Rather than treating the public complaint as the full picture, we treated it as a starting point for a broader diagnostic review of what was actually happening inside the organization.

 

We supplemented our usual review team with a seasoned workplace investigator, and partnered with a national audit and assurance firm to provide a rigorous, defensible process. 

 

Applying independent thinking, professional judgement and a sound process, we looked at:

• The realities of the situation, not the speculation - data, facts, evidence

• How and why the current situation came to be - understanding the historical context, but grounding in today's compliance obligations and client needs

• What to do about it now - what does 'better' looks like, and is it achievable?

 

The diagnostic process was long and robust, generally including:

• Confidential interviews of board, staff and department representatives

• Walk-in, no appointment sessions open to key stakeholders who wanted to talk to us

• Review of the legislation, governing documents, licensing and funding agreements

• Review of the governance, HR and financial policies and processes

• Examination of the allegation, communications, board minutes and other confidential records

• Sampling of financial records, receipts, invoices, and interviews with the bookkeeper to understand how finances were handled 

• Final report with our observations and analysis, advice to the department, and a set of practical recommendations for improving the organization’s effectiveness, applied to a three-year implementation roadmap.

 

The workplace investigation resulted in a confidential report to the department as a separate deliverable in this engagement.