1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose

These guidelines have been prepared to facilitate the reporting of corruption and other misconduct by public bodies and public officers within the Victorian Public Sector (VPS) under Victoria’s Public Interest Disclosures Scheme.

Reporting such conduct, referred to as making a public interest disclosure, is important in preventing corruption and other misconduct and preserving the integrity and the proper operation of the VPS.

These guidelines have also been developed to help facilitate the making of public interest disclosures to the Victorian Inspectorate (VI), the handling of those disclosures and where appropriate, the notification of those disclosures to the Independent Broadbased Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) or another appropriate entity as required.

In addition to the above, these guidelines have been developed to help facilitate the making of public interest disclosures about the VI or its officers (to the Integrity and Oversight Committee of Parliament) and to help protect persons from detrimental action in reprisal for a public interest disclosure. These guidelines also constitute the procedures of the VI for the purposes of section 58 of the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012 (PID Act).

1.2 Our commitment

The VI encourages and supports the reporting and prevention of corruption and other misconduct within the VPS.

We will take all appropriate steps to help facilitate the making, handling, notification and investigation of public interest disclosures and the protection of persons from reprisals for making those disclosures in accordance with our obligations under the PID Act.

We also expect the highest standards of integrity from our own officers and the other integrity, accountability and investigatory bodies and officers that we oversight and will take all appropriate steps to uphold this integrity.