The government’s whistleblowing arrangements require strengthening, according to a new report from the Tynwald Auditor General.
Stephen Warren’s review found that while the policy is “broadly comparable to policies found in other jurisdictions”, significant gaps exist in training, record-keeping and monitoring.
Only three out of 15 designated managers who responded to a survey believed their training was mandatory, despite holding key roles in handling disclosures. Five respondents said they had received no training at all.
The report also identified inconsistencies in how whistleblowing cases are recorded across departments, making it “impossible” to obtain a complete picture of all disclosures.
Mr Warren said: “Introduce a feedback loop to ensure that, once triaged, whistleblowing concerns raised via the Integrity Line are appropriately addressed.”
He also recommended making training for designated managers mandatory and improving guidance on the relationship between whistleblowing and other policies such as grievance procedures.
The Office of Human Resources has accepted all seven recommendations and plans to implement changes by early 2027, including mandatory training and improved record-keeping templates.