Admins are under pressure to deliver transparent, accessible public meetings and manage complex policy workflows - often with limited time and resources. The latest 

 updates are designed to make your job easier, with integrated livestreaming, streamlined policy management and stronger security.

Livestream Manager: Integrated livestreaming for public meetings

Broadcast meetings with video, agenda, minutes, and captions-all in one place. Livestream Manager for 

 keeps everything together, making it easy for the public to follow discussions live or on-demand.

Meet transparency and accessibility requirements

Essentials: Embed YouTube livestreams with split-screen agenda and searchable captions

, with BoxCast integration, automated captions and AI-supported minutes

Plus: Stream to multiple destinations, advanced controls and up to 24-hour broadcasts

Diligent Community + Diligent One Platform: Stronger security, same experience

Admins and users now benefit from Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), with a seamless transition to the 

Modern login, future-proofed for AI and integrations

Policy Publisher: Streamlined policy lifecycle management

From comparing and merging new policy templates to filtering, archiving and attaching supporting documents, Policy Publisher makes policy lifecycle management even simpler, large policy libraries manageable and policy transparent to your community.

 today to explore the new features, or contact your Customer Success Manager for a walkthrough.

, and one of our product experts will connect with you shortly to show how Diligent can streamline public meetings, enhance transparency, and modernize your governance workflows with AI.

Livestreaming built for public meetings: Diligent Community’s 2025 admin updates 

An effective compliance plan typically includes five to seven core components, depending on the regulatory framework and industry requirements. Understanding how many components are included in an effective compliance plan, and how to operationalize each one, remains critical for governance leaders navigating today's complex regulatory environment.

Organizations face an expanding web of requirements spanning data privacy, cybersecurity disclosure, anti-corruption and industry-specific mandates. Yet many still rely on fragmented, manual processes that struggle to keep pace.

, 60% of organizations report their governance, risk and compliance systems remain completely or partially siloed, with just 4% achieving full platform integration. This fragmentation creates blind spots that surface during audits, regulatory examinations and 

This comprehensive guide explains how to build and operationalize effective compliance plans by covering:

What a compliance plan is and why structured approaches matter

How many components are included in an effective compliance plan according to regulatory frameworks

Five essential stages for building effective compliance infrastructure

How to measure compliance plan effectiveness with metrics and KPIs

How AI-powered technology transforms compliance operations

A compliance plan is a structured system of policies, procedures, processes and controls designed to prevent, detect and respond to legal and regulatory violations. Effective plans go beyond documentation to create operational capabilities that actively manage compliance risk across the organization.

The Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General and industry regulators have 

 outlining essential compliance plan components. While the specific number varies across frameworks — some emphasize five elements, others seven or more — most regulatory guidance addresses these core pillars: governance and leadership, risk assessment, standards and controls, training and communication, monitoring and auditing, reporting mechanisms and response protocols.

Regulatory expectations have intensified significantly across multiple dimensions. The 

 now require material incident reporting within four business days through Form 8-K. Additionally, the 

EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)

Meanwhile, state-level regulations like California's data privacy laws create overlapping compliance obligations for organizations operating across jurisdictions.

These pressures demand more than traditional check-the-box approaches. "Compliance with regulations always comes first," says Heindrek Allen, ESG Manager at Magnit Global. "We look at new regulations coming out and say, 'Are we compliant? What do we need to do to be compliant?'"

Beyond regulatory requirements, compliance plan effectiveness increasingly influences stakeholder confidence. Investors, customers and business partners evaluate compliance maturity during transactions, partnerships and ongoing relationships. Organizations that demonstrate structured compliance capabilities gain competitive advantages, while those with visible gaps face heightened scrutiny.

Key components of an effective compliance plan

Before diving into implementation, it's important to understand the foundational components that regulatory 

 expect. Most authorities emphasize seven core elements that comprehensive compliance plans should address.

: Board and executive commitment to compliance, including designated compliance officers, 

: Systematic identification and evaluation of compliance risks across operations, geographies and regulatory domains.

 that address identified risks and regulatory requirements.

: Education programs that ensure employees understand compliance expectations and know how to identify and escalate potential issues.

 that verify control effectiveness and detect potential violations before they become significant issues.

: Confidential reporting channels and incident response protocols that enable early detection and appropriate escalation.

7. Enforcement and continuous improvement

: Accountability mechanisms that reinforce compliance expectations while driving plan enhancement over time.

The five operational stages that follow provide a practical framework for implementing these components across organizations of any size.

The 5 stages of an effective compliance program

Building effective compliance infrastructure requires systematic approaches that connect measurement, action, accountability, process optimization and continuous improvement.

Measuring against regulatory requirements and internal standards provides the baseline for identifying gaps, prioritizing resources and tracking improvement over time. Effective measurement requires comprehensive 

 that evaluates your regulatory universe, industry obligations and geographic exposure.

The challenge is that compliance obligations never stand still. Organizations must monitor performance continuously rather than relying on periodic snapshots — tracking policy attestation rates, control testing results, incident detection metrics and remediation timelines on an ongoing basis.

Measurement provides value only when findings drive concrete improvements. Once you understand your compliance posture, translate that intelligence into implementation plans with clear ownership and timelines.

The key is building feedback loops that connect measurement to action to measurement again. Each improvement initiative should have defined success metrics that demonstrate progress while identifying areas requiring additional attention.

Effective compliance plans translate risk intelligence into business language that resonates with different stakeholders, connecting compliance requirements directly to operational objectives and strategic priorities.

Stage 3: Clearly communicate roles and responsibilities

Meeting regulatory obligations cannot remain solely the compliance team's responsibility. Effective compliance plans establish clear accountability across all organizational levels:

 Chief Compliance Officers and General Counsel maintain direct reporting lines to the board, ensuring governance oversight of compliance initiatives

 Compliance responsibilities span internal audit, legal, risk, finance, HR, IT and business operations

 Automated workflows reinforce accountability through unambiguous task assignments, escalation protocols and calendar reminders

"There should be a direct, consistent line of communication from the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) or General Counsel (GC) to the board," says Pav Gill, CEO of Confide. "A strong GC understands that their ultimate responsibility is to the board, but the board must also recognize this dynamic."

Stage 4: Streamline your compliance processes

Compliance often becomes synonymous with inefficient manual processes. Streamlining your approach makes it more likely that people will follow required procedures consistently while freeing capacity for strategic improvements.

Effective process optimization focuses on several key areas:

 operate in one continuous loop, gathering risks and remediating them in real time

 Compliance processes embed into business operations rather than creating friction points

 Technology eliminates repetitive tasks, allowing teams to focus on strategic risk management

The goal is making compliance easier to achieve, not just easier to document. When compliance requirements integrate naturally into daily workflows, adoption rates increase and outcomes improve.

Regulatory landscapes evolve continuously, and the right compliance plan today may need adjustment tomorrow. Effective plans institutionalize regular review cycles that reassess regulatory requirements, evaluate control effectiveness and update plan components accordingly.

Organizations should maintain audit-ready documentation that demonstrates how they identified, assessed and responded to regulatory changes. This documentation becomes essential during audits, regulatory examinations and due diligence processes.

"Reporting regulations are everywhere. And they're going to get faster and more stringent," says Heindrek Allen, ESG Manager at Magnit Global. "Getting the right people involved, building the right knowledge base, takes time."

Discover how AI-powered compliance platforms help organizations streamline regulatory monitoring, automate policy management and build audit-ready documentation.

Transform your plan with AI

How Diligent transforms compliance plan effectiveness

For organizations managing complex compliance requirements, AI-powered platforms, like Diligent, address the manual monitoring and process constraints that limit traditional approaches.

Diligent Regulatory Compliance Management

 centralizes compliance data and monitors regulatory changes across multiple jurisdictions, delivering automated alerts and real-time compliance monitoring.

The AI-powered compliance assistant analyzes regulatory updates, identifies key changes and suggests mitigating controls. Built-in reporting capabilities help demonstrate compliance to regulators and capture cross-department activities, giving organizations the documentation they need for audits and examinations.

 simplifies policy governance from creation to compliance. Customizable workflows route policies through proper approval chains while automated attestations reduce manual follow-up and ensure employees acknowledge updated requirements.

Advanced analytics provide interactive visualizations and customizable reports that track attestation progress and identify gaps before they become violations.

 accelerates certifications that enterprise customers require. Supporting 75+ frameworks, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST and FedRAMP, the platform provides always-on compliance monitoring that tracks user access violations and segregation of duties in real time.

AI control suggestions help teams implement requirements quickly, while board-ready dashboards give leadership visibility into compliance status across the organization.

"AI is the single most transformative opportunity for legal, finance, and compliance teams in the next decade," says Brian Stafford, CEO at Diligent. "This isn't about replacing people, it's about amplifying them."

Building an effective compliance plan comes down to the fundamentals: measure your current state, turn insights into action, establish clear accountability, streamline processes and review regularly. The right technology accelerates each stage while providing audit-ready documentation.

Discover how Diligent helps organizations build compliance plans that scale with regulatory complexity. 

How many components are included in an effective compliance plan?

Effective compliance plans typically include five to seven core components, depending on the regulatory framework applied. The DOJ emphasizes seven elements: governance and leadership, risk assessment, policies and procedures, training and communication, monitoring and auditing, reporting mechanisms, and enforcement and response.

Some industry frameworks consolidate these into five elements focused on operational implementation.

How do you measure whether a compliance plan is effective?

Plan effectiveness measurement combines outcome metrics (policy attestation rates, control testing results, incident resolution times) with operational metrics (time to identify regulatory changes, audit preparation efficiency, stakeholder satisfaction). Organizations should establish baselines and track trends over time.

How often should a compliance plan be reviewed and updated?

Annual comprehensive reviews represent a minimum standard, with more frequent assessments for high-risk areas or rapidly evolving regulatory domains. Organizations should implement 

 for regulatory changes and trigger reviews when significant new requirements emerge.

Who owns compliance: the compliance team or the whole organization?

Effective compliance requires organization-wide accountability. While compliance professionals establish plans and monitor effectiveness, every employee plays a role through their daily activities. Leadership must model compliant behavior, and clear role definitions ensure everyone understands their specific obligations.

See how Diligent's AI-powered compliance solutions can transform your operations. 

This article originally appeared in our January 15th edition of the Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe

After three quarters of near-record low confidence levels

, America’s boardrooms ended 2025 on a surprisingly hopeful note, even as directors brace for another demanding year. The latest 

, our quarterly survey of U.S. public company directors conducted with Corporate Board Member, shows sentiment rebounding sharply after three consecutive quarters at a five-year low throughout much of last year.

Why U.S. board confidence rebounded at the end of 2025

Confidence rose 23% in the final month of the year, climbing from 4.9 to 6.0 on a 10-point scale and finally nudging back into what respondents consider “good” territory. As a key driver behind the shift, directors point to:

In other words, after a year of policy whiplash, boards feel they at least understand the playing field a bit better - even if they don’t like it.

That late-year rally, however, shouldn’t be mistaken for a victory lap. For 2025 overall, average confidence registered just 5.0, well below 2024’s 6.2 and far short of the 6.9 directors had forecast a year ago.

Three quarters of respondents say tariffs were a primary reason conditions fell short of expectations, far outpacing any other factor. Their comments underscore how hard it is for boards to plan when rules change midgame; familiar playbooks don’t work when trade policy and enforcement shift repeatedly.

Tariffs, uncertainty and a new risk landscape

Directors in sectors long considered resilient

, like life sciences, describe this period as unlike anything they’ve seen in decades. Many point to deferred capital spending and elongated decision cycles as companies try to model scenarios that are, frankly, impossible to model with precision. That reality is reshaping how boards think about risk, resilience and the very nature of their oversight role.

Their outlook for business conditions by late 2026 is 6.0, essentially flat from today’s reading. CEOs, by contrast, are modestly more upbeat: in a parallel survey by Chief Executive, they project a 6% improvement to 6.4, and 44% say they expect conditions to improve, compared with 32% of directors. That gap is telling. CEOs are closest to near-term operations; boards are increasingly focused on longer-horizons, compounding risks.

Those directors who are optimistic tend to anchor their confidence in 

 seeing opportunities to transform productivity and reimagine business models. Among those who expect deterioration, concerns skew heavily toward macro and geopolitical risk, with uncertainty emerging as a dominant theme -— on par with inflation for many neutral respondents.

How boards can strengthen oversight and learning in 2026

directors emphasize adaptability, deeper engagement and faster learning, recognizing that they must connect dots across 

5 years of the Director Confidence Index: Tracking a more demanding role

This quarter also marks five years of fielding the Director Confidence Index, and we asked respondents how their roles have evolved since 2020.

Board members say they are spending far more time on risk in a “more complex and faster moving” environment, with cybersecurity, AI, geopolitical shocks, supply-chain integrity and policy volatility now standard agenda items. Many describe a shift from “managing the present” toward future-oriented scenario planning and strategic resilience, alongside heightened scrutiny from investors and activists that expands the mandate beyond financial performance to culture, human capital and corporate character.

Taken together, the picture is clear: being a director today is more time-intensive, strategically demanding and consequential than it was in 2020 and perhaps than it has ever been. One director distilled the 2026 playbook to three words: “Defend and survive.” I would add a fourth: learn. Boards that invest in learning about AI technology, geopolitics, regulation and stakeholder expectations will be best positioned not just to endure whatever comes next, but to help their organizations emerge stronger on the other side.

Boards brace for 2026: Confidence rebounds, risk looms 

This article originally appeared in our December 18th edition of the Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe 

As we close out 2025, I’ve been reflecting on what this year taught us and the word that comes to mind is “unprecedented.” Insights from the Diligent Institute’s research show how directors navigated multiple unprecedented challenges – often simultaneously – while also driving major change. The lessons we learned this year aren’t just a look back. They can be a compass pointing to the directional shifts boards will need to embrace as governance moves into a faster, more AI-enabled era.

Five governance shifts boards must prepare for in 2026

What will change: Boards will move beyond passive reporting and lean into more 

 Predictive analytics and scenario planning will become part of everyday conversations, helping directors navigate volatility before it hits.


Why? Director confidence hit historic lows in 2025. Our 

 conducted in partnership with Corporate Board Member, landed at just 4.8 out of 10, among the lowest since the pandemic. That’s a wake-up call for faster, smarter decision-making. If you’re curious whether sentiment is shifting, our Q4 results will be live by the time this issue hits your inbox. Check them out to see if optimism is making a comeback.

What will change: Dashboards won’t just summarize risks. They’ll surface them within hours, and crisis protocols will kick in during the first 72. AI-powered assurance will scan massive datasets to catch anomalies as they happen, and directors will be able to ask complex questions in plain language and get instant answers. Oversight will move from reacting after the fact to staying ahead of the curve, a fundamental change in risk management.

 7.9 out of 10. Quarterly updates aren’t enough anymore. Boards need early-warning systems and integrated intelligence to keep pace.

3) AI governance moves to the top of the agenda

What will change: Agentic AI is moving fast, from assisting to acting. Boards will need to build AI literacy, test for bias and keep humans in the loop to manage less visible risks.

Why: Two-thirds of directors used AI tools in 2025, but 

, 57% of respondents said their organizations had deployed AI in one or more areas of the business, but only 36% had audited usage.As AI deployment climbs higher on the priority list for 2026, closing this governance gap is critical.

4) Integration becomes a growth essential

What will change: M&A ambitions will stall without tech integration. Boards that prioritize scalable platforms will unlock faster, cleaner transactions and reduce risk during rapid growth periods as integration readiness becomes a board-level KPI.

 conducted in partnership with Wilson Sonsini and NetSuite, found only 4% of organizations had fully integrated GRC and financial systems.

What will change: Board agendas will shift toward forward-looking conversations powered by predictive analytics and cultural insights. Directors will widen their lens beyond financials to include culture and workforce resilience, using anonymized data to spot risks before they surface.

Why: The ability to anticipate, not just react, will define effective governance in 2026. Boards that lean on AI-driven scenario modeling and continuous feedback loops will stay aligned with fast-changing realities.

Turning 2025 board lessons into a 2026 action plan

2026 will reward boards that act, not just react. That means pairing human judgment with AI-driven foresight, embedding continuous assurance and integrating systems for scalability. Governance is moving from static to dynamic – and the boards that thrive will be ready to keep pace.

Check out the full blog on trends shaping governance in 2026.

Diligent

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Livestreaming built for public meetings: Diligent Community’s 2025 admin updates

How many components are included in an effective compliance plan?

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