Audit findings and recommendations
At the completion of the audit the MPC must determine whether the selection process meets the
- elements of the merit principle as defined in Section 10A Public Service Act 1999 and
- requirements of a merit-based recruitments in the APS Commissioner’s Directions 2022.
The table below explains the potential audit outcomes. The MPC will provide a written report with reasons for its decision, and suggestions for improvement to support continuous improvement.
| Review findings | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| Selection exercise is merit based |
Agency is provided with a report with observations on the process. Any merit pool, ranked merit pool or merit list can continue to be used. |
| Selection exercise is not merit based but the outcome not materially different |
Agency is provided with a report with recommendations for improvement. Any merit pool, ranked merit pool or merit list can continue to be used. |
| Selection exercise is not merit based but the outcome is materially different |
Agency is provided with a report that recommends any merit pool, ranked merit pool or merit list should not be used to fill a future vacancy. Any previous promotion decision can still stand. |
What does materially different mean?
In the context of a promotion review, it is when we have found an issue or an error in the recruitment process but the error or issue did not influence the outcome. In that case, the issue or error was not material to the outcome.
Whether or not an error has made a material difference to an outcome will depend on the scale, impact and nature of the non-compliance (which resulted in the finding that the selection process was not merit-based). The MPC must decide whether the promotion decision could realistically have been different if the error had not occurred.
Our regulatory approach recognises that it is not necessary to take action for every error or concern identified in a review. Rather, wherever possible, we will focus on building capability and service improvement.