during the call is organized in a detailed Incident
Report. If an anonymous party indicates documents supporting his or her
allegation are available, The Network's Interview Specialist can provide
your predetermined fax or shipping address.
14.Quality Assurance
A combination of automated and manual reviews is utilized to ensure the
quality and clarity of every report. In addition to the Automated Interview
Analysis and Real-time Quality Assurance that the Link2 system performs
during the call, The Network'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.
B. Web Reporting System
Anonymous reports can be submitted via the web
In addition to calling the telephone hotline, 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, although in a simplified and user-friendly interface. The reporting
form requires the user to respond to certain critical questions in order to
complete the report, enhancing the amount of information you receive.
After submitting a report, the participant receives a confirmation number as
a receipt.
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
The web reporting system offers your hotline participants the option of
reporting issues in the following languages:
■ English
■ Chinese
• Dutch
• French
■ French Canadian
■ German
• Italian
■ Japanese
■ Korean
■ Portuguese
■ Russian
• Spanish
■ Vietnamese
Reports that are submitted in a language other than English are translated
into English for inclusion in the Link2 system. Translated reports are
entered into the system within two business days, (not including U.S.
holidays).
Web Reports are:
■ Documented in the Link2 system within 24 business hours (48 hours if
translation is required)
■ Disseminated or escalated like other Incident Reports
■ Included in monthly summary reporting
■ Accessible through the Link2 system's Case Management module
C. Rapid Dissemination and Follow Up
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 two hours. All
reports are guaranteed dissemination within one business day via
email to designated recipients.
b. Our dedicated Dissemination Team monitors all dissemination activity,
ensuring the successful transmission of all Incident Reports.
2. Escalation
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City of Fort Worth March 16, 2006
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 Organization Records
■ Fraud
■ Fraudulent Insurance Claims
■ Kickbacks
■ Release of Proprietary Information
■ Substance Abuse
■ Theft of Cash
• 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 the
best three emergency contacts that you provide, which contains:
1. The contacts' telephone numbers (pager, work, cellular and
home)
2. Where they can be reached during business hours, holidays
and weekends
3. 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.
ReportLine Program Page 15
City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
■ 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 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
■ City of Fort Worth
■ 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 organization, 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.
f. 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".
D. Case Management
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City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
Manage, Analyze and Document Issue Response
The Link2 system's web-based Case Management module helps you
manage investigations and track trends across your organization. This
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.
You determine each user's access rights, which can be determined by user
type (Super User, Case Manager or Investigator), organization location,
and/or incident type. Users are alerted by email when an incident requires
their attention, and then they log in to the Case Management module.
The three-tier hierarchy ensures that only those authorized to assign and
investigate reports have access to that data, maximizing the protection of
confidential information.
Super Users
Super Users have the ability to view all of the incidents for all locations and
incident types, offering complete access to all allegations. They also have
the same capabilities as Case Managers, which are described below.
Case Managers
Case Managers have access to all of the incidents for the locations and/or
incident types for which they have been granted access rights. They can:
■ Search/sort for specific incident information
■ View incident report data
■ Analyze information using multi-tiered filtering of data
■ Assign an Investigator, or transfer a case between Investigators
• Send a case back to an Investigator
■ Transfer approval authority to another Manager
• Approve/close a case
• Document activities in the Case Log
■ Add attachments to support documentation of an investigation*
■ Follow up with anonymous callers
■ Access and view monthly management reports
■ Request ad hoc reports by setting custom date ranges � ;JIt
• Export information to Excel for additional analysis C1Tt1
Investigators i
Investigators have access only to the incidents assigned to them. They
can:
ReportLine Program Page 17
City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
■ 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
■ Add attachments to support documentation of an investigation*
*Incremental charges may apply for data storage and utilization
Case Log
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
captured in the Case Log include:
■ Entering new information into the Case Log
■ Assigning an Investigator
■ Transferring a case to another Investigator
■ Transferring Approval Authority
• Sending a case for approval
■ Sending a case back to an Investigator for additional work
■ Approving/Closing a case
E. Direct Access to the Link2 System
Create 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 database. The result is reporting from one system for
all ethics complaints 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.
A two-hour web-conference training session will be scheduled at your
convenience.
ReportLine Program Page 18
City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
A one-day on-site training class will be held on a date to be scheduled at
your convenience.
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 reports is available via the web. You can:
• 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, business entity name, location, etc.
■ Up to three organization 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 Fort Worth 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 Fort Worth, this number is [Hot Spot Threshold Number].
• Resolution Tracking Report: This report details all call resolution
activity and status for the month by location. It includes all pending
reports and all resolved reports for that month along with
supporting resolution detail.
Reportline Program Page 19
City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
VIII. Education & Awareness Overview
Reach the Unique Workplace Audience
Materials for program introduce the program to employees, educate them on
vital issues and encourage participation.
Your employees are your organization's strongest defense against illegal and
unethical activity. Providing a hotline helps your City identify and respond to
potentially damaging issues. 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:
■ Implementation Guides—Your implementers receive simple
instructions for introducing the hotline and maintaining the program
after the initial launch.
■ 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.
■ Promotional Materials— Incentive items help increase the awareness
of the hotline.
■ Web Pages —We can help you add content to your internal or external
website.
■ Certification/Verification Services —The Network offers a variety of
tools for Surveys, Testing and Compliance Tracking that engage your
employees and customers in providing the information you need to
monitor your business initiatives and activities.
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 organization's commitment to workplace ethics.
The Network's award-winning in-house agency can support your
communication campaign by creating employee mailings, payroll stuffers,
wallet cards and web pages for your intranet, creating a well-rounded
communications effort that supports the hotline and helps you prove
due-diligence regarding the anonymous complaint process. �N� � �J
'a�✓�!fl � I�4U�
4
ReportLine Program P go'30
City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
IX. ReportLine Program Budget
ReportLine Service
Annual Fee (based on 5,860 employees & general public)........................$7,500.00
*Any calls after the cap of 188 original incident reports or 159 general inquiries would cost.
o $35 per call for calls resulting in an Incident Report
o $10 per call for all other calls (general inquiry calls, referral calls, call backs, etc.)
Additional Case Management (Optional)
Annual Case Managers.............................................................$750.00/user
Annual Investigators..................................................................$250.00/user
* 1 Case Manager and 1 Investigators included in the ReportLine Service budget.
Education & Awareness Materials (Optional) ..............................TBD
*TBD based on program (generally between $1-$3 per employee)
ReportLine Program Page 21
City of Fort Worth March 16,2006
EXHIBIT B
ReportLine Program Timeline
Due Date EventlTas DOscfi tion Yillho
.
TBD—at least 2-4 Signed agreement to The Network City of Fort Worth
weeks prior to start
date
TBD—at least 2 Dissemination, contact and other information for City of Fort Worth
weeks prior to program set-up to The Network
program start date
TBD—at least 1 Location Database to The Network City of Fort Worth
week prior to
program start date
45-60 days prior to The Network
start date for each International calling options determined City of Fort Worth
international phone
line (based on
telephone service
provider)
TBD—always on a Program Live (start) Date The Network
Friday
TBD— First month First Month's Management Summary Reports The Network
after program start
date (this is a
calendar month, not
a program month
TBD—as needed, at Escalation Information Updates City of Fort Worth
least 5 business & The Network
days notice required
TBD —as needed, at Dissemination and Location Database City of Fort Worth
least 5 business Information Changes &The Network
days notice required
TBD —as needed, at Location Database Information Updates City of Fort Worth
least 24 hours (standard only) & The Network
(business day)
notice required
45 days prior to Annual Program Evaluation and Renewal City of Fort Worth
program year-end & The Network
renewal date
ReportLine Program Page 7
City of Fort Worth July,2006