Assessing a report of wrongdoing to identify if it is a voluntary PID

When agencies receive a report of wrongdoing, they have an obligation to assess whether the report has the features of a voluntary public interest disclosure (PID). If a report is a voluntary PID, the agency must decide what action will be taken to deal with the PID. It is important that agencies promptly and accurately assess reports, because if it is a voluntary PID special protections apply to the PID maker.

Even if a report is not a voluntary PID, an agency must still take appropriate action so that the content of the report is addressed in accordance with the agency’s other internal complaints policies.