Integrity and the right culture are part of the bedrock of the Victorian public sector. Probity signifies integrity, fairness and honesty. Probity means good process demonstrated by transparent actions, equity, confidentiality and managing conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived. Probity is integral to achieving value for money outcomes. The government party will operate with integrity, impartiality and accountability. No person should improperly achieve personal advantage or disadvantage through involvement in the process. |
In March 2016, the Victorian Secretaries Board prioritised reforms to strengthen existing integrity frameworks. Following recent Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) hearings, the Victorian Secretaries Board has reaffirmed its commitment to a robust integrity culture across the Victorian public sector.
The existing Victorian government policy information concerning probity is detailed in the Victorian Government Purchasing Board (VGPB) governance policy, in particular the Guide to probity <http://www.procurement.vic.gov.au/Buyers/Policies-Guides-and-Tools/Governance-Policy>.
Good probity practice is important for:
• business and community confidence in the integrity of government procurement processes;
• encouraging and enabling purchasers and businesses to deal with each other on the basis of mutual trust and respect; and
• improving the defensibility of market engagement processes and procurement outcomes.
Probity should underpin every aspect of every procurement activity, including contract management. In practice, probity requires:
• acting with integrity and impartiality;
• ensuring market equality by applying an appropriate level of competition and contestability relevant to the procurement activity;
• consistent and transparent processes;
• secure and confidential market engagement information;
• identifying and managing conflicts of interest;
• allocating appropriate capability to elements of the procurement process; and
• engaging a probity practitioner where the complexity of the procurement warrants independent process oversight.
The government party should apply each of these principles throughout the project lifecycle.