Government Engagement Protocols

Meridian Advisory Pty Ltd
Document Version: 2.3
Last Updated: March 2024
Owner: Raj Kapoor, Partner — Government & Policy
Approved By: Catherine Wu, Managing Partner

1. Overview

This document outlines mandatory protocols for all Meridian Advisory engagements with government entities at federal, state, and local levels in Western Australia and across Australia. These protocols ensure compliance with public sector probity requirements, maintain our security clearance eligibility, and protect both Meridian and our government clients.

All staff must read and acknowledge this document annually. Government engagement work cannot commence without explicit partner approval and completion of required declarations.

2. Engagement Classification

2.1 Classification Levels

Government engagements are classified into three categories based on sensitivity and procurement requirements:

Level 1 - Standard Advisory - Routine strategy or operational consulting - Budget under $250K - No security clearance required - Standard conflict checks apply

Level 2 - Sensitive Commercial - Digital transformation projects - Budget $250K - $2M - May require baseline security clearance - Enhanced probity requirements - Ministerial visibility likely

Level 3 - Protected/Classified - Defence or critical infrastructure related - Any engagement requiring security clearance above baseline - Budget typically >$1M - Strict compartmentalisation required - Weekly reporting to Managing Partner mandatory

Note: The recent approach from the Department of Premier and Cabinet regarding the whole-of-government digital transformation program would likely fall under Level 2, potentially Level 3 given the 18-month timeframe and $4.2M indicative value.

2.2 Initial Engagement Assessment

Before any proposal development, the engagement partner must complete the Government Engagement Assessment Form (GEA-001) and submit to both the Managing Partner and Director of Finance & Operations for approval. This process typically takes 48-72 hours but can take longer during peak periods (budget cycles, election periods).

3. Probity Requirements

3.1 Conflict of Interest Declarations

Individual Declarations All team members assigned to government engagements must complete Form COI-G001 declaring: - Personal financial interests in relevant sectors - Family/personal relationships with government officials - Previous employment in relevant government departments (within 24 months) - Membership of political parties or affiliated organisations - Any other potential conflicts as defined in the Public Sector Standards

Organisational Conflicts Meridian maintains a central register of government-related conflicts updated monthly by Mei Lin. Current organisational conflicts include: - Ongoing advisory work with Perth Airport Corporation (conflicts with transport portfolio work) - Daniel Okafor's previous employment at Main Roads WA (12-month cooling off period expires August 2024) - Consulting agreement with Chamber of Minerals & Energy (potential conflict with environmental portfolio work)

3.2 Probity Monitoring

During Engagement - No social contact with client officials outside formal business settings - All meetings with government officials must include at least two Meridian representatives - Gifts/hospitality above $50 value must be declared within 48 hours - Any changes in personal circumstances that could create conflicts must be reported immediately

Post-Engagement - 6-month cooling off period before approaching client personnel for recruitment - Confidential information remains classified per original agreements (typically 5-7 years) - Reference requests from former client personnel must be approved by engagement partner

4. Document and Information Security

4.1 Classification Handling

OFFICIAL - Standard government business information - Store in designated secure file areas (both physical and digital) - Access limited to engagement team plus Managing Partner - Email transmission permitted using Meridian secure email system

OFFICIAL: Sensitive - Information requiring higher protection - Encrypted storage mandatory (BitLocker + additional password protection) - Hard copy storage in locked cabinet in Raj's office only - Email transmission requires encryption and recipient confirmation

PROTECTED - Requires baseline security clearance or higher for access - Separate physical and digital storage systems - Access log maintained by Director of Finance & Operations - No electronic transmission without explicit client approval

Note: Our current secure storage capacity is limited. The proposed DPC engagement may require additional secure infrastructure investment (~$25K setup cost identified in preliminary scoping).

4.2 Documentation Standards

Client Deliverables All government deliverables must follow the Australian Government Style Guide and include: - Document classification marking on every page - Version control with tracked changes capability - Meridian disclaimer and limitation of liability clause (standard template GVT-002) - Executive summary not exceeding two pages

Internal Documentation - Weekly status reports for Level 2 and 3 engagements - Monthly financial tracking against budget - Risk register updated fortnightly - Stakeholder mapping maintained throughout engagement

5. Ministerial and Senior Official Briefings

5.1 Briefing Preparation

Standard Format Requirements - Single page executive summary (exceptions require Managing Partner approval) - Maximum three key recommendations - Clear implementation timeline with responsible parties identified - Risk assessment including political/reputational considerations - Financial implications clearly stated (both recommendations and status quo)

Review Process All ministerial briefings must be reviewed by: 1. Engagement partner (content accuracy) 2. Raj Kapoor (format and political sensitivity) 3. Catherine Wu (final sign-off)

Minimum 48-hour review cycle required. During parliamentary sitting periods, extend to 72 hours.

5.2 Presentation Protocols

Pre-Briefing - Confirm attendees and their roles 24 hours prior - Prepare brief biographical summary of all attendees for Meridian representatives - Test all technology in actual briefing room where possible - Prepare 5-minute, 10-minute, and 20-minute versions of key messages

During Briefing - Mobile phones in silent mode only (airplane mode for PROTECTED discussions) - Note-taker designated (typically senior consultant level) - No recording devices without explicit permission from all parties - Questions outside scope should be taken on notice with follow-up timeframe agreed

Post-Briefing - Action items circulated within 24 hours - Internal debrief within 48 hours to capture lessons learned - Update stakeholder engagement log

6. Procurement and Contract Management

6.1 Tender Response Protocols

Mandatory Requirements - All tenders above $100K require Catherine Wu's personal review before submission - Probity adviser contact details must be obtained and logged - Clarification questions submitted through designated channels only - No informal discussions with procurement officials during tender period

Team Composition Restrictions Due to our current partner capacity constraints, government tenders requiring full-time partner commitment for >6 months need Executive Committee approval. This particularly affects: - Whole-of-government transformation programs - Royal Commission support work
- Major infrastructure advisory roles

Current constraint: Daniel's availability for additional government work limited until Q3 2024 due to existing private sector commitments. Raj carrying maximum government portfolio load.

6.2 Contract Negotiations

Non-Negotiable Terms - Limitation of liability (maximum 1x annual fees) - Intellectual property retention for methodology and tools - Right to publish case studies (with appropriate de-identification) - Standard payment terms (30 days from invoice)

Approval Authority - Contracts <$500K: Engagement partner + Managing Partner - Contracts $500K-$2M: Executive Committee (all four partners) - Contracts >$2M: Executive Committee + Board approval

7. Security Clearance Management

7.1 Current Clearance Holders

Baseline Clearance - Raj Kapoor (expires March 2026) - Catherine Wu (expires August 2025) - Sasha Petrov (pending - application submitted January 2024)

Negative Vetting Level 1 - None currently held (historically not required for our engagement types)

7.2 Clearance Application Process

Timeline Planning - Baseline clearance: 8-12 weeks processing - Higher clearances: 16-26 weeks processing - Budget approximately $3,500 per application including time costs

Eligibility Requirements - Australian citizenship mandatory - Financial stability assessment - Character references from current and previous employers - Ongoing compliance monitoring required

Note: Recent changes to AGSVA processing times suggest longer delays possible. Factor this into engagement planning for classified work.

8. Training and Compliance

8.1 Mandatory Training

Annual Requirements - Government probity and ethics refresher (all staff) - Information security awareness (quarterly for clearance holders) - WA Public Sector standards overview (all government-facing staff)

Engagement-Specific Training - Client agency briefing sessions - Relevant policy area deep-dives - Stakeholder mapping workshops

8.2 Compliance Monitoring

Monthly Reviews - Conflict of interest register updates - Security incident reporting (currently zero incidents since implementation) - Training completion tracking

Annual Audit - External review of protocols and compliance - Client satisfaction survey for government clients - Process improvement identification

Document Control

Distribution: All staff (mandatory reading)
Review Frequency: Annually or following significant government policy changes
Next Scheduled Review: March 2025
Related Documents: COI-G001, GEA-001, GVT-002

Version History: - v2.3 (March 2024): Added DPC engagement considerations, updated clearance holder list - v2.2 (September 2023): Revised conflict categories following Main Roads engagement - v2.1 (March 2023): Updated security classification handling procedures

For questions regarding these protocols, contact Raj Kapoor (raj.kapoor@meridianadvisory.com.au) or Catherine Wu (catherine.wu@meridianadvisory.com.au).