Why have a complaints management system?
Effective handling of complaints demonstrates that an organisation places a high level of importance on the way it conducts procurement and how it interacts with the market.
A complaints management system gives a supplier involved in a procurement activity, or an agent acting in the interests of the supplier, mechanisms to raise concerns about how an organisation manages a procurement activity.
To maintain high standards of probity, complaints need to be handled in a consistent, fair and transparent manner. Complaints will ideally be resolved - to the satisfaction of both parties - within the organisation. Escalating complaints to outside parties can result in added costs and delays in delivering procurement activities.
Note: The complaint must relate to a procurement process issue. Matters of improper conduct, corruption or fraud etc. are to be dealt with under other existing channels for review.
Complaints management is part of the Governance - goods and services policy (see section 3). The policy requires an organisation to establish a complaints management system.
Setting up a complaints management system
A complaints management system sets out the process and procedures to be followed by the organisation when addressing a complaint.
An effective complaints management system will:
- incorporate complaints management into the organisation’s governance framework
- allocate responsibility to parties in the organisation for managing complaints
- provide publicly accessible information on how the organisation assesses complaints and the process for lodging complaints (format, extent of information required, where to lodge, contact details, the range of outcomes available to the organisation, etc.)
- ensure fair and transparent investigation
- keep the complainant informed about the timeframes for managing the complaint
- provide the complainant with a response outlining the organisation’s findings and grounds for further action if required;
- make reference to other government bodies that may be able to review the complaint if the organisation’s findings are not accepted by the complainant (for example, the Victorian Ombudsman)
To demonstrate impartiality when investigating a complaint, the person managing the complaint needs appropriate knowledge of procurement policies and relevant processes. They must not be directly involved in the subject matter of the complaint.
Recommended schedule of timelines for managing complaints
Recommended schedule of timelines for managing complaints.
- Within 5 working days, the organisation acknowledges receipt of complaint. Acknowledgement indicates as a minimum contact details, process to be taken by organisation, and approximate timeline to address the matter
- Within 20 working days, the organisation addresses complaint and informs complainant of findings and whether it intends to take any further action
- If further information is required from the complainant, the timeline may be extended by the number of days between the request and receipt of information.
Review of complaints
If the Agency’s response to the complainant fails to satisfy their concerns, the complainant may choose to refer the matter to an appropriate external body. Agency procurement processes may be subject to review by the Victorian Auditor-General, the Ombudsman, the Independent Broad based Anti-corruption Commission, the police and the courts, depending on whether the issue falls within the relevant body’s jurisdiction.
Using this guide
This guide accompanies the goods and services supply policies. There are 5 supply policies.
- Governance policy
- Complexity and capability assessment policy
- Market analysis and review policy
- Market approach policy
- Contract management and disclosure policy
This guide supports the Governance policy.
Tools and support
Access a document version of this guide in the Toolkit and library.
For more information about setting up a complaints management system for goods and services procurement, please contact the goods and services policy team.
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