Whistleblowing within Maltese public service departments : an evaluation

Abstract

Purpose: In the wake of world-renowned scandals, whistleblowing has been identified as a major tool to be used in conjunction to other internal control systems in order to support their integrity. This study is aimed to ascertain the presence and nature of whistleblowing policies within local Public Service Departments, and the role independent institutions such as the Public Service Commission and the Ombudsman have to play in this regard. Design: The objective of this study is achieved through a series of semi-structured interviews with a sample of public service departments' heads of department, and semi-structured interviews with representatives of selected independent institutions. Findings: From the study it emerges that Maltese public service departments do not have any formal whistleblowing policies in place and the main justification given for this was that an open-door policy has proved to be sufficient to deal with such a matter. The upcoming enactment of the 'Protection of the Whistleblower Act' has been nonetheless considered as beneficial. Whether the provisions of the new act will be effective in encouraging whistleblowing is somehow doubtful due to cultural resistance which is exacerbated by the peculiarities of a small state. The study shows that the Ombudsman does not assume a direct investigatory role in relation to whistleblowing within public service departments, whilst the Public Service Commission has an important role to play in this regard but it is limited to cases involving disciplinary and selection processes.