The Audit Committee Index is an objective, 360 degree, board-driven, confidential, web based evaluation tool to allow a company to assess the strengths of its audit committee and highlight areas for improvement. The content of The Audit Committee Index was developed in cooperation with FERF, the research affiliate of FEI and:

FEI Research Foundation Products available for this topic are:

• Captures critical success factors defining good governance
• Encompasses quantitative and qualitative metrics
• Drives compliance
• Enhances credibility
• Educates on best practices
• Highlights strengths and areas for improvement
• Moderates risk

• Promoting Ethical Conduct-A Review of Corporate Practices, June 2002
• Enron and the Powers Report: An Examination of Business and Accounting Failures, April 2002
• Corporate Governance and Ethics, January 1988

The Foundation has compiled information related to "whistleblower" policies. Management First (based in the UK) provides an article on "Establishing a policy for whistle blowing".

The web site of the National Whistleblower Center can be found at www.whistleblowers.org. One interesting article from the site is "Protection for Private Sector Employee Whistleblowers."

A U.K. based organization called the Commission for Health Improvement has developed a policy for whistleblowers, which it posted on the web in PDF format.

A number of universities have also made their whistleblower policies available.

• This UCLA policy is dated August 1, 2002 .
• University of California at Riverside.
• University of California at Berkeley, dated March 3, 2000 .
• University of California at Irvine, dated March 11, 1992. And here is an updated draft, dated July 9, 2002 .