The auditor-general has issued advice to the commonwealth entity responsible for handling complaints.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has suggested the federal ombudsmen’s office implement enterprise-level monitoring and assurance frameworks. 

The ombudsmen’s office was set up in the 1970s to act as an ‘independent intermediary’ for people treated unfairly by an Australian government entity. It receives, assesses, and investigates a broad range of complaints.

The ANAO’s report describes the office as “largely effective” in managing complaints, running a fit-for-purpose complaints-management arrangement that allows parliamentary and industry complaints to be effectively dealt with. 

“The office’s complaints process is accessible, clear and mostly responsive,” the ANAO said.

The audit commended the ombudsmen’s office for its work in reducing access barriers for Indigenous communities and people living with a disability.

However, it raised issues with the communication of outcomes to complainants. 

“The prioritisation of cases was not always in-line with the standard and better practice guide,” the auditor-general said. 

The report welcomed the ombud’s office recent introduction of processes to monitor the implementation and intended outcomes of action items. It is also conducting an enterprise-level quality-assurance framework review.

“Prior to this, the Office did not consistently monitor the implementation of review findings or measure the success of continuous improvement initiatives,” the report said.

“The office’s surveys of complainant and agency satisfaction did not clearly identify the methodologies used to generate the surveys’ results,” the report added, noting there were limited reviews of the office’s industry complaints processes. 

The ombudsmen has issued an official response to the ANAO report, saying it is committed to influencing systemic improvement in public administration.

“The office is committed to continuous improvement and has already commenced work in response to this recommendation,” the statement said. 

“A review of our quality assurance mechanisms is currently underway and will inform the development of an enterprise framework to be implemented in the coming financial year.”