Public interest disclosure - Information for PID Officers

Information about the role of public interest disclosure officers and their responsibilities in the public interest disclosure process.
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The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003 (PID Act) allows people to make disclosures about wrongdoing in public authorities, which includes the State public sector, local governments, government trading enterprises, public universities and some government boards and committees (public authorities), and protects them when they do.

As a public interest disclosure (PID) officer, you are an important part of the disclosure process and have obligations under the PID Act. The information on this page should be read in conjunction with the PID Act, Public Interest Disclosure Regulations 2003 (PID Regulations) and the Supporting information for Principal Executive Officers and PID Officers (Proper authorities) resource.

We provide support to PID officers to meet their obligations under the PID Act through regular information sessions and the Integrity Advisory Service, which provides additional advice and information.

Your role as a PID officer

You contribute to the accountability of your authority and the broader government sector by enabling people to speak up. Your role also means your authority can look into and act on integrity issues that may have otherwise gone unreported.

You are the contact for staff who have questions about public interest disclosures in your authority and you may also need to provide information and assistance to members of the public.

You manage the public interest disclosure process in your authority in accordance with:

As a PID officer it is important you abide by the PID officer's code of conduct and integrity at all times.

It is also important you take your role seriously, act in good faith and conduct yourself professionally by keeping records that can be reviewed, if required. Good record keeping, including file notes of telephone conversations and face-to-face meetings, is important for good governance of the public interest disclosure process.

You can achieve the best outcome from the process by ensuring:

  • investigations are completed in a timely manner and you advise all people involved of any significant delays
  • you have a good awareness of all relevant legislation, regulations, procedures and guidance material
  • you maintain confidentiality in accordance with section 16 of the PID Act
  • you appropriately manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest
  • witnesses are not given the opportunity to collude
  • you or anyone investigating the matter pursue all obvious lines of inquiry
  • investigation reports are completed to a high standard and all findings are substantiated
  • you or anyone investigating the matter has sound experience in conducting investigations.

Your responsibilities

You are responsible for receiving, assessing and managing public interest disclosures that relate to your authority.

A large part of your role focuses on maintaining communication with all people involved in the disclosure process. You must ensure appropriate disclosures are investigated and action is taken, and administer the process. You will need to be adaptable and flexible in your approach according to the circumstances.

Even if the disclosure is not an appropriate disclosure, you can still encourage the discloser to find a pathway to report the matter. In some cases, you may be able to refer them to an internal person better able to address their concerns.

The responsibilities of a PID officer are to:

  • provide information to potential disclosers about their rights and responsibilities
  • receive and manage public interest disclosures in accordance with the PID Act
  • assess the disclosure to ensure it contains public interest information
  • where appropriate, investigate or cause an investigation of the matters disclosed
  • provide information to potential subjects of a disclosure about their rights, responsibilities, duties and the potential offences, if appropriate
  • take such action as is necessary, reasonable and within your functions and powers
  • maintain confidentiality of the identity of the discloser and subject(s) of disclosures
  • provide progress reports, where requested, and final reports to disclosers
  • create and maintain proper and secure records about disclosures
  • act according to the rules of natural justice
  • act according to the code of conduct and integrity and any applicable authority-specific code of conduct, established separately to the PID Act.

Tips for promoting the PID Act in your authority

It is important that you actively promote your role as well as raise awareness of the PID Act in your authority.

Some ways of raising awareness include:

  • making your internal procedures easily available to staff and members of the public
  • using internal circulars, newsletters, email lists and publications to spread the word
  • providing staff with brochures and materials, which can be downloaded from the Commission’s Public interest disclosure resources page
  • creating easy links on your intranet to your PID materials and Commission resources
  • providing information about reporting - and specifically public interest disclosure - in your induction program for new staff
  • raising awareness about public interest disclosures with managers, and ensuring they know to direct employees to a PID officer for more advice.

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