The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) recently released its Annual Plan for 2025/26, the first year of a new three-year organisational strategy. The plan identifies priority corruption risks, sets objectives to address them, and explains how IBAC will measure its progress. At its heart is a clear mission: strengthening Victoria’s integrity by preventing and exposing corruption and misconduct, and building confidence in systems designed to protect public resources and decision-making.

In this blog, we provide an overview of the plan with a focus on the three objectives that directly relate to the public sector: building trust in IBAC (Objective 1), making better use of information (Objective 3), and investing in people and systems (Objective 4).

The plan in context

IBAC’s 2025/26 Annual Plan launches a three-year organisational strategy. This year’s plan sets the foundation by identifying priority areas of corruption and misconduct, as well as strategic actions across four objectives:

• Objective 1: We will build trust in IBAC as an independent and responsive anti-corruption and police oversight agency.
• Objective 2: We will strengthen community confidence in IBAC’s police oversight by holding police accountable for misconduct.
• Objective 3: We will maximise our impact by using information and intelligence to understand and act on corruption and police misconduct.
• Objective 4: We will foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and adaptability, where our people are valued and empowered to deliver IBAC’s mission.

Alongside these objectives, IBAC has identified four corruption and misconduct priorities for 2025/26, two of which directly concern the wider public sector:

1. corruption linked with organised crime
2. the mismanagement of public funds in contract management.

Objective 1: Building trust in IBAC

Objective 1 focuses on building trust by strengthening awareness of IBAC’s role and supporting confidence in how it carries out its mandate.

The 2025/26 plan includes several steps to support this objective. A stand-alone ‘trust in IBAC’ survey will be introduced to measure levels of trust in IBAC across the Victorian public sector and the wider community, creating a baseline for future comparison. In addition, the results of the 2025 Perceptions of Corruption survey – which forms part of a recurring program with members of parliament and councillors – will be published. Together, these and other initiatives are intended to build evidence about how IBAC is perceived and identify areas for improvement.

IBAC will also run a corruption prevention education campaign for public sector employees, alongside engagement forums and tailored sector profiles offering practical guidance. These initiatives are designed to make corruption prevention advice accessible, targeted, and relevant.

Improving accessibility is another priority. Updates to IBAC’s phone number will enable people to contact the organisation free of charge, while complaints processes are being reviewed to improve efficiency and clarity without compromising quality.

For public servants, it is hoped that these measures will provide clearer lines of contact with IBAC and more practical tools for recognising and addressing corruption risks within their organisations.

Objective 3: Using information and intelligence

Objective 3 shifts focus from awareness to insight. IBAC deals with thousands of complaints and notifications every year, and how it processes and analyses this information shapes its ability to act strategically.

The plan sets out three major initiatives:

1. the online complaints form will be improved to make it easier for people to submit information, while capturing data in a way that enhances analysis.
2. IBAC will streamline its central case management system in an effort to create a seamless process across assessments, investigations, witness liaison and reporting. According to the Plan, this will result in more consistent communication with complainants and a more integrated organisational view of cases.
3. IBAC will embed an Enterprise Data Platform – a centralised hub for data storage, analysis and business intelligence. This will enable IBAC to generate richer insights, identify systemic issues, and target corruption risks more precisely.

Objective 4: Investing in people and systems

Objective 4 looks inward, recognising IBAC’s effectiveness depends on the strength of its workforce and its organisational structure. Integrity work is challenging and resource-intensive; to deliver fairly and consistently, IBAC aims to create an environment where staff are safe, supported, and equipped.

This year, IBAC will roll out training in psychosocial safety, mental health, and work health and safety legislation, and establish a formal safety management system. It is envisaged that leadership development workshops will help strengthen management capability, while a framework known as a “maturity model” – a staged approach to improving service delivery – across recruitment, wellbeing, and performance is intended to support consistency.

IBAC is also developing a new gender equity action plan and continuing cultural awareness initiatives to ensure its workplace reflects the diversity of the Victorian community. These steps matter not only internally, but also for how IBAC engages with public servants and communities across the state.

On the systems side, a new digital strategy will be introduced to strengthen data capabilities, reduce administrative burdens, and streamline approvals. A planned office relocation will further encourage collaboration through improved design and co-location.

By aligning workforce wellbeing with modern systems, Objective 4 is designed to strengthen IBAC’s resilience and support its capacity to deliver its mandate over time.

Conclusion

IBAC’s 2025/26 Annual Plan sets the framework for the first year of its new three-year strategy. It identifies key corruption risks, outlines four objectives, and details initiatives aimed at prevention, education, improved use of information, and organisational capability. For the public sector, Objectives 1, 3, and 4 are especially relevant, focusing on building trust, making better use of intelligence, and investing in people and systems.

Resources

• IBAC Annual Plan 2025/26
• The IBAC Strategy 2025-28
• Perceptions of corruption 2025 – local government councillors

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CourtHeath acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to Elders past and present, and to the ongoing living culture of Aboriginal people.

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IMAGE: Used under licence from shutterstock.com

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