The degree to which agencies vary makes it impossible to provide
a template for developing an internal complaint mechanism (ICM). This document provides you
with a discussion of those elements that we consider fundamental
to an effective ICM and suggests other elements that you may
wish to consider in designing or reviewing your ICM. This information
is selected from a cross-section of perspectives relating to
internal complaint processes. We have also drawn on our experience
in receiving complaints about agencies that do not have internal
review processes or where internal review processes exist but
do not adequately address concerns of complainants. The following
checklist is provided to ensure that the ICM you design, or
the ICM that is in use by your agency, has incorporated each
of the elements that we have identified as fundamental to
a successful ICM.
Checklist
- Have you defined the complaints your agency will and
will not accept?
- Have you defined your process?
- Does your process provide the opportunity for each complaint
to be considered and the opportunity for a response to be
provided for each complaint?
- Does your process provide for all relevant information
to be considered?
- Does your process provide for a decision to be reached
in a timeframe suitable to the nature of the complaint?
- Does your process provide for reporting the reasons for
a decision, sufficiently detailed to suit the nature of
the complaint?
- Does your process give appropriate consideration to confidentiality
and privacy?
- Do you have a written description of your process available
to both staff and the public?
- Does your ICM allow exceptions to the process, if required,
to adapt to new and/or special situations?
- Does the process meet or exceed your agency's expectations
for accessibility to its services?
- Does the ICM have a process for documenting the nature
of each complaint and its outcome for the purposes of providing
feedback to the agency?
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