The Ethics & Compliance Officer Association and the Ethics Resource Center today announced a strategic alliance to join forces to conduct research, and develop education and other materials for ethics and compliance professionals.

The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is a non-profit group that promotes ethics standards and practices for public and private organizations. The Ethics & Compliance Officer Association (ECOA) is a membership association for ethics and compliance professionals.

The focus of the ECOA will be on promoting innovation and effectiveness in ethics and compliance program implementation. ERC will retain its focus on independent research on emerging issues and benchmarking initiatives for business, government, and nonprofit organizations.

In accompanying FAQs, the ECOA said it anticipates that ECOA members will now receive “added tools and benefits,” including increased access to research and toolkits, in the coming months.

The ECOA said it does not anticipate any immediate changes to its membership model. “In time, the entire membership model will be examined to maximize benefits for ECOA members and ERC Fellows,” the ECOA stated.

Patricia Harned will serve as chief executive officer of all operations. Since 2004, Harned has served as the sixth president of ERC, overseeing its research agenda and leading its survey and benchmarking work for clients. She also directs ERC’s outreach efforts to policymakers and federal enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C. and CEOs and directors on effective ways to build an ethical culture and promote integrity in business activities.

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