Publications
Every year the Directorate prepares two governance action publications which inform the public of the concerns identified by institutions of oversight – the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Office of the Ombudsman. In preparing the publications, the Directorate, in collaboration with the Internal Audit and Investigations Department and the ministerial focal points, seeks to ensure that the Public Administration implements the recommendations made by the NAO in an effective manner. Futhermore, the Directorate examines and follows the outcome of the investigations conducted by the Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Commissioners. With the assistance of the ministerial Liaison Officers, the Public Administration is urged to submit timely replies to the Ombudsman.
Compliance
To amplify the governance function, the Directorate analyses the actions reported as implemented in the published reports and selects a sample to verify that implementation is being carried out in an effective manner and, where applicable, to ensure adherence to policies/standard operating procedures in place. The Directorate also seeks to assist in addressing any difficulties with implementing effectively specific actions and ensuring compliance.
Integrity and ethical conduct
The Directorate manages the implementation of Directive 15, which introduced and made mandatory the Integrity and Ethics Awareness and Learning Programme (IEAL) for public employees whose duties are susceptible to high risk.
As from January 2024, the IEAL programme has been revamped, transforming it into a formation course, based on factual experiences shared in face-to-face discussions among participants during three sessions of formative meetings.
