Ethics & Integrity
Ethics Officer Caseload
An ethics function buried under open cases is a function that has stopped being preventive — the caseload is an early indicator of both ethical risk and capacity strain.
Why Caseload Visibility Matters
The Public Service Integrity Management Framework designates ethics officers to advise on conflicts, manage declarations and handle integrity matters, but their effectiveness depends on a manageable, well-tracked caseload. A backlog of unresolved advisory and investigation matters means conflicts go unmanaged and the function loses credibility. AuditPro Core makes the ethics officer's open caseload visible so management can resource the function and ensure matters are resolved rather than quietly ageing.
The Numbers
AuditPro Core renders this view from your tenant's live, tamper-evident records. The figures below are illustrative sample data.
Open cases
42
▲ 6
Closed this quarter
37
Avg resolution
26 days
▼ 4 days
Ageing > 90 days
8
Open caseload trend
Caseload by type
| Matter type | Open | Closed | Avg days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisory queries | 18 | 22 | 9 |
| Conflict reviews | 14 | 10 | 31 |
| Breach investigations | 10 | 5 | 54 |
Figures shown are illustrative sample data for demonstration. AuditPro Core renders these views from your own tenant's live, tamper-evident records.
Advisory and investigation are different work
Advisory matters prevent problems before they occur; investigations respond after. A caseload dominated by investigations suggests prevention is failing upstream.
Ageing as the risk signal
An open count alone is incomplete. A matter open for nine months is a different risk from one opened last week, and resolution time is the measure that matters.
Capacity and independence
An overloaded ethics officer cannot give matters proper attention, and a sole officer handling matters involving senior officials faces an independence strain that needs managing.
Closure quality
Cases closed without documented findings or actions inflate resolution rates while leaving the underlying issue unaddressed. Closure must mean resolution, not merely an entry change.
How AuditPro Core Bridges the Gap
- Caseload tracking: open advisory and investigation matters are recorded with their status and age in one view.
- Ageing alerts: matters exceeding a target resolution time flag for management attention before they stall.
- Workflow trail: each case carries a documented progression from receipt to closure with assigned ownership.
- Audit-ready record: the caseload exports as evidence that integrity matters were actively managed to resolution.
Key Takeaways
- A caseload skewed toward investigations suggests upstream prevention is failing.
- Resolution time, not just open count, is the true measure of ethics-function performance.
- An overloaded or sole ethics officer faces capacity and independence strains that need managing.
- Closure must mean a documented resolution, not merely a status change.
See This on Your Own Data
AuditPro Core renders this dashboard from your tenant's live, tamper-evident records — every figure traceable to source.