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Resources for international integrity institutions

These resources were developed for the New Zealand context, however many of the same principles and approaches may be applicable in other jurisdictions. 

Protected disclosures

The New Zealand Ombudsman is able to receive reports of serious wrong wrongdoing in both public and private sector workplaces (commonly known as whistleblowing). To help members of the public with making a protected disclosure, the New Zealand Ombudsman has developed a guide which explains the procedures to be followed when making a disclosure, as well as the protections available to those who do make a disclosure. 

Read the guide to making protected disclosures

Read about the Ombudsman's role dealing with disclosures about serious wrongdoing in workplaces.

Apologies guide

A guide to assist agencies to make apologies that are appropriate for meeting the needs of a person wronged by that agency.

Read the apologies guide

Complaint handling

A guide for agencies to develop and operate an effective complaints process.

Outside of New Zealand, this guide has also been utilised by the Samoan Ombudsman Office in developing resources for agencies in Samoa.

Go to the guide to effective complaint handling

Official information

Good practices for proactive release of official information

Proactive release refers to agencies publishing official information without being requested to do so. Proactive release has a range of benefits including greater transparency, increasing public knowledge about how decisions are made, and improving public trust in government. 

This guide will be helpful to Ombudsmen or integrity institutions who want to produce guidance for agencies under their jurisdiction on proactive release, or who would like to learn about how the New Zealand Ombudsman supports agencies in improving their proactive release processes.

Read good practices for proactive release of official information

Requests during or following an extreme emergency event

This guide answers questions about dealing with official information requests during or following extreme emergency events.

While this guide is based on the New Zealand legislation, international Ombudsmen may draw on the content when developing their own guidance for agencies.

Read the guide on official information requests during an extreme emergency event

Decision making

This guide sets out key information about good decision making by agencies. Poor decision making and ineffective administrative processes can lead to complaints and challenges to decisions. Ultimately, poor decision making can increase overall downstream costs for agencies. A focus on good decision making can help to prevent some complaints being made at all. It is also likely to result in fewer of the complaints that are made being upheld and requiring remedial action.

This guide may be of interest to Ombudsmen or integrity institutions who want to produce guidance for agencies under their jurisdiction on good decision making, or who would like to learn about how the New Zealand Ombudsman supports agencies in improving their decision making processes.

Read the guide on good decision making

Reasonable accommodation of disabled people

The New Zealand Ombudsman monitors the rights of disabled people and investigates related complaints about government agencies.

Under the Disability Convention disabled people have the right to reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation is making changes that disabled people need to live a good life. This guide helps people to know what reasonable accommodation is and how to do it.

Read the guide on reasonable accommodation of disabled people

Unreasonable complainant conduct

This manual is designed to help agencies and their staff take a systematic and consistent approach to managing their interactions with complainants

Read the guide on managing unreasonable complainant conduct

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