Handling disclosures

Two major stages

  1. Audit
    1. Receipt of your disclosure
    2. Admissibility analysis
    3. Preliminary audit
  2. Investigative process
    1. Investigation
    2. Investigative conclusions
    3. Recommendations to the public body concerned
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Audit steps

  1. Receipt of your disclosure
  2. Can we process it? (Admissibility)
    • We analyse the events to determine whether we can process your disclosure concerning a wrongdoing and a public body subject to the Act.
    • End of processing. If we cannot process the disclosure, we refer you to the right place.
    Please note: if your disclosure is not of public interest or if it is before the court, we cannot process it.
  3. Can we investigate? (Preliminary audit)
    • We look into the disclosure further (requests for documents, etc.) to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that wrongdoing has occurred or is about to occur.
    • End of processing if there are no reasonable grounds. Instead we refer you to the right recourse.
    • If there are reasonable grounds, we begin investigating.
    • A notice of investigation may be sent to the highest administrative authority of the public body concerned.
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Stages of the investigative process

  1. Investigation

    We can stop the investigation any time if there is not sufficient evidence that wrongdoing has occurred or is about to occur. End of the investigation.

  2. Investigative conclusions
    • Unsubstantiated disclosure

      Letter with or without recommendations
      Follow-up of recommendations or End of the investigation

    • Substantiated disclosure
      1. Notice of unfavourable findings to the wrongdoer

        The wrongdoer is sent a notice of unfavourable findings

      2. Final report
        1. Draft investigation report sent to the highest administrative authority of the public body concerned;
        2. Final confidential investigation report sent to the wrongdoer and the highest administrative authority of the public body concerned.
  3. Follow-up on recommendations

    We ensure that action is taken regarding our recommendations until they are implemented to our satisfaction.

    End of investigation