GOVERNMENT agencies are more focused on resolving complaints and meeting customer expectations than they were 20 years ago, but they still need to improve, according to the report “Complaint management by government agencies”, released last week by the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

“All agencies should have a complaint system in place that is accessible, consistent and fair,” the Ombudsman Colin Neave said.

“Commonwealth and ACT public service agencies have made significant progress since our initial assessment in 1996, but there is more to be done.”

While, overall, results indicated that agencies generally had a positive culture towards complaint management, as well as clear procedures and information available for complainants, there was still room for improvement.

Mr Neave made five recommendations in his report. The first is for agencies to ensure that their complaints system meets the needs of vulnerable people.

“People who face challenges such as remoteness, a lack of literacy, disability, or homelessness are more likely to have problems with government,” he said.

“It is therefore important that the complaint system is accessible and flexible enough to help vulnerable people resolve problems before they grow into larger disputes.”

The Ombudsman also recommended that all agency websites contain clear and easy-to-find information on how to make a complaint.

“More than one-third of agency websites did not provide information on how to make a complaint about the agency,” Mr Neave said.

“Agencies should be focused on identifying and providing an appropriate remedy for complainants.

“They should also use the information they gather from complaints to inform business improvement.”

The Ombudsman will use the findings from the report to update his Better Practice Guide to Complaint Handling for release in 2015.