So how do you run your compliance operations? Compliance professionals love to trade notes around this question, as best practices can be hard to come by for specific tasks. Help is on the way, as Compliance Week and PricewaterhouseCoopers undertake an ambitious new study of the issues.

"A good idea, right? Everyone is always clamoring for more data to benchmark your compliance function against your peers, so you can better understand what your risks are, how your reporting relationships should work, what skills your department needs, and even what your compensation should be. The State of Compliance survey will fill that need," notes Compliance Week. "But if we're going to do this, we need your help. We need compliance officers to take the survey, and supply us the data."

The survey will be available through March 21. Participants have to create an account and answer about 30 minutes worth of questions.

Specifically, the two groups are looking to answer a wide range of questions about the duties of the CCO, specific responsibilities, key metrics, budgets and the like. The results will be published in a special supplement with the July magazine. Hopefully it will be online as well, though the magazine may use it to drive print subscriptions.

So what will you get out if it? PwC will provide participants with a report that compares its results to the company's peer group.

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