NSWMA hiring row sparks two-year tension between senior officials

An “irregular” recruitment exercise at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has triggered a two-year impasse between the entity’s executive director and its internal audit manager, creating a “hostile” working environment.

The conclusion was reached by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development’s chief internal auditor, following a complaint that the outcome of a selection process to fill an assistant auditor position was altered in favour of a candidate who was outscored by another.

According to an internal ministry memo reviewed by The Sunday Gleaner, interviews conducted in January 2024 resulted in one candidate from the finance department scoring 73.33 per cent and another from the parks and gardens department getting 67.66 per cent.

The higher-scoring applicant was already employed in a permanent role at the state agency, while the lower-scoring candidate’s contract had ended in December 2023.

Although a recommendation was submitted for the higher-scoring candidate to be appointed, the memo states that it was not acted upon. Instead, the lower-scoring candidate was awarded a two-year contract, despite her previous contract having expired.

The auditor also flagged that the role was not an established post and that no approval had been granted by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service for issuing such a contract.

The memo further indicated that the chief internal auditor questioned why the position was given to the lower-scoring candidate and was told by Executive Director Audley Gordon that the selection process was as a result of Internal Audit Manager Karen Watson requesting additional support.

“It is the culture of the organisation to promote from within,” said Gordon, noting that the matter had been discussed with Watson and that it had been agreed that the lower-scoring candidate should be selected.

The then director of corporate services, Sheenique Johnson, also indicated to the ministry’s auditor that the decision was made to go with the lower-scorer because she had undertaken auditing work while pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Watson, however, disputed Gordon’s account. She said any agreement was conditional, stating that the candidate could only be placed in the department “if the correct process was followed”.

She maintained that this meant successfully completing the interview process and argued that management had breached recruitment procedures by selecting the lower-scoring applicant. Watson further contended that the higher-scoring candidate possessed skills the department lacked, particularly in the actual verification of accounts.

In a written response to The Sunday Gleaner, Gordon said the higher-scoring candidate could not be chosen because the position was unestablished and only contractual employment was available.

He said this was despite the urgent need to fill the post.

“It would therefore be improper and unfair to ask a member of our team to rescind her permanent employment for a contractual position. In addition, there is no rule that the candidate with the highest score should be awarded the job as the skills and competence of both candidates are extremely similar and the selected candidate did not fail the interview,” he said.

The Sunday Gleaner asked Gordon whether management was aware of a Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency investigation in which the lower-scoring candidate was named.

He said management had been unaware of any such probe at the time of hiring.

He said the allegation first surfaced in a memorandum dated April 15, 2024, from Watson requesting an extension of the probation period.

MOCA PROBE

The NSWMA boss said Watson indicated at the time that the candidate’s “name, among others was included in a request for information under a current investigation being undertaken by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency”.

The Sunday Gleaner contacted MOCA two Fridays ago and was told that the investigation was “live”, but it declined to provide further details.

Documents seen by The Sunday Gleaner indicate that the candidate was one of 10 individuals listed by MOCA, for whom biodata and other information were requested.

Correspondence between Gordon and MOCA confirmed that the probe was initiated at the request of the NSWMA following a previous audit.

The executive director expressed distress over the fact that correspondence regarding the investigation was being widely circulated among staff members without his knowledge as the head of the entity.

Consequently, he requested clarification on whether any investigations were occurring outside the specific matter for which the NSWMA had originally invited MOCA’s assistance.

MOCA confirmed that the agency was conducting the same investigation originally referred to them by the NSWMA, but said it was adhering to the agreed-upon communication protocol through Watson.

The agency added that the probe has been delayed due to missing original returned cheques from the NSWMA’s finance department and requested Gordon’s assistance in obtaining them.

“Upon receipt of the allegations, I, Audley Gordon wrote to MOCA, who confirmed that the only investigation that is currently ongoing is the investigation regarding MPM, that I had written to invite MOCA to investigate as a result of a prior audit report,” he said, referring to Metropolitan Parks and Markets, the Corporate Area regional arm of the NSWMA.

The Sunday Gleaner has since learnt that the lower-scoring candidate, whose two-year contract ended, was promoted to senior auditor in February this year.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com