Commonwealth Ombudsman annual report 2003–2004

Table of Contents

Transmittal letter

Foreword

1. Year in review

  • Introduction
  • Complaint workload
  • Public administration
  • Defining the Ombudsman's role in a contemporary setting
  • International cooperation
  • Key activities for 2003–04
  • Outlook for 2004–05

2. About us

  • History and establishment
  • Role and functions
  • Organisation and structure
  • Outcome and output structure

3. Performance report

  • Introduction
  • Performance at a glance
  • Output 1—Provision of a complaint management service for government
  • Output 2—Provision of advice to government to improve public administration

4. A national operation

  • Introduction
  • The organisation and operation of a national office
  • Benefits of a national operation

5. Looking at the agencies

  • Introduction
  • Australia Post
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Centrelink
  • Child Support Agency
  • Defence
  • Immigration
  • Law enforcement
  • Other agencies
  • Freedom of Information complaints

6. How the Ombudsman helped people

  • Introduction
  • Helping to resolve complaints in a systematic fashion
  • Handling complaints from members of parliament
  • Bridging the information gap
  • Providing reasons
  • Providing an independent assessment
  • Facilitating compensation for financial loss
  • Oversighting agency investigations
 

7. Problem areas in government decision making

  • Introduction
  • Record keeping
  • Giving advice
  • Dealing with the exceptional
  • Review of agency decisions
  • Schemes established by executive action
  • Other issues

8. Promoting good administration

  • Introduction
  • Submissions and participation in inquiries
  • Own motion investigations
  • International cooperation and regional support

9. Challenges in complaint handling

  • Introduction
  • The technological dimension to complaint handling
  • Benchmarking
  • Client satisfaction survey
  • Strategic planning
  • Other projects for 2004–05

10. Accountability and management

  • Internal and external scrutiny
  • Corporate management
  • Information technology
  • People management

11. Freedom of information statement

12. Statistics

Team features

Financial statements

Appendix—Presentations and papers by staff

References

  • Abbreviations and acronyms
  • Compliance index

Commonwealth Ombudsman Annual Report 2003-04

Commonwealth Ombudsman annual report 2003–2004

Table of Contents

Transmittal letter

Foreword

1. Year in review

  • Introduction
  • Complaint workload
  • Public administration
  • Defining the Ombudsman's role in a contemporary setting
  • International cooperation
  • Key activities for 2003–04
  • Outlook for 2004–05

2. About us

  • History and establishment
  • Role and functions
  • Organisation and structure
  • Outcome and output structure

3. Performance report

  • Introduction
  • Performance at a glance
  • Output 1—Provision of a complaint management service for government
  • Output 2—Provision of advice to government to improve public administration

4. A national operation

  • Introduction
  • The organisation and operation of a national office
  • Benefits of a national operation

5. Looking at the agencies

  • Introduction
  • Australia Post
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Centrelink
  • Child Support Agency
  • Defence
  • Immigration
  • Law enforcement
  • Other agencies
  • Freedom of Information complaints

6. How the Ombudsman helped people

  • Introduction
  • Helping to resolve complaints in a systematic fashion
  • Handling complaints from members of parliament
  • Bridging the information gap
  • Providing reasons
  • Providing an independent assessment
  • Facilitating compensation for financial loss
  • Oversighting agency investigations
 

7. Problem areas in government decision making

  • Introduction
  • Record keeping
  • Giving advice
  • Dealing with the exceptional
  • Review of agency decisions
  • Schemes established by executive action
  • Other issues

8. Promoting good administration

  • Introduction
  • Submissions and participation in inquiries
  • Own motion investigations
  • International cooperation and regional support

9. Challenges in complaint handling

  • Introduction
  • The technological dimension to complaint handling
  • Benchmarking
  • Client satisfaction survey
  • Strategic planning
  • Other projects for 2004–05

10. Accountability and management

  • Internal and external scrutiny
  • Corporate management
  • Information technology
  • People management

11. Freedom of information statement

12. Statistics

Team features

Financial statements

Appendix—Presentations and papers by staff

References

  • Abbreviations and acronyms
  • Compliance index