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	Proposals for Sex Abuse Charter Compliance Audits Sought by Bishops' National Review Board U.S. Newswire May 15, 2006 http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=65806 To: National Desk Contact: Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, 202-541-3200 (office) or 301-587-4762 (home), for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops WASHINGTON, May 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Proposals to conduct compliance audits of U.S. dioceses and eparchies with the U.S. bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People are being sought by the National Review Board of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Letters of Intent are due June 5. The complete request for proposal can be found at http://www.usccb.org/ocyp. The proposals would cover a three-year cycle beginning July 1, 2007, and involve auditing all 195 dioceses the first year. The type and number of audits for 2008 and 2009 may vary, based on 2007 audit results and the direction of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The Charter, which was approved in 2002, commits the bishops to deal appropriately and effectively with sexual abuse of minors by priests, deacons, and other Church personnel and to reach out to victims and their families. Through the Charter, the Bishops pledged to work with parents, civil authorities, educators and various community organizations to create and maintain a safe environment within the Church for children and young people. Article 8 of the Charter calls for appropriate audit mechanisms to determine compliance with Charter provisions. Audits have been conducted annually in each diocese and eparchy since 2003 to assess compliance and, where necessary, to specify required actions to bring the diocese/eparchy into compliance. Summaries of the audit results have been included in the Annual Report on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. At its June 2005 General Assembly, the bishops voted to continue the compliance audit process. At the request of the National Review Board, a series of recommendations related to the audit process was approved by the Administrative Committee of the USCCB in March 2006. These recommendations can be found on the Web at http://www.usccb.org/ocyp/compliance.shtml. The organization selected for conducting the audits is expected to comply with these recommendations. Future audits will assess not only the extent to which dioceses and eparchies have established policies, procedures and programs, but also their effectiveness. Each audit must also determine the accuracy of the data provided to the auditors. As guidelines and measurements of effectiveness are developed, they will be incorporated into future audits. Deadline for Letter of Intent to submit proposal: June 5 Deadline for final proposal: July 1 Interviews: July 10–14 Final selection of the auditor: Sept. 15 The Letter of Intent must include background regarding the firm and articulation of relevant experience in the area of compliance auditing. The Application must include resumes of the project director and the auditors detailing relevant experience, the proposed methodology and a proposed budget. Audits do not have to be conducted by Catholic individuals or institutions, but the project director and the auditors should demonstrate an informed understanding of the Catholic Church and its structures. Inquiries, letters of intent, and applications should be addressed to the Executive Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Ms. Teresa M. Kettelkamp, Executive Director, Office of Child and Youth Protection, 3211 4th St., N.E., Washington, DC 20017, 202-541-5413 or tkettelkamp@usccb.org ----- Request for Proposal: Annual Audit of Dioceses and Eparchies, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Purpose of the RFP The National Review Board of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) invites applications for proposals to conduct annual audits of the dioceses and eparchies of the USCCB to assess compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People for the three year cycle beginning July 1, 2007. Objectives and Desired Outcomes of the Audits In the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, first approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in June 2002 and revised and approved again in June 2005, the Bishops of the United States affirmed the Church's commitment to deal appropriately and effectively with cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests, deacons and other Church personnel and to reach out to victims of sexual abuse and their families. The Bishops also pledged to work with parents, civil authorities, educators and various organizations in the community to create and maintain a safe environment within the Church for children and young people. In the Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies for Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons, granted recognition by the Holy See and approved by the USCCB in May of 2005, the Bishops further delineate policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors. Article 8 of the Charter calls for appropriate audit mechanisms to determine if dioceses and eparchies are complying with the provisions of the Charter. Accordingly, annual audits have been conducted in each diocese and eparchy since 2003 to assess compliance with the Charter and, where necessary, to specify required actions that would bring the diocese/eparchy into compliance with the Charter. Summaries of the results of these audits have been included in the Annual Report on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. At the June of 2005 General Assembly, the USCCB voted to continue a compliance audit process. At the request of the National Review Board (NRB), with full support of the USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People and in consultation with USCCB Office of Child and Youth Protection, a series of recommendations related to the audit process was submitted to and approved by the Administrative Committee of the USCCB in March of 2006. These recommendations for the 2006-2009 audits can be found on the USCCB website at http://www.usccb.org/ocyp/compliance.shtml. The organization that is selected for conducting the audits is expected to comply with these recommendations. In particular, future audits will be expected to assess not only the extent to which dioceses and eparchies have established policies, procedures, and programs in accord with the Charter, but also the effectiveness of the administration of these policies, procedures, and programs. The audit must also determine the accuracy of the data provided to the auditors. Additionally, as guidelines and measurements of effectiveness are developed over the next few years, they are to be incorporated into future audits. The audit period for 2007 for a particular diocese/eparchy will depend on what, if any, audit was conducted for the diocese/eparchy in 2006. The 2007 audits will not duplicate what was audited in a diocese in 2006. In the majority of dioceses/eparchies, the 2007 audit period will be from the first day of the 2006 diocesan/eparchial audit to June 30, 2007. All 195 diocese/eparchies are expected to be audited during the 2007 audit cycle. The audit period for 2008 and 2009 will be from July 1 through June 30. The types and number of audits for 2008 and 2009 may vary due to the 2007 audit results, as well as by the direction of the USCCB. An on-site audit of each of the 195 dioceses and eparchies of the USCCB is to be conducted in late summer or fall of each year with a final report due to the Office of Child and Youth Protection by Jan. 1 of each year. The report will include an individual narrative report of compliance for each diocese and eparchy as well as summary statistical and program compliance information for all dioceses, in a manner prescribed by the Executive Director of the OCYP. Procedures for Applicants Timeline: -- Deadline for Letter of Intent to submit proposal: June 5 -- Deadline for final proposal: July 1 -- Interviews: July 10–14 -- Final selection of the auditor: Sept. 15 The Letter of Intent must include: -- Background and relevant information regarding the firm -- Listing of the principals of the firm -- Client references from prior or existing clients -- Articulation of relevant experience in the area of compliance auditing The Application must include: -- Names of project director and the auditors -- Resumes of the project director and the auditors detailing relevant experience -- Proposed methodology -- Proposed budget for 2007 broken down by professional fees, expenses and other overhead. Also include any guarantees reference rate increases for 2008 and 2009. Evaluation Criteria There is no requirement that the audits be conducted by Catholic individuals or institutions, but the project director and the auditors should demonstrate an informed understanding of the Catholic Church and diocesan/eparchial structures. Final selection of the Auditor will be made by the Administrative Committee of the USCCB upon recommendation of National Review Board and in consultation with the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Office of Child and Youth Protection. Inquiries, letters of intent and applications should be addressed to the Executive Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Ms. Teresa M. Kettelkamp Executive Director Office of Child and Youth Protection 3211 4th Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 (202) 541-5413
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