A governance expert has called for an independent external investigation into the troubled Acacia IT project implementation team, that family members of deceased employee Shaun Joyce allege contributed to his death, warning that internal reviews lack transparency with unanswered questions remaining about whether the actions of the department’s chief executive Catherine Weber formed part of the investigation.

In late May, Ms Weber said the Department of Corporate and Digital Development’s internal investigation into the Core Clinical Systems Renewal Program (CCSRP) had been completed, identifying inappropriate behaviour, but did not specify what action would be taken or how many staff were implicated and has not responded to questions.

She said there were “clear limits” on what could be disclosed, including confidential employment matters and matters subject to ongoing external investigation and review, including by NT Police, the Coroner and NT WorkSafe.

However, she has not explained the terms of reference for the investigation, or specified what, if any, additional external investigation or review is currently being conducted.

She has also refused to answer questions about whether the investigation examined her own handling of the issues, having taken the role roughly 11 months before Mr Joyce’s death, and previously told a Public Accounts Committee inquiry into Acacia she was not aware of such complaints, suggesting they were handled at lower levels of the organisation.

The allegations regarding workplace culture predate her appointment but continued under her leadership.

The investigation was conducted by the department’s Work Force Services, which is under the control of the deputy CEO for corporate services who has been in the role since March 2021 and reports to Ms Weber.

Governance specialist Dr Don Fuller, formerly Professor of Governance and Head of the School of Law and Business at Charles Darwin University, said external scrutiny was necessary when serious governance failures emerge in major public projects, arguing departments should not be responsible for investigating themselves.

“You can’t let a department investigate itself,” Dr Fuller said.

“It needs to be put to an external organisation, probably outside the NT, to investigate what has been going on and why. But it certainly should not be an in-house inquiry.”

“It is the responsibility of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment to promote and encourage efficient, responsive and transparent government, and it is up to the OCPE to set up an inquiry into what happened in the department.

“‘But the Minister is ultimately responsible, the Minister has a responsibility to make sure the processes are in place. It does seem for some time there has been ministerial incompetence with this project.

“The political wing are responsible for the performance of bureaucrats and it seems like they are not being appropriately held to account.”

Questions sent by the NT Independent to Ms Weber were not answered, instead the department issued a statement.

“An investigation has been completed and the department is progressing appropriate action in line with its processes,” Ms Weber said in the statement.

“There are limits to what can be shared, including individual matters and external investigations.”

Deputy CEO Greg Connors, who is responsible for the CCSRP, also did not respond to questions, while the department’s media unit issued the same statement and requested the NT Independent not email Mr Connors questions and instead direct questions only through the media inbox “to ensure nothing is missed and so that we can meet your deadlines.”

Corporate and Digital Development Minister Josh Burgoyne, Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet chief executive Luccio Cercarelli, and the CPE Nicole Hurwood also did not respond to emails.

Integrity and Ethics Commissioner Peter Shoyer said he does not comment on operational matters, including whether a report has been received, and would not say whether he would investigate.

NT Police also did not respond to questions asking whether it is investigating, as the department had suggested.

Ms Weber announced the investigation in a Sky News article in late September, which was the first time Mr Joyce’s family made public allegations that workplace issues contributed to his death in early August. Ms Weber did not issue a press release about the investigation.

Kara Joyce alleges her brother was bullied and harassed before his death, and that his attempts to warn senior staff about overwork and burnout were ignored in a “toxic” department where “deliverables” were prioritised over people.

She told a March 3 Public Accounts Committee public hearing she believed there had been systemic failures in the management of CCSRP that resulted in her brother’s death.

Mr Joyce was the technical delivery lead and solution delivery lead for functional group two of the CCSRP, while his sister was a project manager whose contract was not renewed at the end of last year.

“Whilst Shaun was just one person, he is symbolic of broader issues which have led to the ultimate failure to deliver,” Ms Joyce said at the time.

NT WorkSafe has confirmed it is investigating Mr Joyce’s death over alleged psychosocial hazards in the workplace, alongside two other similar cases.

Ms Weber has not confirmed whether the department investigated two other suspected suicides sources told the NT Independent had occurred.

She took over from former NT Health chief executive Chris Hosking in September 2024. Mr Hosking was appointed CEO of DCDD in August 2023 after acting in the role since May 2022, following eight years as deputy CEO and is considered a key driver of the Acacia project.

Mr Hosking, whose demotion was announced three weeks ago, was awarded a Public Service Medal on Australia Day for outstanding public service to local government in the Northern Territory on Australia Day.

The ongoing Public Accounts Committee inquiry was announced in February last year following the failure of the project, which has now cost about $335 million, with only two of the six components being used.

The Finocchiaro Government has refused to say whether it will provide further funding to complete the IT system.

Dr Fuller said transparency was essential where projects had experienced significant delays, cost overruns and governance concerns, and said senior executives of such departments required a strong understanding of complex IT systems.

“For absolutely acceptable and reasonable governance arrangements, particularly when the project has gone over time and with the cost overruns, there needs to be clear accountability and effective oversight which means you have to be transparent to all stakeholders including taxpayers,” Dr Fuller said.

“I think the CEO needs to have a good combination of technical skills and understanding along with management ability and experience, which are fundamental in the development of a large computer-based project, and if they don’t it will often place quite unreasonable demands and deadlines on those in the engine room who are tasked with the technical development and implementation and often have to work long hours.

“There might be pressure to take shortcuts… that often results in more problems.

“In this case this individual [Mr Joyce] was badly affected by the set of problems and these people are often blamed for a set of problems they have no control over.”

Ms Weber’s work history on the Australia and New Zealand School of Government website says she previously worked for the NT Department of Treasury and Finance as deputy under treasurer for seven years.

She has also been a deputy chief executive at the NT Police and the departments of Education, Housing, Local Government and Regional Services since 2010, along with senior executive roles in OCPE and the departments of Health, Tourism, Sport and Culture, and Treasury and Finance.

It says she is focused on corporate strategy, governance, risk and growing agency capability, as well as financial management, superannuation and organisational performance and review.

She was also awarded a Public Sector Medal in 2023 and has a Master of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Economics, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.