Twice a year, we provide a detailed report on each appointment audited to:  The deputy minister in which the appointment was made.  The Deputy Minister of the BC Public Service Agency.   We encourage the deputy ministers to share the individual audit reports with the responsible hiring managers.  

If there are many audits being done in your ministry, it’s likely due to a combination of:  A higher-than-average number of appointments resulting in a greater opportunity for appointments from that organization to be selected. Each quarter, every appointment on our list has an equal chance of being selected as part of the sample for [...]

Yes. On a quarterly basis, we get lists of all permanent and temporary appointments over seven months made in ministries and organizations. We combine these lists and apply a random number generator, which creates our sample. Every appointment on our list has an equal chance of being selected as part of the sample for audit. [...]

Yes. As long as the appointment is made under the Public Service Act, and either permanent or temporary over seven months. 

The Merit Commissioner can only audit positions where the Public Service Act applies.   On an annual basis, the Merit Commissioner conducts a merit performance audit that examines two types of appointments:  Permanent appointments  Temporary appointments over seven months Other types of appointments are subject to special audits by the Merit Commissioner. These include:   Direct appointments  [...]

On whether the hiring process was properly applied, the possible findings are: Finding   What it means  Merit  The process was both properly designed and applied to result in an appointment based on merit.  Merit with exception  The process contained one or more errors in design or application: there was no identifiable negative impact on the [...]

Office of the Merit Commissioner staff recommend the audit finding. The Merit Commissioner confirms the finding of each audit.

Contract auditors examine each appointment selected for audit. These auditors have specialized experience in: Recruitment and staffing in the public service Investigative procedures  We review the contract auditors’ investigation. We also write a report for each appointment audited. Together, we have varied and extensive experience in human resources, investigations and public administration.  

The purpose of an audit is to address two questions for each audited appointment:  Was the hiring process properly applied to result in appointments based on merit?  Was the person appointed to the position qualified? 

The law requires the Merit Commissioner to monitor the application of the merit principle in the BC Public Service. The law also states that the Merit Commissioner provide this oversight by conducting random audits of appointments to and from within the BC Public Service. We use the term appointment to mean whenever a person is [...]