Public Interest Disclosure Coordinators

State Government departments

• Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Department of Education
• Department of Health
• Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
• Department of Treasury and Finance
• Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
• Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
• Department of Justice and Community Safety
• Department of Transport and Planning
• Department of Government Services
   

Administrative offices

• COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria
• Invest Victoria
• Latrobe Valley Authority
• Local Government Inspectorate
• Major Transport Infrastructure Authority
• Office of Projects Victoria
• Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel
• Office of the Governor
• Office of the Victorian Government Architect
• Public Record Office Victoria
• Safer Care Victoria: the Office for Safety and Quality Improvement
• Service Victoria
• Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office
• Victorian Skills Authority
   

All local councils

Other entities

• Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC)
• Victorian Public Sector Commission
• Victorian Inspectorate (if the Public Interest Disclosure relates to IBAC or the Public Interest Monitor)
• Victorian Ombudsman
• Victoria Police
• The Office of the Special Investigator (if the Public Interest Disclosure relates to conduct of Victoria Police personnel arising from the use of Nicola Maree Gobbo as a human Source)
• Judicial Commission of Victoria
• Integrity and Oversight Committee (if the Public Interest Disclosure relates to the Victorian Inspectorate)
• Speaker of the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council (if the Public Interest Disclosure relates to a member of parliament)

Receiving disclosures

Victorian Departments, Administrative Offices and Councils, and the Victorian Public Sector Commission can receive disclosures about the conduct of their own agency or staff. There should be a Public Interest Disclosure Coordinator so staff or members of the community can report concerns.

Handling disclosures

Robust and publicly-available procedures are necessary for making, receiving and managing disclosures (including notifications to IBAC).

Guidelines for handling Public Interest Disclosures

Protecting someone making a disclosure

All public bodies must have publicly-available procedures to protect people against any negative consequences (personal or financial) as a result of making a Public Interest Disclosure. 

Guidelines for Public Interest Disclosure welfare management

Public Interest Disclosure information is confidential

It’s illegal to share Public Interest Disclosure information. This includes: 

• information given to you before the complaint is declared a Public Interest Disclosure 
• the identity of the person making the disclosure. 

Workplace awareness resources

IBAC provides a range of resources including videos, posters and banners to help Public Interest Disclosure Coordinators and organisations raise awareness about the process and protections for people who make a disclosure. The can be incorporated into integrity training and presentations to staff.

Presentation for Public Interest Disclosure Coordinators to help with staff training and education (PPTX, 8.4MB)

e-learning module: Managing Public Interest Disclosures in Victoria

This module helps Public Interest Disclosure Coordinators understand their responsibilities, regardless of their level of experience.

Practise assessing disclosures using real life scenarios, and understand the decision-making processes to follow when assessing improper conduct under the PID Act. Register via engage@ibac.vic.gov.au.

Launched by IBAC in 2018, the Public Interest Disclosure Community of Practice provides new opportunities for Public Interest Coordinators and interested public sector employees to network, share knowledge and update their skills. The Public Interest Disclosure Community of Practice enables members to: 

• be informed
• discuss best practice
• access people and resources to answer any questions.

The Public Interest Disclosure Community of Practice is overseen by an IBAC-chaired organising committee with representatives from the Victorian Ombudsman, Victoria Police and five Protected Disclosure Coordinators from state government departments and local councils. 

Contact  engage@ibac.vic.gov.au to join the Public Interest Disclosure Community of Practice or learn more.