The Department of Education (the department) is committed to the highest standards of integrity and conduct at every level.
It demonstrates this commitment by including it as a key principle in the department’s
Strategic Plan, and by empowering and supporting employees to confidently make decisions aligned with public sector and departmental values and principles.
In February of 2021, the department progressed with reforms including:
- development of an
Integrity Framework which combines the organisation’s structures, systems, values and practices that guide ethical behaviour and integrity in the department, and prevent, detect and respond to fraud and corruption while also supporting the department's continued focus on integrity and providing staff with greater clarity and direction
- establishment of the Integrity Fraud and Corruption Committee (IFCC)
- IFCC updated Terms of Reference strengthening the department’s position on Integrity
- development of the Integrity Long-Term Plan.
Integrity Long-Term Plan
The department’s Integrity Long-Term Plan identifies key focus areas for integrity and the prevention of fraud and corruption, and addresses risks identified through enterprise risk governance, audit activity and Crime and Corruption Commission report findings. The plan sets out a timeline to address these areas of focus on a term by term basis from 2021 to Term 4 2023.
12–month summary review
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Term 3, 2021 the department launched the new
conflict of interest policy, updated
conflict of interest procedure and updated
notification of other employment procedure. A central register for employees to upload conflict of interest and notification of other employment declarations was developed and launched.
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Term 4, 2021 the department invested in an external review of the integrity portfolio, end-to-end, which as highlighted several recommendations for improving efficiencies.
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Term 1, 2022 focused on reporting fraud and corruption. The Speak Up campaign was reinforced by the Director-General video message, newsletter updates, and Integrity Fast Facts resources. Mandatory all staff training and management foundations were refreshed to reflect updated resources.
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Terms 2 and 3, 2022 concentrated on raising awareness about the importance of declaring close personal relationships for hiring managers. The department partnered with the School Business Managers Association Queensland and the Queensland Teachers Union to deliver key messaging about best practice in regards to following appropriate recruitment and selection processes and requirements for identifying, declaring and managing conflicts of interest with respect to close personal relationships.
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Term 4, 2022 focused on promoting employee obligations when exercising purchasing and procurement delegations, targeting purchasing delegates and principals, relating to ethical and appropriate purchasing and procurement decisions.