6. Impact of complaints: A systemic analysis

Over the last 10 years, the Commissioner’s Office has received an average of one complaint a day. As an ombudsman of first resort, the Commissioner has noted that most of the complaints were founded (95%). In other words, the person had reason to file a complaint with the Commissioner’s Office. Since complaints are a sort of quality control instrument for members of the public, each one of them is important.

Furthermore, the Commissioner’s Office has never abandoned people who have brought their grievances to the wrong body. Staff always try to find the appropriate office, often by making calls themselves, in order to provide the best possible service to citizens who take the time and trouble to write or telephone.

The resulting approach of the Commissioner’s Office can be illustrated as follows:

Admissible complaints are classified as follows:

Without complaints from the public, the Commissioner’s Office could not fulfil its role effectively, since it is impossible for the staff to watch every government activity and its effects on the province’s citizens. Hence, it is important to look at the overall impact and scope of the complaints received over the past 10 years.