Mayor Richard M. Daley Launches City-Wide Training Initiative on Compliance Issues

Training Initiative will promote heightened awareness among City employees of complex regulatory environment

Chicago, IL, 06/04/09 – The City of Chicago’s Office of Compliance today announced that Mayor Daley has authorized the deployment of a comprehensive training initiative for City employees focusing on compliance issues.  Chicago is the first city in the US to launch a comprehensive training initiative for all its City employees.

“These are complex times for local governments,” Mayor Daley stated, “and “Cities must comply with an ever-expanding list of local, state and federal rules and regulations.” As an example, Mayor Daley noted that cities across the country are now facing new compliance challenges under the transparency and accountability provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

 “We are tasked with helping the employees of the City of Chicago understand and comply with a myriad of local, state and federal rules and regulations governing their activity,” said Anthony O. Boswell, Executive Director of the City’s Office of Compliance, who will lead the Mayor’s initiative. “Mayor Daley has tasked the Office of Compliance with ensuring that all City employees understand the rules and how to best follow them,” he continued.

Kaplan EduNeering, a leading provider of knowledge management solutions to assure regulatory compliance and improve performance, will provide the City with knowledge resources to support the Office of Compliance’s training mandate. Kaplan EduNeering’s solutions are used by government agencies and leading companies to distribute, validate and document relevant training, corporate communications and critical information to employees, subcontractors and suppliers around the world.  City of Chicago Office of Compliance personnel will co-develop the content of compliance training materials with Kaplan EduNeering.

“Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago are at the forefront of municipal compliance in general and, more specifically, compliance training,” said Jim Rosenthal, CEO of Kaplan Professional, the business unit which includes Kaplan EduNeering.  “No other city has taken such a proactive, comprehensive approach to compliance training for all employees.  We are delighted with the opportunity to work with the City of Chicago on this groundbreaking program.”

Dr. Mark E. Meaney, First Deputy Director of the Office of Compliance, noted that Kaplan EduNeering's compliance and learning management system will enable city-wide distribution of critical regulatory information to all city employees, as well as validation and documentation. “Kaplan’s support will enable us to deliver time-sensitive information directly to those employees most affected by changes in state and federal rules and regulations,” observed Dr. Meaney.

Boswell added that the federal agencies will closely scrutinize the City in the allocation and distribution of Stimulus Act funding. “In conjunction with ARRA funding, municipalities will be responsible for fraud and waste prevention, contract management, and grants compliance,” he said. City departments and their delegate agencies will require appropriate training in order to comply with the transparency and accountability provisions of ARRA. “Our partnership with Kaplan EduNeering will enable us to push information out to decision-makers in helping City departments meet the stated goals of Stimulus funding,” Boswell concluded.

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For additional information on Mayor Richard M. Daley Launch of City-Wide Training Initiative on Compliance Issues contact Office of Compliance, City of Chicago, (312) 747-7281, integrity@cityofchicago.org

About the Office of Compliance

The purpose of the City of Chicago’s Compliance Program is to promote a culture of ethical conduct, a city-wide commitment to compliance with the law, and prevention and detection of ethical misconduct. To further this purpose, the City of Chicago has a Compliance Program comprised of an Executive Compliance Committee and an Office of Compliance led by an Executive Director.

About Kaplan EduNeering

Kaplan EduNeering (www.kaplaneduneering.com) is part of Kaplan, Inc., a leading global provider of educational services to individuals, schools and businesses. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). Kaplan EduNeering develops technology-enabled knowledge solutions for assuring regulatory compliance and improving business performance. Kaplan EduNeering is headquartered in Princeton, NJ, and has offices in Houston, TX, Bloomsburg, PA, and London, UK.

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