Commonwealth Ombudsman annual report 2003–2004

CHAPTER 4 | a national operation

Introduction

The Commonwealth Ombudsman is one of the few national ombudsman established in a federal system of government. The office covers perhaps the largest geographic area of any ombudsman. This poses challenges in handling complaints about government on a national basis. At the same time, there are benefits to be gained from the national character of the office.

To strengthen our role as a national complaint-handling institution, the Commonwealth Ombudsman maintains eight offices in capital cities throughout Australia. Not all complaint-handling or oversight bodies in Australia have followed that path. Alternatives include maintaining an office in only one or two capital cities or establishing a national call centre. We have not taken those steps, even though we receive most complaints by telephone, mail or email.

This chapter describes our national operation and explains the benefits of maintaining a national presence through our eight offices. An implicit theme is that our structure has been shaped and refined over time. In effect, the experience and wisdom of the office is captured not only in the philosophy and principles of complaint handling that it has developed and follows, but in the office structure and relationships that provide a framework for the complaint-handling function.

This account of our national operation, while explanatory for the most part, touches on a related issue to do with the preferred model for establishing new complaint-handling and oversight mechanisms. Proposals have been made from time to time in public debate for creating specialist ombudsman offices, to handle complaints about matters such as aviation, education, science, children's affairs or freedom of information. Many issues need to be considered in creating a new complaint-handling function, but a threshold issue is whether to house that function in a new and independent office, or instead to confer it upon an existing body (as the Government chose to do in conferring the proposed role of Postal Industry Ombudsman upon the Commonwealth Ombudsman). This chapter aims to contribute to this debate by outlining some of the benefits that a national structure and complaint-handling operation can offer.

The organisation and operation of a national office

The eight Commonwealth Ombudsman offices range in size from one officer in the Darwin and Hobart offices to 50 officers in the National Office in Canberra.

In 2003–04, the Ombudsman received 17,496 complaints and 9,036 inquiries from around Australia. Nearly 90% were received in the State and Territory offices. As described elsewhere in this report, each of the offices handles a common complaint load, focused mainly on a few Australian Government agencies—Centrelink, the Child Support Agency (CSA), the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australia Post, and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).

In addition, some of our offices also discharge the role of being the specialist for specific agencies. A profile of each office was given in the 2002–03 annual report. A summary of the composition and workload of each of the eight offices in 2003–04 follows.

In various ways the eight different offices function as part of a unified national office. Quarterly meetings of the Regional Managers of each office are held in Canberra to discuss complaint issues, office policy, and training and staff development.

'The eight Commonwealth Ombudsman offices function as part of a unified national office.'

Some of the office committees—such as the Workplace Relations Committee—include a cross-section of staff from different offices. Committees with a national membership played a leading role in some of the projects described elsewhere in this report, such as the development of a strategic plan and a new complaints management system. All staff appointed to the office do introductory training in Canberra. Regular telephone conferences are held between all staff to discuss topical issues, to develop a consistent approach in complaint handling, and to foster shared values and strategic direction.

National integration of the work of the office is also achieved through the complaints management system that is used to record, search and retrieve complaint information. The system enables case records to be transferred efficiently within the State offices as well as from one State office to another, or to a specialist team in Canberra.

Benefits of a national operation

Cooperation with State and Territory Ombudsman offices

There is an Ombudsman established in each government jurisdiction in Australia—in effect, there are nine public sector Ombudsmen. Cooperation between the offices is essential, in part to promote a common cause, but also in terms of efficient complaint handling. Many people with a complaint about government are unaware whether the complaint should be directed to the Commonwealth or a State or Territory Ombudsman. Cooperation and a close working relationship between the Commonwealth and other Ombudsmen are easier to maintain because of the national structure.

In five jurisdictions—Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia—the Commonwealth and State Ombudsman offices are co-located and share a common reception desk. The Commonwealth Ombudsman discharges the role of ACT Ombudsman. In the other two states—New South Wales and Victoria—there is a close cooperative relationship between the State and Commonwealth Ombudsman offices.

Cooperation with State Ombudsman offices is also achieved through training. For example, during the year our Sydney office staff attended the NSW Ombudsman's training program on dealing with difficult people. Our office also continued its participation in the Joint Initiatives Group, which comprises representatives of agencies that handle complaints or disputes and meets regularly to discuss issues of common interest. The Group conducts an annual program of seminars, which this year looked at alternative dispute resolution.

Generally, our interaction at a regional level with staff from other ombudsman and comparable agencies enables us to learn a great deal about government and complaint handling. This experience is then fed back in to our national operation.

Accessibility to the public

Though only a small proportion of complainants visit our offices, our experience is that many more people have greater confidence in the ability of the office to resolve their complaint if it is handled locally. Local presence can be a symbolic and representational issue, but there is a practical side as well. Sometimes a complaint can be better understood or more easily addressed if there is local knowledge of the government office or activity about which a complaint has been made.

Another aspect of public accessibility is that it can be important for a complaint-handling agency to be in contact with community 'gatekeepers', such as the representatives of community groups, non-government organisations, professional societies and parliamentary offices. This will be a focus of our outreach program being developed in 2004–05, and is something that is more easily handled at the local level.

A further point—indeed, a distinct theme in complaints to the Ombudsman—is that some complainants express dissatisfaction with their experience in contacting a government call centre. By creating a national office structure we have sought to downplay any sense of remoteness.

Consultation with Australian Government agencies

The main agencies against which we receive complaints have a diversified national structure similar to our own. Complaint handling operates more smoothly if there is a good working relationship between the Ombudsman's office and the relevant government agency. This working relationship is promoted at the local level with regular meetings being held with agency complaint-handling staff to improve communication and cooperation, and to discuss complaint issues and trends. When new programs are being trialled at a State or regional level, we are often briefed in advance in case unforeseen problems arise.

Responsiveness to regional differences in Australian Government administration

Problems people encounter with government are not necessarily the same on a national basis. There can be regional differences: problems experienced in an office in one state are not always the same in another. Some issues have a regional identification too, such as the immigration detention facilities. The familiarity by Ombudsman staff of the local circumstances means we are better able to deal with regional differences through our own regional offices.

Diversity in staff

Staff within the Ombudsman's office have a diversity of qualifications, skills and experience; they come from a cross-section of cultural backgrounds, and government and private sector organisations. This is important, given the variety of complaints the staff handle covering a broad spectrum of departments, agencies and members of the public. As a national organisation, recruiting from a nationwide pool of job applicants provides us with the opportunity to attract a diverse range of people.

The diversity of experience spread over eight offices can be advantageous when the need arises to transfer staff from one office to another on a permanent or temporary basis. For example, when the Assistant Ombudsman of our Adelaide office left after 16 years in mid-2003, we were able to replace him temporarily with an acting Assistant Ombudsman drawn from another office who had a similar depth of experience.

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      Commonwealth Ombudsman Annual Report 2003-04 | Chapter 4

      Commonwealth Ombudsman annual report 2003–2004

      CHAPTER 4 | a national operation

      Introduction

      The Commonwealth Ombudsman is one of the few national ombudsman established in a federal system of government. The office covers perhaps the largest geographic area of any ombudsman. This poses challenges in handling complaints about government on a national basis. At the same time, there are benefits to be gained from the national character of the office.

      To strengthen our role as a national complaint-handling institution, the Commonwealth Ombudsman maintains eight offices in capital cities throughout Australia. Not all complaint-handling or oversight bodies in Australia have followed that path. Alternatives include maintaining an office in only one or two capital cities or establishing a national call centre. We have not taken those steps, even though we receive most complaints by telephone, mail or email.

      This chapter describes our national operation and explains the benefits of maintaining a national presence through our eight offices. An implicit theme is that our structure has been shaped and refined over time. In effect, the experience and wisdom of the office is captured not only in the philosophy and principles of complaint handling that it has developed and follows, but in the office structure and relationships that provide a framework for the complaint-handling function.

      This account of our national operation, while explanatory for the most part, touches on a related issue to do with the preferred model for establishing new complaint-handling and oversight mechanisms. Proposals have been made from time to time in public debate for creating specialist ombudsman offices, to handle complaints about matters such as aviation, education, science, children's affairs or freedom of information. Many issues need to be considered in creating a new complaint-handling function, but a threshold issue is whether to house that function in a new and independent office, or instead to confer it upon an existing body (as the Government chose to do in conferring the proposed role of Postal Industry Ombudsman upon the Commonwealth Ombudsman). This chapter aims to contribute to this debate by outlining some of the benefits that a national structure and complaint-handling operation can offer.

      The organisation and operation of a national office

      The eight Commonwealth Ombudsman offices range in size from one officer in the Darwin and Hobart offices to 50 officers in the National Office in Canberra.

      In 2003–04, the Ombudsman received 17,496 complaints and 9,036 inquiries from around Australia. Nearly 90% were received in the State and Territory offices. As described elsewhere in this report, each of the offices handles a common complaint load, focused mainly on a few Australian Government agencies—Centrelink, the Child Support Agency (CSA), the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australia Post, and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).

      In addition, some of our offices also discharge the role of being the specialist for specific agencies. A profile of each office was given in the 2002–03 annual report. A summary of the composition and workload of each of the eight offices in 2003–04 follows.

      • Adelaide a staff of three; received 1,407 complaints and 539 other approaches; agency specialist for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
      • Brisbane a staff of seven; received 3,359 complaints and 2,950 other approaches; agency specialist for the departments of Environment and Heritage, Transport and Regional Services, and Education, Science and Training.
      • Canberra a staff of 33 investigation officers; received 2,519 complaints and 847 other approaches; agency specialist for areas such as Freedom of Information, Australian Customs Service, ATO, Comcare, Department of Defence, Centrelink, CSA, Department of Family and Community Services, law enforcement agencies, DIMIA, and ACT Government agencies.
      • Darwin a staff of one; received 249 complaints and 108 other approaches; agency specialist for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services.
      • Hobart a staff of one; received 496 complaints and 40 other approaches; agency specialist for AusAID.
      • Melbourne a staff of ten; received 3,264 complaints and 1,485 other approaches; agency specialist for the Attorney-General's portfolio and the departments of Treasury, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Finance and Administration, and the Australian Broadcasting Authority.
      • Perth a staff of three; received 1,759 complaints and 666 other approaches; agency specialist for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources.
      • Sydney a staff of 11; received 4,443 complaints and 2,401 other approaches; agency specialist for the Department of Health and Ageing, the Health Insurance Commission and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

      In various ways the eight different offices function as part of a unified national office. Quarterly meetings of the Regional Managers of each office are held in Canberra to discuss complaint issues, office policy, and training and staff development.

      'The eight Commonwealth Ombudsman offices function as part of a unified national office.'

      Some of the office committees—such as the Workplace Relations Committee—include a cross-section of staff from different offices. Committees with a national membership played a leading role in some of the projects described elsewhere in this report, such as the development of a strategic plan and a new complaints management system. All staff appointed to the office do introductory training in Canberra. Regular telephone conferences are held between all staff to discuss topical issues, to develop a consistent approach in complaint handling, and to foster shared values and strategic direction.

      National integration of the work of the office is also achieved through the complaints management system that is used to record, search and retrieve complaint information. The system enables case records to be transferred efficiently within the State offices as well as from one State office to another, or to a specialist team in Canberra.

      Benefits of a national operation

      Cooperation with State and Territory Ombudsman offices

      There is an Ombudsman established in each government jurisdiction in Australia—in effect, there are nine public sector Ombudsmen. Cooperation between the offices is essential, in part to promote a common cause, but also in terms of efficient complaint handling. Many people with a complaint about government are unaware whether the complaint should be directed to the Commonwealth or a State or Territory Ombudsman. Cooperation and a close working relationship between the Commonwealth and other Ombudsmen are easier to maintain because of the national structure.

      In five jurisdictions—Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia—the Commonwealth and State Ombudsman offices are co-located and share a common reception desk. The Commonwealth Ombudsman discharges the role of ACT Ombudsman. In the other two states—New South Wales and Victoria—there is a close cooperative relationship between the State and Commonwealth Ombudsman offices.

      Cooperation with State Ombudsman offices is also achieved through training. For example, during the year our Sydney office staff attended the NSW Ombudsman's training program on dealing with difficult people. Our office also continued its participation in the Joint Initiatives Group, which comprises representatives of agencies that handle complaints or disputes and meets regularly to discuss issues of common interest. The Group conducts an annual program of seminars, which this year looked at alternative dispute resolution.

      Generally, our interaction at a regional level with staff from other ombudsman and comparable agencies enables us to learn a great deal about government and complaint handling. This experience is then fed back in to our national operation.

      Accessibility to the public

      Though only a small proportion of complainants visit our offices, our experience is that many more people have greater confidence in the ability of the office to resolve their complaint if it is handled locally. Local presence can be a symbolic and representational issue, but there is a practical side as well. Sometimes a complaint can be better understood or more easily addressed if there is local knowledge of the government office or activity about which a complaint has been made.

      Another aspect of public accessibility is that it can be important for a complaint-handling agency to be in contact with community 'gatekeepers', such as the representatives of community groups, non-government organisations, professional societies and parliamentary offices. This will be a focus of our outreach program being developed in 2004–05, and is something that is more easily handled at the local level.

      A further point—indeed, a distinct theme in complaints to the Ombudsman—is that some complainants express dissatisfaction with their experience in contacting a government call centre. By creating a national office structure we have sought to downplay any sense of remoteness.

      Consultation with Australian Government agencies

      The main agencies against which we receive complaints have a diversified national structure similar to our own. Complaint handling operates more smoothly if there is a good working relationship between the Ombudsman's office and the relevant government agency. This working relationship is promoted at the local level with regular meetings being held with agency complaint-handling staff to improve communication and cooperation, and to discuss complaint issues and trends. When new programs are being trialled at a State or regional level, we are often briefed in advance in case unforeseen problems arise.

      Responsiveness to regional differences in Australian Government administration

      Problems people encounter with government are not necessarily the same on a national basis. There can be regional differences: problems experienced in an office in one state are not always the same in another. Some issues have a regional identification too, such as the immigration detention facilities. The familiarity by Ombudsman staff of the local circumstances means we are better able to deal with regional differences through our own regional offices.

      Diversity in staff

      Staff within the Ombudsman's office have a diversity of qualifications, skills and experience; they come from a cross-section of cultural backgrounds, and government and private sector organisations. This is important, given the variety of complaints the staff handle covering a broad spectrum of departments, agencies and members of the public. As a national organisation, recruiting from a nationwide pool of job applicants provides us with the opportunity to attract a diverse range of people.

      The diversity of experience spread over eight offices can be advantageous when the need arises to transfer staff from one office to another on a permanent or temporary basis. For example, when the Assistant Ombudsman of our Adelaide office left after 16 years in mid-2003, we were able to replace him temporarily with an acting Assistant Ombudsman drawn from another office who had a similar depth of experience.