Latest news with #ProgramMaturityAssessment
Techday NZ
24-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
LRN unveils AI-powered upgrades for Catalyst Reveal compliance tool
LRN Corporation has announced new enhancements to its Catalyst Reveal platform, introducing AI-driven insights and a program maturity assessment for ethics and compliance programmes. The latest features, Reveal Insights and Program Maturity Assessment (PMA), have been developed in response to rising demand among ethics and compliance leaders for greater clarity, precise benchmarking, and tailored analysis in their organisational programmes. According to the company, Reveal Insights is intended to help compliance professionals cut through large volumes of data by identifying and prioritising the top ten areas needing attention. The solution is designed to generate clear, actionable recommendations based on thousands of data points related to each organisation's ethics and compliance activities. "We've heard E&C leaders say they're overwhelmed by data, unsure where to focus, and need insights they can confidently share with senior leadership. Oftentimes, teams lack an in-house data team to support in-depth and nuanced analysis," said Parijat Jauhari, Chief Product and Technology Officer at LRN Corporation. "That's why we created Reveal Insights to scan thousands of available data points and surface the top 10 focus areas. Coupled with PMA, Catalyst Reveal gives you the confidence to back your actions with detailed benchmarking. By listening closely to customer feedback, we've made our data actionable, exportable, and built to elevate the conversation around E&C at the highest levels." Set to be introduced later this year, the enhancements aim to provide compliance decision-makers with the most relevant information by detecting trends, monitoring changes, and generating recommendations that are ready for action. The enhancements are intended to facilitate a more strategic approach to managing compliance challenges, according to LRN. Program Maturity Assessment The new Program Maturity Assessment is designed to offer organisations a clearer view of how their ethics and compliance initiatives align with industry standards and peer institutions across six key metrics. Through this assessment, companies can identify where their programmes are strong, where there are gaps, and how they can better allocate resources for ongoing development. The PMA provides benchmarking against sector best practices and allows compliance teams to communicate findings more effectively with boards and other senior leaders. The feature's aim is to enable real-time, data-driven decision-making in the evolving regulatory landscape. AI-driven summaries and alerts Another aspect of the Catalyst Reveal update is the integration of advanced artificial intelligence to analyse compliance data automatically. This tool is programmed to highlight relevant trends, unusual patterns, and generate plain-language summaries that compliance teams can use to inform their organisations' leadership. In addition, Catalyst Reveal will now offer executive-ready, customised monthly reports which distil the most significant insights into concise narratives. These reports are intended to drive alignment, support strategic conversations, and underpin requests for additional resources, according to the company. Alongside reporting, the platform provides real-time alerts to compliance teams when notable changes are present in metrics such as employee behaviour, training engagement, or culture scores. The goal is to ensure issues can be addressed promptly before they become more serious compliance risks. Supporting decision-making The company states that, by introducing these new features, Catalyst Reveal is evolving into a platform that supports comprehensive decision-making for compliance teams. The combination of intelligent automation, benchmarking, and user-driven insights is intended to help teams approach their work more strategically and demonstrate the value of compliance programmes to senior stakeholders. LRN positions these enhancements as directly supporting compliance executives in allocating resources, tracking programme effectiveness, and meeting the challenges arising from increasingly complex regulatory environments worldwide.
Techday NZ
30-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
KnowBe4 launches free self-assessment to boost security culture
KnowBe4 has released a free self-assessment tool, the Program Maturity Assessment (PMA), aimed at helping IT and cybersecurity leaders evaluate and enhance their organisation's security culture with a particular focus on human risk management. Practical assessment for human risk The Program Maturity Assessment (PMA), developed by security culture specialist Perry Carpenter, seeks to bridge the gap between human behaviour and cybersecurity practice. Unlike many technical assessments or frameworks requiring external consultants, the PMA offers a structured and jargon-free self-assessment. It translates cybersecurity concepts into concrete, actionable recommendations suitable for organisations of varying sizes and across industries. The assessment examines ten critical dimensions of security culture, considering elements such as leadership involvement, employee behaviour, and the integration of business processes. Users receive quantifiable and visual feedback across 40 Culture Maturity Indicators (CMIs), enabling an objective understanding of both strengths and vulnerabilities in their current practices. Customised recommendations After completing the PMA, participants are provided with a personalised maturity classification mapped onto a five-level scale. This is visualised across each assessed dimension, giving a comprehensive picture of where improvements are needed. Alongside this, PMA delivers prioritised and actionable steps intended to strengthen what is often described as the 'human firewall' within organisations. Additionally, the tool's output identifies specific gaps, from employee mindset to executive communication. Organisations also receive a strategic roadmap with tailored recommendations, allowing for focused resource allocation and plans for ongoing cultural development. Developed with clarity in mind "Every meaningful program requires clarity: clarity of purpose and clarity of impact. This is especially true with Human Risk Management programs where lack of clarity and impact will leave an organization exposed in ways they may not appreciate." said Perry Carpenter, chief human risk management strategist at KnowBe4. "Organisations need a way to demonstrate effectiveness of their human risk management program and show leadership its value. This is especially true when programs fail to account for the human element—employees whose everyday decisions significantly impact organizational security. The PMA offers a clear, data-driven approach that helps leaders identify key areas for improvement, allocate resources more effectively, and build a stronger, more resilient security culture. It's about giving organizations the insight they need to make informed decisions and foster lasting cultural change." The PMA represents a response to increased targeting and exploitation of human actions by cyber attackers. According to KnowBe4's own "Security Culture: How-To Guide", security culture is a significant predictor of secure behaviour, yet many organisations lack the means to assess and improve it in a systematic way. Optional consultation for next steps Beyond the immediate recommendations provided by the PMA, organisations can opt for a follow-up consultation to explore KnowBe4's broader Human Risk Management (HRM+) platform. This includes further modules for awareness and compliance training, cloud email security, real-time coaching, crowdsourced anti-phishing resources, and AI-driven defence tools, intended to provide ongoing support for building a more resilient security culture. KnowBe4 reports being used by more than 70,000 organisations globally and positions its offerings as a way to create measurable improvements in the security mindsets and behaviours of workforces. The new PMA tool is available free of charge to support organisations in understanding and developing data-driven strategies for security culture improvement starting with their people.
Techday NZ
12-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Few firms embed ethics in daily operations, global study finds
LRN has released its 2025 Global Study on Ethics & Compliance Program Maturity, highlighting significant gaps between policy and practical implementation in corporate compliance programmes worldwide. The research, which draws on LRN's proprietary Program Maturity Assessment and global benchmarking data, evaluates ethics and compliance (E&C) programmes across six dimensions: Culture, Written Standards, Enforcement & Incentives, Risk Assessment, Training & Communication, and Resources & Board Oversight. The report finds that, as regulatory expectations become more complex, many organisations continue to demonstrate uneven progress in the maturity of their E&C programmes. Key shortfalls include limited cultural measurement, insufficient manager accountability, and inconsistent enforcement practices. Among its findings, the study reveals that a strong "tone in the middle"—reflected by manager engagement and leadership in ethics—remains rare. Only 15% of organisations surveyed report having effective middle management advocacy for ethical standards. Manager-specific training is under-resourced, with 20% of companies not offering any such training, creating a risk that corporate values are not realised in daily business conduct. Organisations are focusing on updating their codes of conduct more frequently, with 71% revising them at least every three years and 45% annually, a significant increase from 11% a decade ago. However, many report challenges in making these standards translate into actionable practices relevant across various job functions and global locations. Measurement of ethics training effectiveness also remains problematic. While most organisations track completion rates, fewer assess real-world outcomes. Only 44% assess training comprehension, and just 37% examine misconduct trends following training, meaning that many compliance systems are unable to demonstrate or enhance their long-term impact. Issues with investigation processes persist, as over 35% of organisations still rely on spreadsheets to track misconduct cases. Fewer than 30% use cross-functional investigation teams, which raises concerns about data integrity, audit robustness, and investigative consistency. Risk assessment procedures also show substantial gaps. Only 19% of surveyed organisations include talent management as a compliance risk, and less than one-third holistically evaluate reputational or ethical misconduct risk, limiting the effectiveness of risk-based E&C programme management. The study also highlights that although 76% of companies conduct annual ethics or culture assessments, only 31% reflect ethical behaviour in performance reviews. This disconnect suggests that cultural investment is not fully embedded in performance management systems. "As organisations face increasing scrutiny, rising complexity, and fast-evolving risks, the strength and sophistication of a company's E&C program becomes a true differentiator. The data from our latest study shows progress, but also offers a call to action for organisations to do more to embed ethical behaviour into day-to-day decision-making, especially at the middle management level." Kevin Michielsen, Chief Executive Officer of LRN Corporation said. Ty Francis, MBE, Chief Advisory Officer at LRN Corporation, added, "Organisations that embed ethics into how they lead, manage, and reward people are positioning themselves for long-term resilience and trust. Organisations may have the right policies on paper, but without investment in middle management, integrated systems, and accountability structures, they will struggle to translate principles into practice." The report recommends reinforcing manager accountability as a priority to ensure that ethical values are modelled and upheld at every organisational level. It also suggests modernising investigative practices by deploying integrated tools and enhancing transparency and measurement frameworks, whilst more rigorously evaluating cultural and training effectiveness and ethics-based decision-making. The study draws on insights from a large and diverse sample of global compliance professionals and is part of LRN's ongoing research series, which is designed to inform best practices and benchmarks for organisations seeking to strengthen their ethics and compliance capabilities.
Business Wire
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
LRN Research Exposes Gaps in Ethical Culture, Enforcement, and Risk Management
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LRN Corporation, a leader in ethics and compliance (E&C) solutions, has released its 2025 Global Study on Ethics & Compliance Program Maturity, providing one of the most comprehensive views on the state of corporate compliance programs worldwide. As the global regulatory environment grows more complex, the study finds E&C programs remain uneven in their maturity and reveals significant shortfalls in areas critical to long-term success, including cultural measurement, manager accountability, and enforcement consistency. The data from our latest study shows progress, but also offers a call to action for organizations to do more to embed ethical behavior into day-to-day decision-making, especially at the middle management level. 'As organizations face increasing scrutiny, rising complexity, and fast-evolving risks, the strength and sophistication of a company's E&C program becomes a true differentiator,' said Kevin Michielsen, CEO of LRN Corporation. 'The data from our latest study shows progress, but also offers a call to action for organizations to do more to embed ethical behavior into day-to-day decision-making, especially at the middle management level.' Drawing on insights from global benchmarking and survey data using LRN's proprietary Program Maturity Assessment (PMA), the report evaluates the maturity of E&C programs across six core dimensions: Culture, Written Standards, Enforcement & Incentives, Risk Assessment, Training & Communication, and Resources & Board Oversight. The study reveals that while organizations are updating codes of conduct and expanding board-level oversight, deep gaps remain in middle management engagement, culture-building, enforcement, and risk assessment. Key Findings: Cultural Alignment Underdeveloped: Although 76% of companies conduct annual ethics or culture assessments, only 31% evaluate ethical behavior in performance reviews. Just 15% report having a strong 'tone in the middle,' with manager training and accountability notably under-resourced, including 20% offering no manager-specific training at all. This lack of investment risks reducing corporate values to empty rhetoric, rather than lived practice. Codes of Conduct Frequently Updated, Not Fully Embedded: 71% of organizations revise their Code of Conduct at least every three years, with 45% doing so annually, up from 11% a decade ago. However, many still struggle to integrate these standards into real-world decisions and ensure they're seen as relevant, actionable, and accessible to employees across functions and geographies. Training and Impact Measurement Gaps Persist: Only 44% of organizations assess training comprehension, and just 37% track misconduct trends after training. Many programs focus on completion rates rather than outcome-based metrics, limiting their ability to demonstrate true effectiveness. Investigations Remain Manual and Fragmented: Over 35% of organizations still use spreadsheets to track misconduct cases, and fewer than 30% use cross-functional investigation teams, raising serious concerns about data integrity, auditability, and consistency. Risk Assessment Practices Lack Depth: Only 19% of organizations include talent management risks in their compliance risk assessments, and fewer than one-third evaluate reputational or ethical misconduct risk comprehensively. 'Organizations that embed ethics into how they lead, manage, and reward people are positioning themselves for long-term resilience and trust,' said Ty Francis, MBE, Chief Advisory Officer at LRN Corporation. 'Organizations may have the right policies on paper, but without investment in middle management, integrated systems, and accountability structures, they will struggle to translate principles into practice.' The 2025 Global Study on E&C Program Maturity offers a clear roadmap for building resilient, values-driven organizations based on insights from a diverse, global pool of compliance professionals. Organizations must reinforce manager accountability to ensure that ethical values are consistently modeled and upheld at every level. They should modernize investigations by adopting integrated tools, enhancing speed, transparency, and credibility, and closing the measurement gap by rigorously evaluating organizational culture, training effectiveness, and ethics-based decision-making. To download the full 2025 Global Study on Ethics & Compliance Program Maturity, visit here. The 2025 Global Study on Ethics & Compliance Program Maturity is the latest installment in LRN's decade-long research series of surveys and analyses that track data points from organizations across the world. This research complements other LRN ongoing studies, including the Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report, the Benchmark of Ethical Culture Report, and Code of Conduct Report. Combined, LRN industry research provides unparalleled insights into best practices, benchmarks, and innovative strategies shaping the future of compliance programs. About LRN Corporation LRN is the world's largest dedicated ethics and compliance company, educating and helping more than 30 million people each year worldwide navigate complex legal and regulatory environments and foster ethical cultures. As one of the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies, LRN's growth and impact underscore our commitment to excellence and innovation in the advancement of ethical business practices. Our combination of practical analytics and software solutions, education, and strategic advisement helps companies translate their values into concrete practices and leadership behaviors that create sustainable, competitive advantage. LRN is the trusted long-term partner to more than 2700 organizations, including some of the most respected and successful businesses in the world.
