Investigation Procedure.
How PCI investigates concerns fairly, proportionately and in confidence.
Overview
When a concern arises — suspected misconduct, an integrity breach, or a conduct issue — PCI follows a structured procedure so the matter is examined fairly and confidentially, with the subject able to respond.
At a glance
Principles that guide investigations
- Fairness — the subject is informed and able to respond
- Confidentiality — information is shared only as necessary
- Proportionality — the process matches the seriousness
- Independence — investigators have no conflict of interest
From evidence to outcome
PCI applies this consistently and records what it does, so the process can be checked and improved. The detail is governed by the related policies linked below and is published as the institute matures.
Common questions
Will I be told if I’m being investigated?
Yes — fairness requires that the subject is informed and able to respond.
Is an investigation confidential?
Information is shared only as far as necessary to reach a fair outcome.
What can result from an investigation?
Outcomes are handled under the disciplinary and sanctions policies, with a right of appeal.
Why this matters
This matters because a credential earns its value from substance, not marketing — clear standards, fair process, transparent governance and honesty about status. Everything here is written to that test: useful to professionals and employers, and never claiming more than is true today.
PCI builds in the open. That means being candid about what is in place and what is still developing, designing around the ISO/IEC 17024 personnel-certification principles, and never implying recognition it does not yet hold. That honesty is part of how trust is earned.
- Substance over marketing
- Fair, transparent process
- Honesty about our status
- Responsible, governed use of AI
Founding-stage document · Version 1.0 — effective date to be confirmed · Reviewed under PCI governance. PCI makes no claims of accreditation or recognition beyond what is true today.
The stages of an investigation
Every investigation follows the same shape, scaled to the seriousness of the concern:
1. Receipt & triage
The concern is logged and assessed: is it within scope, and how serious is it if true?
2. Scoping
The questions to be answered are defined in advance, so the investigation examines the allegation — not the person's whole history.
3. Evidence
Records, documents and accounts are gathered from all relevant sides before conclusions are formed.
4. Right of reply
The subject sees the substance of the concern and responds before any finding is made.
5. Findings
Conclusions are reached on the evidence, recorded with reasons, by someone free of conflict in the matter.
6. Outcome
Results go to the appropriate process — no action, corrective steps, or referral under the disciplinary route.
How fairness is protected
Four safeguards apply throughout. Confidentiality: details are shared only with those who need them, protecting the reporter and the subject alike — an allegation is not a finding. Impartiality: anyone with a personal or commercial interest in the outcome is excluded from investigating or deciding, consistent with the impartiality policy. Proportionality: the depth of inquiry matches the seriousness of the concern; minor matters are resolved simply. The right to respond: no adverse finding is made against someone who has not had the substance put to them and a fair chance to answer it.
Outcomes and challenge
An investigation establishes facts; it does not itself punish. Where findings warrant action, the matter moves to the disciplinary policy, which governs what sanctions may apply and how they are decided. Anyone subject to an adverse decision retains the right to challenge it through appeals. And where an investigation reveals a weakness in PCI's own processes — regardless of the finding against any individual — that lesson is captured and fixed, so the procedure improves the institute as well as protecting it.
Records of each investigation are retained securely, which protects everyone involved: findings can be revisited if new evidence emerges, and the institute can demonstrate — to an appeal panel or a future audit — that the procedure was followed as written.
Keep going
Stages and timeframes
Investigations run in four stages: triage (is this ours to investigate, and is anyone at immediate risk?), evidence (documents, records, interviews — gathered fairly and recorded), assessment (findings against the applicable policy) and outcome (no case, advice, or referral to disciplinary process).
The subject is informed as early as fairness and evidence-integrity allow, may be accompanied at interviews, and receives the outcome in writing. Confidentiality binds everyone involved; retaliation against a good-faith reporter is itself a breach.