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MPC Common Findings
The Merit Protection Commissioner\'s most frequently cited findings in upheld reviews. Each article examines one recurring failure and how to avoid it.
12 articles in this series
Article F10
External consultants don’t absolve the Agency
You outsourced the process. You did not outsource the evidence.
Article F11
“Material difference” isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card
An error that didn’t change the outcome is still an error the MPC will flag.
Article F12
A thin primary review sets up a failed secondary review
Your agency’s internal review is the first test. Most fail it.
Article F2
Panel members must read the applications
"We didn’t read the CV" is not a defence. It’s a defect.
Article F3
Interview questions must map to the duty statement
Generic questions don’t test the role. They test the candidate’s luck.
Article F4
Combining roles in one process: the equal opportunity trap
Same word limit, different roles, unequal opportunity.
Article F5
The conflict that wasn’t declared is the one that kills the round
Perceived conflicts sink more rounds than actual ones.
Article F6
Selection reports that show conclusions without reasoning
"Candidate A was strongest" is not a selection report.
Article F7
Missing documentation equals indefensible process
If the MPC asks and you can’t produce it, the process failed.