In a speech delivered today, Commonwealth Ombudsman Allan Asher stated that to a great extent poor service delivery by government agencies comes down to poor communication. This includes lack of accessibility, poor complaint-handling procedures, lack of community consultation, and language that is unduly complex or bureaucratic.

Mr Asher delivered the speech ‘Why do good policy ideas turn into porridge?’ at the 2011 Public Affairs Conference in Canberra, held by the Walkley Foundation and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance.

‘Many agencies see the way they communicate as a side issue to the services they provide, whereas the two are inextricably linked or indeed the same thing,’ Mr Asher said.

‘Poor communication creates a wall between agencies and the people to whom they provide services.’

Mr Asher highlighted initiatives such as the Home Insulation Program, the National School Chaplaincy Program and the Northern Territory Emergency Response as examples of where lines of accountability, review and complaint handling are not clearly defined.

‘For any agency, improving service delivery means going back to first principles and asking: are we placing the needs and wellbeing of the Australian community first, and if so does our service delivery reflect this? Are we giving the way we communicate our policies the same attention as the policies themselves?’ Mr Asher said.

Mr Asher concluded his speech with a five-point action plan for how government agencies can improve their service delivery. Among his recommendations was the introduction of a government-wide plain language program.

The full transcript of the speech is available on the Commonwealth Ombudsman website.

Mr Asher is available for interviews about the issues raised in the speech.

Media contact: Media 02 6276 3759

Date of release: 6 September 2011

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      06 Sep 2011: Why government service delivery often fails

      In a speech delivered today, Commonwealth Ombudsman Allan Asher stated that to a great extent poor service delivery by government agencies comes down to poor communication. This includes lack of accessibility, poor complaint-handling procedures, lack of community consultation, and language that is unduly complex or bureaucratic.

      Mr Asher delivered the speech ‘Why do good policy ideas turn into porridge?’ at the 2011 Public Affairs Conference in Canberra, held by the Walkley Foundation and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance.

      ‘Many agencies see the way they communicate as a side issue to the services they provide, whereas the two are inextricably linked or indeed the same thing,’ Mr Asher said.

      ‘Poor communication creates a wall between agencies and the people to whom they provide services.’

      Mr Asher highlighted initiatives such as the Home Insulation Program, the National School Chaplaincy Program and the Northern Territory Emergency Response as examples of where lines of accountability, review and complaint handling are not clearly defined.

      ‘For any agency, improving service delivery means going back to first principles and asking: are we placing the needs and wellbeing of the Australian community first, and if so does our service delivery reflect this? Are we giving the way we communicate our policies the same attention as the policies themselves?’ Mr Asher said.

      Mr Asher concluded his speech with a five-point action plan for how government agencies can improve their service delivery. Among his recommendations was the introduction of a government-wide plain language program.

      The full transcript of the speech is available on the Commonwealth Ombudsman website.

      Mr Asher is available for interviews about the issues raised in the speech.

      Media contact: Media 02 6276 3759

      Date of release: 6 September 2011