Services
CPM Reviews specialises in conducting workplace reviews and investigations. We provide professional and independent reviews of workplace behaviour, administrative actions, employment decisions and whistle blower issues for the public sector at all levels of government and also for other organisations, including universities and private sector organisations. We offer services under the Public Interest Disclosure legislation in different jurisdictions (eg the APS and the ACT Government).
CPM Reviews also provides services related to the subject matter of workplace investigations, to allow agencies to undertake preventative and/or diagnostic work. We provide training workshops and advisory services on promoting respectful workplaces and avoiding bullying and harassment in the workplace.
CPM Reviews can conduct environmental scans of culture, workplace behaviour and staff engagement, plus audits or assessments of codes of conduct. We can also assist in the establishment or updating of internal Codes of Conduct or workplace conduct policies and procedures.
Another service we provide is formal and independent performance evaluation, at the stage of performance management cycles when an agency requires an independent assessor. Several of our staff have extensive experience in this specific function.
CPM Reviews can help with all assignments, large or small, whether simple or highly complex and sensitive, involving any staff at any level, including at the most senior levels of government.
SPECIFIC AREAS OF WORK
Workplace Reviews and Investigations
These can relate to:
- Suspected breaches of any formal code of conduct and/or guidelines as applicable to any client organisation, noting the variations of requirements between clients;
- Investigations into complaints, grievances and allegations of suspected misconduct, whistleblowing, disclosures and allegations of bullying and harassment;
- Investigations into the inappropriate receipt of gifts, benefits, payments and other forms of corruption, including giving preference to friends and family;
- Matters raised under any organisation’s Enterprise Agreement, including reviews of any actions that affect individual employees in their employment, including reviews of decisions and dispute handling, advice and advocacy, all in accordance with relevant legislation;
- Public Interest Disclosure reports under any legislation; and
- Any other engagement or employment matters the organisation considers warrants investigation.
Training Workshops and Advisory Services
We can facilitate part-day, full day or multi-day forums and workshops on topics relating to workplace behaviour and especially promoting respectful workplaces. We can cover topics related to bullying and harassment and other code of conduct issues.
This training has been developed for agencies seeking to reduce the rising costs of workplace bullying, which are evidenced by:
• compensation cases costing in excess of $1m
• rising Comcare premiums
• risk to the agency’s reputation
• new legal liabilities for managers at all levels
• psychological and physical injury to individuals
• communication breakdown and loss of productivity for teams
Our interactive workshop in the area of bullying can assist supervisors and managers in government agencies to:
• recognise changing expectations and legal liabilities
• gain confidence in identifying and responding to workplace bullying
• reduce individual and organisational liability through good risk management
• engage in debate and reflection about relevant management dilemmas
• draw on case studies, theory and research to support culture change.
We can also provide advice on ethics, probity and the like; provide mediation services; and can chair panels where an individual has appealed against a personnel management decision relating to discipline or similar because of unacceptable behaviour.
Environmental Scans
CPM Reviews can undertake environmental scans of existing workplace behaviour and staff attitudes relating to current issues that may have been identified to be of emerging concern within organisations, with a view to informing appropriate next steps and actions. These targeted exercises may provide more detail and factual insight than the statistics or information that can be provided through other sources, including staff surveys, informal identification of potentially problematic issues and other techniques.
Audits or Assessments of Codes of Conduct
CPM Reviews can take a close look at existing policies and procedures related to Codes of Conduct to assess whether they meet current good practice and whether refinements may be warranted. We can provide advice on how the organisation’s policies sit against those of others, and can make practical suggestions for improvement.
Performance Evaluation
CPM Reviews has specialist staff able to undertake the formal role of assessor/evaluator in formal performance evaluation processes. This involves analysing and assessing the work performance of a staff member against an agreed work-plan over an agreed timeframe to ascertain whether the staff member is performing and sustaining performance at the designated level as required, with due regard to all extant policies and procedures and the Departmental/APS work level standards.
Regular meetings and assessment of materials, in accordance with the policies, provide information which will result in the production and submission of a report, with draft findings of assessed performance against the designated work level standards and requirements of the current position in the context of all extant Departmental policies and procedures.
Risk Management and Independent Audit Committee Members
CPM Reviews can review Commonwealth entity risk management practices, processes and policies to assist entities comply with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) requirement that entities have in place an appropriate system of risk oversight and management.
We can also assist Commonwealth entities comply with the Section 17 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 requirement that from 1 July 2015 all audit committees of Commonwealth entities are to have a majority of independent members. A number of members of our staff have the expertise and experience to fill such roles.
Our Reviews Methodology
All reviews are managed in accordance with procedural fairness and all legislative and policy requirements. Reports are completed to be conclusive of matters at whatever stage is agreed with the client, to a standard able to be used as evidence if a matter went to the Fair Work Tribunal or to a civil court.
We undertake independent investigations and reviews varying in size and complexity and abide by all relevant legislation and policies. Collection, assessment and analysis of evidence; formulation of preliminary and final findings, recommendations and determinations as required, are all in strict adherence to all components of procedural fairness. All reviewers have access to other peer reviewers for mentoring purposes, especially on matters of niche complexity. To ensure a high standard and quality of all work, all reports are reviewed for quality by a Principal Reviewer or a Senior Reviewer with relevant subject matter expertise before submission to the client.
CPM Reviews enjoys the distinction of having been named in a recent ruling by Fair Work Australia (FWA), where a party was instructed to have an independent review conducted by CPM Reviews in what had been brought before FWA as an unresolved and problematic matter.