Information on what an agency MUST do in a review process
There are 8 things that an agency must do in a review process.
If the review is accepted, agencies must review the actions and make a decision. There are few constraints on the way agencies conducts reviews.
An agency must record and keep all the evidence considered by the reviewer An agency must make available to the applicant all documents relied on in their review to the Merit Protection Commissioner.
The Public Service Regulations 1999 require that concerns are dealt with 'quickly, impartially and fairly'. The Merit Protection Commissioner considers 14 days to be a reasonable period for forwarding relevant papers.
Agencies must not give guarantees of confidentiality when gathering evidence for reviews. Review applicants and witnesses must be given information about the likely use and disclosure of personal information.
Yes, the agency head must tell the employee in writing of their response to a Merit Protection Commissioner review.