If your agency adjudicates disputes, your governing legislation
may determine whether and how such decisions may be reviewed.
For example, the legislation may provide that the decision is
final and binding, meaning that it cannot, under normal circumstances,
be reconsidered by the original decision-maker. Alternatively,
the legislation may provide for an appeal to a statutory appeal
board that can reconsider the issues on the merits.
Although your internal complaint mechanism (ICM) may not be able to address complaints about
the merits of decisions, this does not mean that such agencies
do not require an ICM. Our experience has been that complaints
are often made about other issues, such as delay, scheduling
of hearings, unclear processes and procedures, response to
communications and staff conduct. You may wish to create an
ICM to respond to a limited range of issues. Again, limitations
on what you will review need to be clearly explained in your
documentation.
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