Probity and Assurance Office
Our Services
Our experience and understanding of probity, government procurement, and project delivery processes places us in the best position to deliver these services to you.
We also understand the long-term reputational damage that probity and assurance breaches can bring to a project, and an organisation, and how to avoid these risks.
Read our article 'Why is Probity important' where we discuss compliance with the Local Government Act (2009), including the inter-linked sound contracting principles of part 3 s104(3), and about why probity and assurance in procurement and project delivery are important.
What is Probity?
The Crime and Corruption Commission Queensland defines probity as evidence of ethical behaviour in a particular process. Probity is about ensuring there is a defensible process that can withstand internal and external scrutiny.
What is Assurance?
Assurance in project management and delivery, is a risk management tool that can be described as analysing practices/processes to ensure they are fit to deliver the project according to scope, budgets, timeframes and overall objectives.
Peak’s Probity and Assurance Office service recognises that procurement and project delivery are important functions of all local governments. Establishing services for our clients that are critical to business success in these key management areas demonstrates our commitment to delivering services that provide value and tangible outcomes.
In Summary
Probity (in procurement) services
Focused on procurement and transactions.
Provides independent scrutiny of a procurement process and expresses an objective opinion as to whether the prescribed probity requirements have been adhered to.
Assists in ensuring adherence to an agreed and required procurement process.
Assurance (in project delivery) services
Focused on project delivery.
A layer of governance and assurance support that sits alongside and complements Council’s project delivery function.
Provides independent review of a program of projects and expresses opinion as to status of project health and key delivery risks and recommendations for improvement.
Provides an ongoing project assurance monitoring service.
Reasons to use an independent probity and assurance service:
Applies best practice to procurement and project delivery process
Assists to achieve intended outcomes
Pre-empts possible compliance and conflict issues
Minimises potential for complaints with independent third party oversight
Provides confidence to stakeholders that timeframes, budget and quality are achieved
Contributes to accountability and transparency of processes
Ensures decisions are documented and defensible
Minimises the risk of costly legal challenges in the future
Runs seamlessly in parallel with finance and infrastructure / asset functions
Our experienced and dedicated Project Probity and Assurance team can provide you with an impartial view of project delivery and procurement activities, advise that the relevant probity and assurance issues have been adequately addressed, that the integrity of the process is sound, and that the project delivery and procurement evaluation recommendations are defensible.
If you'd like to know more about our Probity and Assirance Office, please contact Director of Consulting Services, Brian Jackson.