First, the program must be available 24/7/365. Next, one of the biggest threats to an effective whistleblower hotline is lack of awareness and engagement. If employees and stakeholders don't know of the availability of the service or are cynical when made aware of the service, the program will not be effective or successful. An effective program requires communications planning, training, management support, and policies and procedures to support both the launch of a system and the ongoing effectiveness.