IBAC Insights (newsletter)

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) takes its responsibility for the welfare of everyone involved with its work very seriously. IBAC is always focussed on witness welfare and takes steps to support witnesses and reduce their concerns to the extent possible.

Today, the Integrity and Oversight Committee's (the Committee) report Performance of Victorian Integrity Agencies 2020/21: Focus on Witness Welfare was tabled in Parliament.

IBAC will now take the time to carefully consider the report's full findings and recommendations.

IBAC welcomed the opportunity to inform the Committee, and the broader community, of the work we undertake to manage witness wellbeing in public hearings held by the Committee in May and provided two written submissions to the Committee detailing our practices, policies and procedures for witness welfare.

"Witness welfare is a primary consideration for IBAC in all its work, and it is reassuring to see that the Committee's report identifies IBAC's current approach to witness welfare management is comprehensive and robust, and that our policies, procedures and practices reflect our serious commitment to identifying potential risks to the health, safety and welfare of witnesses," IBAC CEO Marlo Baragwanath said.

IBAC is continually reviewing how it supports and liaises with witnesses as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.

A new initiative aimed at improving IBAC's communication and liaison with witnesses is the introduction of a dedicated witness liaison team. With a focus on communication and risk management, the new team will work with investigators, lawyers and other IBAC officers to ensure that appropriate communication with witnesses is maintained throughout the lifecycle of an IBAC operation, and witnesses are aware of the supports available to them.

IBAC's 2022-23 Annual Plan identifies further improvements to enhance the witness liaison function and implementation of these enhancements will continue to be a focus for IBAC.

"We also welcome the Committee's acknowledgement that IBAC has made improvements to our workplace culture, and that a review of our performance measures relating to timeliness should be conducted so they can better reflect the nature and complexity of IBAC’s workload," Ms Baragwanath said.