Employer services

Our services 

We assist agencies and departments make high quality and timely recruitment decisions and effectively manage allegations of misconduct or workplace disputes. The Public Service Act 1999 also allows us to provide limited expert services to non-APS agencies, Commonwealth entities and corporations.

Our commitment is to high quality employment decisions and actions that are ethical, operate with integrity and support safe, productive, and harmonious workplaces. We operate within a high level ethical decision making framework, and offer a deep and practical understanding of the principles of merit and administrative decision making.

Request more information, advice on a service or ask about the associated costs to info@mpc.gov.au or 02 8239 5353.

Independent Selection Advisory Committees

An independent selection committee is where the Merit Protection Commissioner runs an entire recruitment and selection process on behalf of an agency or department. The establishment of a committee under the Public Service Act 1999 is completely independent, merits based and cost effective. It is a useful option for large or sensitive recruitment processes where confidence in the process, time management and impartiality is a critical factor.

These committees deliver a high quality product at every stage of the recruitment process from advertising the role, shortlisting, conducting interviews and drafting selection reports. The committees must operate within the procedures and rules set out in the Merit Protection Commissioner's instructions relevant to APS employees and Parliamentary Service employees. 

When an agency or department follow the committee's recommendation, the applicants are not eligible to seek a promotion review of the committee's decision. This is the unique advantage of engaging an independent selection committee to run a recruitment process. 

Convenor, independent selection committee members and scribes

We can provide specialised recruitment services that can be tailored to the needs of individual agencies and department. Our services range from highly skilled and independent convenors who can effectively manage every stage of a merit based recruitment process to independent members on the panel to provide their expertise, make comprehensive records of interviews and decisions, undertake referee reports and prepare the selection report. 

Misconduct investigations

In certain circumstances an agency or department can engage us to investigate an alleged breach of the code of conduct by an employee. We have a pool of skilled investigators with extensive experience and expertise in conducting high quality and timely workplace investigations. Our investigators have a deep working knowledge of the employment framework and principles of administrative decision making and law. 

Engaging our investigative services will be dependant on the agreement of all parties, including the subject of the allegation if they are an APS employee. The unique benefits of the service we provide is our independence, impartiality and accountability to the continual improvement of integrity and performance of the public sector.  

Find our more about how we conduct investigations, as well as the legislative framework.

Merits review of workplace decisions

A core function of the Merit Protection Commissioner is to conduct independent merits review of workplace decisions or actions for the APS and Parliamentary Service. We can also provide these services to non-APS agencies and other employers. Our review of workplace decisions will consider the circumstances of the workplace issue and recommend the correct or preferred decision in accordance with the principles of administrative law and procedurally fair decision making.