Complaint Handling and Dispute Resolution
Problems and disputes can arise from time to time between businesses, their customers, suppliers and employees. Most can be resolved quickly and efficiently with a commonsense approach.
Unresolved disputes and grievances, however, can be very costly to everybody involved, both financially and indirectly through other areas, including loss of reputation; lost opportunities for future work; and the destruction of business relationships.
This dispute policy will assist with a clear set of standards and procedures to effectively and fairly respond to complaints in a professional, timely and cost-effective manner.
This dispute resolution policy includes:
A written Policy that sets out how complaints and disputes will be handled, including:
o How to lodge a complaint or dispute regarding the Australian Women in Security Awards actions or decisions;
o Time frames for decisions regarding complaints;
o Information to be provided to complainants; and
o Options available when a complaint or dispute is not resolved.
A complaints register that records details of complaints and disputes and their progress; and a referral to an external process.
Introduction
This Complaint Handling and Dispute Resolution Policy aims to provide a structured approach to resolving complaints and disputes that is fair and equitable, and that will lead to solutions that are acceptable to all parties.
Definitions
Complaint
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, made to Source2Create, related to the Australian Women in Security Awards activities, operations, policies, employees, volunteers or the complaints handling and dispute resolution process itself, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected.
Complainant
A party that makes a complaint, for example, a member of the public, members, nominees, registered participants, volunteers, suppliers and contractors.
Dispute
Means a unresolved complaint. In other words, it is a matter that has been dealt with as a complaint under this Policy, but where the complainant is still not satisfied with the outcome.
Purpose of Policy
The purpose of this Policy is to outline a set of procedures to effectively and fairly respond to complaints and disputes in a professional and timely manner.
The objectives of this Policy are to establish a process to: Record, action and resolve complaints and disputes; Provide complainants, dissatisfied with a decision, a referral to an external process for resolution of their complaint; and Review and monitor the Australian Women in Security Awards performance against the procedures outlined in this Policy
Confidentiality The complaint handling and dispute resolution process will keep the complainant’s identity private to guard against inconvenience or discrimination.
Sensitivity The Australian Women in Security Awards will treat each complaint separately and on its merits.
