Archives: Resources

BELA Asks: What are Best Practices in “Test-Out” Style Training?

Ethicast

BELA Asks: What are Best Practices in “Test-Out” Style Training?

In this episode of BELA Asks, Chief Strategy Officer & BELA Executive Chair Erica Salmon Byrne breaks down the growing interest in “test out” and “test up” options for compliance training. She explains what these models look like in practice, how companies are experimenting with them, and what to consider in light of evolving regulatory expectations and AI-enabled shortcuts. Also hear about cadence, risk-based decision making, and where these approaches make the most sense.

This episode stems from the BELA concierge service, in which BELA members can submit questions regarding ethics and compliance and our internal experts will provide an answer plus helpful resources with information. And since there is no competition in compliance, we respond thematically to high-level questions in the BELA Asks series for the benefit of E&C teams everywhere.

Learn more about BELA, request guest access to the Member Resource Hub, and connect with a BELA Engagement Director at www.ethisphere.com/bela

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2026 Ethics & Compliance Metrics and Reporting  

2026 Ethics & Compliance Metrics and Reporting 

If you’re expected to brief the Board, justify decisions, or show that E&C is driving meaningful behavior change, 2026 will require a more focused measurement strategy. Expectations around culture, investigations, training, and emerging AI oversight are rising fast.

Developed in partnership with SAI360, this guide spotlights the metrics and benchmarks that signal real effectiveness: the ones leading companies use to strengthen credibility, earn executive support, and communicate impact with confidence.  

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Click to read 2026 E&C Metrics and Reporting

Metrics That Matter Most

These indicators are defining program maturity, but are where many teams still have blind spots. 
This guide shows how leaders are closing the gap. 

Speak-Up Health

Most companies maintain reporting channels, but fewer than half analyze investigation timeliness or follow-through — the metrics that reveal trust. 

Culture Indicators 

While 88% of organizations use engagement surveys, few measure the drivers of ethical decision-making or manager influence, leaving gaps in early risk detection. 

Investigation Quality 

Case volume is still the norm, though Boards now expect insight into fairness, root-cause quality, and corrective-action impact. 

Training Effectiveness 

Leaders are moving beyond completion rates toward proof of learning and behavior change: comprehension, retention, and post-training outcomes. 

AI Governance 

As AI risk expands, few teams track model-risk scoring, decision logging, or ethics alignment. Early adopters are setting the standard.  

Inside the Guide

A concise structure you can put to work immediately: 

Reporting practices that separate good from great programs 

How leading companies report on culture, speak-up health, and risk movement 

A Board-ready structure: Activities, Quality, Outcomes, Culture

Training and investigations metrics that show actual behavior change 

How to justify E&C’s value to the Board with talking points and data 

Trusted by forward-thinking teams at:

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Make 2026 the year your reporting reflects the true strength and influence of your program.

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Ethicast Reacts: E&C Lessons from the First Brands Bankruptcy

Ethicast

Ethicast Reacts: E&C Lessons from the First Brands Bankruptcy

When aftermarket auto parts giant First Brands abruptly filed for bankruptcy in September 2025, it stunned the market, but the collapse was years in the making. In this Ethicast episode, Ethisphere’s Chief Strategy Officer Erica Salmon Byrne unpacks how debt-fueled acquisitions, opaque asset-based financing, and ignored red flags created the perfect storm, ultimately leading to lawsuits, investigations, and allegations of large-scale fraud. She also breaks down what E&C leaders must take from this moment, as fears of broader contagion ripple through the shadow lending system and highlights why strong governance and compliance oversight remain non-negotiable.  

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BELA Asks: How Do I Build a New Skills and Capabilities Matrix for the E&C Department?

Ethicast

BELA Asks: How Do I Build a New Skills and Capabilities Matrix for the E&C Department?

In this BELA Asks episode, Ethisphere’s Chief Strategy Officer & BELA Executive Chair Erica Salmon Byrne breaks down how ethics and compliance leaders can build a forward-thinking skills and capabilities matrix for their teams. She explains how to align team competencies with organizational strategy, identify gaps, leverage key stakeholders, and use benchmarking data to make the case for new capabilities.  

This episode stems from the BELA concierge service, in which BELA members can submit questions regarding ethics and compliance and our internal experts will provide an answer plus helpful resources with information. And since there is no competition in compliance, we respond thematically to high-level questions in the BELA Asks series for the benefit of E&C teams everywhere.

Learn more about BELA, request guest access to the Member Resource Hub, and connect with a BELA Engagement Director at www.ethisphere.com/bela

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Holding the Line: Making the Case for Compliance When Budgets Tighten

on-demand webcasts

Holding the Line: Making the Case for Compliance When Budgets Tighten

When regulatory demands multiply but resources shrink, compliance leaders face a tough choice: do more with less or fight for what’s right. In this webcast, Ethisphere’s Erica Salmon Byrne and Mitratech’s Laura Jacobus unpack how high-performing programs maintain influence, protect integrity, and stay visible when cost-cutting is in the air. Watch for straight talk about what really resonates with the C-Suite, how to quantify your culture’s value, and why cutting compliance budgets is often the most expensive mistake a company can make.  

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