On July 17, 2015, the Commissioner provided a report to the Chief Officers of Advanced Education and Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures into allegations the procurement process used by the public entities had been manipulated. The Commissioner found wrongdoing existed. The Commissioner made five recommendations and three observations.
The Chief Officers, in their written responses to the Commissioner, acknowledged shortcomings in the process. They documented changes they had or were taking to correct the shortcomings. Most encouraging, the Chief Officers acknowledged and thanked the whistleblower for having the courage to bring these matters forward.
The Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act exists to encourage employees to report potential wrongdoings and encourages employers to welcome this feedback, taking corrective action when warranted. The Commissioner noted those ideals were met in this case and resulted in positive outcomes directly attributable to the whistleblower’s disclosure.
For information about the investigation, findings and observations, please click here.