The Department of Parliamentary Services has overhauled the rules that apply to incentive to retire payments, after a probe found "multiple procedural failures" with the six-figure payout to former deputy secretary Cate Saunders .

"A conflicted decision-maker should be quarantined from the decision-making process," the new DPS retirement and redundancies incentives policy says.

"The justification for making an offer of a particular amount must be documented, including any assumptions or discretionary factors applied."

The changes follow an "independent fact-finding mission" by Sydney barrister Fiona Roughley SC, which found "multiple procedural failures" with Ms Saunders' exit payment - including overpayment, a disregard for specialist advice and "excessive pressure."

"There were con

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