Compliance

Before the Meeting

Determine if a FM is needed: The CL and/or RCC will determine if an interview is needed to gather more information. 

• Level 2 issues require the decision of the RCC Team before a Family Meeting is scheduled. 
• Level 3 issues require the decision of NAT before a Family Meeting is scheduled.

Determine the team: Always conduct an interview with at least two staff members. 

Determine the time: Determine the best time to interview the competitor(s) based on the tournament schedule and the events in which the competitor(s) is competing. If possible, avoid interviewing competitor(s) just prior to competing in elimination rounds, so as to cause as little disruption to the competitor’s competition as possible. 

Determine the roles: CT should determine which member will be the speaking partner and which will be the recording partner.

Determine the plan: Discuss with the CL and document FM Discussion Points, identifying the relevant rule(s) prior to conducting the interview. 

• This is a great time to pray for the meeting with your team.
• The National Adjudication Team may also add discussion points for the Family Meeting in the Notes.

Organize the meeting 

• The Speaking Partner should text the parent and invite the parent and the competitor to the meeting.
• Do not contact the competitor directly or have the competitor contacted by other tournament staff. 
• Give the parent general information. It is appropriate to identify the event that the query is about, but not to identify the specific question or issue.  
• For an online tournament, 
  • The Recording Partner will set up a private meeting room online named with the CQR ID# and the team name.
  • Ask families to be in a private place if possible.
  • If necessary, ask families not to mute or turn off their cameras.
  • Since it is not possible to know exactly when anyone enters or leaves the private meeting room, remind staff to avoid discussing CQR-related matters while waiting for families to enter or leave the meeting room.  

During the Meeting

State the issue: Introduce the CT and state the issue in question, but do not identify the source of the question. (NEW)

Explain the process: Explain the role of the Compliance Team.

• The CT is gathering information. The National Adjudication Team makes rule determinations to ensure consistency.
• Let the family know that the Compliance Team keeps these matters confidential.
• You may ask about the age of the competitor if that is helpful in determining how to guide the discussion.

Rule: Show the competitor and parent the rule in question.

• When online, the team may use the chat box to paste applicable rules. 
• When in-person, the team will show the rule on a device and/or direct the family to the rule through the Resources provided on the platform.

Discussion/Questions: Allow the competitor to ask questions and to provide any explanations and information to help understand the concern.

• Allow the parent to ask any questions about the process.
• The Speaking partner should invite the Recording Partner to share  questions or comments. 

Step out: 

• Ask the family to remain in the Family Meeting room. (If the  meeting is being held with a competitor and chaperone (not parent), always leave the door open when leaving the room.
• Step out to notify the CL when there is updated information to review. The CL will notify the RCC Team/PoC who will get instruction from the National Adjudication Team. 

Relay the decision/information: The CT should then return to the meeting room and inform the family of any NAT decision. This protocol is the same for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 issues.

• If the NAT decision is NFA, use the following verbiage: “NAT has determined that there was not a rule violation.” 
• If the NAT decision is a rule violation with penalty, use the verbiage provided from NAT to explain what rule was violated, how that decision was determined by NAT, and what penalty will be applied.
• If the NAT decision involves a script being resubmitted, use this verbiage:
  • For all issues except missional/content changes: “The changes discussed will need to be made to your script and the script must be submitted to your RC (email address) before the next round of competition for your event.”
  • For Level 3 missional/content issues: “The changes discussed will need to be made to your script and the script must be submitted to DirectorOfCompetition@NCFCA.org by (establish time with NAT).”
• If the investigation is still on-going, but the family will be dismissed, use the following verbiage: “We will contact you if we need any further information and/or to let you know when the matter is closed.” (Compliance needs to make sure that they have an accurate text number for the parent before they dismiss the family.)

Conclude the meeting: Conclude the meeting by thanking, encouraging, and dismissing the family. 

• If it is an online meeting, uninvite participants and delete the meeting.
• If the NAT decision following a family meeting was ongoing and the CQR becomes NFA, follow-up with the parent/chaperone via text that the investigation has ended with “no penalty.”

See the Compliance Resource Library Module for Verbiage Examples and Explanations.