Read on to learn more about administrative fairness, how we resolve complaints, what happens if we contact your organization, and what to expect during an investigation.
How we resolve complaints
Here’s how we work:
- We prioritize urgent and serious cases
- We are objective and impartial. We do not advocate for either party in a dispute or disagreement. We advocate for fairness
- Our reviews are carried out in private
At an early stage, we determine how we can help. We may refer a person to complain with the organization first through their internal complaint processes. Or, we may refer them to another organization that is better able to assist with their complaint.
When we receive a complaint, we:
- Contact the complainant and gather relevant information
- Ask for their consent to contact the organization they are complaining about and get information about the situation
- Research the issue
- Reach out to the organization to ask about the facts of the case, request documents and get both sides of the story where necessary
- Work with the organization and the complainant to resolve the problem wherever possible
We may also work with the organization to identify best practices to help it improve its services to the public.
Once we gather information about the complaint, we determine if it needs further review. We may not move further with a complaint if, based on the information provided, we determine the organization acted fairly and complied with the applicable rules.
What to expect if we contact you
We:
- May not contact you if we can resolve a complaint based on available information
- May close a case if the person is already going through another process (for example, an existing complaint resolution process or the courts)
When we reach out, we:
- Rely on your co-operation to resolve cases efficiently
- Reach out directly to the person most likely to have the information we need
- Will be clear about what we need from you
- Will work with you to establish deadlines based on the urgency of a case
About our reviews:
- They are conducted in private
- We only disclose the information that is necessary to resolve a complaint or to explain our assessment of a complaint
- Neither the Ombudsman nor our staff can be called to give evidence in any court or judicial proceeding about information we obtain in the course of our duties
- Our Office is not subject to freedom of information legislation (this means people cannot access information from our records)
During our review, we try to understand if:
- The complaint can be resolved
- Your organization followed its own processes and policies
- The complainant was treated fairly
- There are areas where best practices can be implemented to improve service to the public
Our team aims to build positive relationships. Often, we share resources or suggest best practices to improve how an organization works. Other times, we may validate the work an organization has already done.
We will keep you and the complainant informed of the outcome of our review. You’re welcome to contact us at any time with questions.
We encourage organizations to have clear and fair policies. This helps the public understand how you work and what to expect. It also helps us figure out if you’ve acted fairly in administering these policies.
What do we mean when we say “acted fairly”? Learn about your fairness responsibilities.
What happens during an investigation?
If a complaint cannot be resolved and we determine that there are issues that need to be addressed, the Ombudsman may decide to launch a formal investigation.
When we launch an investigation, we will:
- Notify your organization in writing
- Request documents (for example, correspondence, policies, memos or briefings, meeting minutes)
- Ask to interview key staff at your organization
At the end of an investigation, the Ombudsman often writes a report with forward-looking recommendations. When this happens, we provide the report to the organization for their response before releasing it publicly.
This allows the organization an opportunity to review the Ombudsman’s findings and recommendations and provide feedback. The feedback is taken into consideration in the final report. The Ombudsman may release the report and recommendations publicly.
In some cases, the Ombudsman may opt to write a letter to the organization instead of a report. A letter may outline the Ombudsman’s opinions and provide recommendations or suggestions for improvement.
The Ombudsman cannot enforce recommendations or direct an organization to take certain actions. Most organizations accept the recommendations to help improve public services and reduce future complaints.
What happens after an investigation?
Our relationship with the organization we investigate doesn’t end with a report. We may ask the organization to report back to our Office about how it is implementing the Ombudsman’s recommendations. We track and report this progress in our Annual Report.