Established under the Public Service Act, the Merit Commissioner is an independent officer reporting directly to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Fiona Spencer was appointed as Merit Commissioner on February 9, 2010.

The Merit Commissioner is responsible for overseeing the application of the merit principle on appointments to and from within the BC Public Service - specifically, appointments made under section 8 of the Public Service Act. 

The BC Public Service is held to account for appointments that are non-partisan and made on the basis of competence and ability to do the job. 

The Merit Commissioner’s role includes the responsibilities of oversight, insight and foresight:

• Oversight addresses whether the merit principle is being applied to public service hiring and promotions – that there is compliance with the Public Service Act and policy, and serves to identify and remedy non-compliance;

• Insight assists decision-makers by providing an independent assessment of appointment practices, policies, and results; and

• Foresight identifies trends and emerging challenges as government seeks to achieve its public service goals.

Biography - Fiona Spencer, Merit Commissioner