What changed on 1 April 2025
MPC used to review the decision. Now they review the process.
The Public Service Regulations 2023 were amended in December 2024 to introduce the new promotion review function. The amendments commenced on 1 April 2025.
Under the previous model, the MPC could convene a Promotion Review Committee to assess whether a specific promotion decision was based on merit. The committee examined the outcome, was the selected candidate the most meritorious? Under the new model, the MPC reviews the entire selection process from beginning to end, examining whether the process itself complied with the requirements.
This is a structurally different kind of review. A review of the outcome asks “was the right person chosen?” A review of the process asks “was the process conducted correctly?” The second question can be answered “no” even where the right person was chosen, if the documentation is inadequate.