1. /
  2. About us /
  3. Policies, plans and strategies /
  4. Policies /
  5. External Stakeholder Complaints Handling Policy
Policies

External Stakeholder Complaints Handling Policy

We welcome feedback (complaints, compliments or suggestions) from individuals, groups or organisations.

Document No

Original Issue

RISK_POL_9

04/2011
Authorised By

RISK_POL_9

Executive
Last Review

RISK_POL_9

12/2025
Next Review

RISK_POL_9

12/2026

Controlled copy: any photocopies or prints are uncontrolled. This policy is also available as a downloadable PDF.

Background

Burnet Institute's vision is to create a more equitable world through better health. We aim to support vulnerable communities in Australia and internationally by accelerating the translation of research, of research discovery and evidence into sustainable health solutions so no-one is left behind.  

As a Medical Research Institute and a DFAT-Accredited NGO that works with a range of stakeholder groups both in Australia and internationally, Burnet strives to provide best practice across the range of services and interactions it provides.   

Where required, we have an avenue for an effective mechanism for handling complaints.  

Burnet Institute (Burnet) welcomes feedback whether in the form of complaints, compliments, or suggestions from individuals, groups or organisations with which we have interacted in some way. 

This feedback will help ensure our services, processes and procedures better meet the needs of those we interact with and that issues raised are addressed in the most appropriate manner. It will also help develop our services and interactions by reinforcing what we are doing right and providing positive feedback to staff, as well as looking at how we can improve.  

Purpose

The purpose of the External Stakeholders Complaints Handling Policy (Policy) is to give context and direction to Burnet’s external stakeholders’ complaint handling procedures.  

Under this policy, we:  

  • recognise, promote and protect the individual’s or external organisation’s right to comment and complain about their dealings with Burnet
  • recognise and uphold the human rights of workers in their operations and supply chains and to treat them with utmost dignity and respect  
  • provide an efficient, fair and accessible framework for resolving complaints
  • identify how we will communicate about the complaints handling process
  • set standards for dealing with complaints 
  • support the monitoring of complaints in an endeavour to improve the quality of the services Burnet provides. 

The procedures associated with this policy ensure that potential adverse human rights impacts are properly addressed by Burnet and that adequate remediation is provided to complainants for any actual adverse human rights impacts that are caused or contributed to by Burnet’s business activities and operations. 

Scope

This Policy is intended to apply to any complaint, regardless of who makes it. We will accept complaints relating to our paid staff, students, our volunteers, our partners, our contracted service providers or anyone else acting on Burnet’s behalf.  

A complaint may be made by a person to whom we deliver services or goods or who is affected by our services or goods, a partner, a local organisation with which we work, our staff, volunteers, donors or a member of the public. Anonymous complaints can be made, but our ability to investigate them may be limited because of this.  

Definitions

Complaint means any indication that an external person or organisation is dissatisfied with the communications, personal interactions, processes, services, or facilities provided by the Burnet where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected.  

Complainant means a person, organisation or its representative, making a complaint. 

Enquiry means a request for information or an explanation. 

Feedback means opinions, comments, suggestions and expressions of interest in the products or the complaint handling process. 

Modern Slavery means the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).  

Stakeholder means a person or group having an interest in the performance or success of the organisation.  

Policy statement/overview

Our commitment

This policy is readily accessible on Burnet’s website. All complaints are handled quickly, discretely, fairly, effectively and courteously.  

Burnet is committed to ensuring:  

  • the rights of the complainant are protected 
  • that requirements for filing a complaint take into consideration the needs of the most vulnerable and considers minority and disadvantaged stakeholders 
  • the rights of the staff who receive complaints, or who may be the subject of a complaint  
  • the human rights of workers in its business operations and supply chains are upheld and that they are treated with utmost dignity and respect.  

Burnet will ensure that stakeholders are aware of their right to complain by promoting these complaint handling procedures on the website, via the external newsletter, annual report, partnership agreements and in appropriate forms and media that is easily understood by the communities where we work. 

Burnet will provide information on how staff and volunteers are equipped to understand and implement the policy. Personnel directly involved in complaint handling are fully trained in all aspects of this policy and its implementation.  

Understanding patterns of complaints empowers managers to improve service and prioritise resources for future planning. Burnet will analyse and monitor the complaints received and report these to the Board on a regular basis. 

All staff and external stakeholders will have easy access to Burnet’s External Stakeholders Complaints Handling Policy and procedures.  

Where appropriate, we will ensure that personnel working in communities we serve have all necessary training to encourage and handle inquiries, expressions of concern and making of complaints. We will do all we can to ensure we take account of cultural and gender sensitivities and ensure that cases involving children or sexual exploitation and abuse are appropriately handled.  

Our complaints record

It is important to record external stakeholder complaints so we can:  

  • track progress of complaints 
  • ensure accountability  
  • identify and fix root causes 
  • enable data analysis and management 
  • enable continuous improvement.  

Burnet will identify and record all complaints. Data about external complaints will be electronically recorded in one centralised point to allow for the monitoring of complaint procedures, to analyse complaints, and to report to management on complaints to allow for service improvement.  

The physical record of all complaints and responses to those complaints will be kept by the Chief of Public Affairs in the Public Affairs Department to allow for accountability and audit as required.  

In addition, the register of complaints will be recorded in the Board reports and raised at the Burnet Executive Council to ensure issues raised that require implementation of policy or procedural changes are addressed at senior management level.

Complaints procedure

The following procedure applies to persons wishing to lodge a complaint.  

Burnet’s Chief of Public Affairs assumes responsibility for managing all complaints through to completion. The complaint should be in writing and sent either by mail or email to the Complaints Officer (Chief of Public Affairs). If uncertain, contact can be made by telephone.  

Head Office contact details are as follows:  

Via mail

Chief of Public Affairs,
GPO Box 2284,
Melbourne, Victoria 3001  

Via email

complaints@burnet.edu.au  

Via telephone

+61 3 9282 2111 

via Integrity Line

A report can also be made via Integrity Line, an independent external reporting service, as follows:

Once received, the complaint will be registered in our complaints handling system, and the Chief of Public Affairs will issue written correspondence (for example a letter, email or other appropriate method) acknowledging its receipt to the complainant within 5 working days.  

The relevant senior staff associated with the case in question will investigate the complaint together with the Chief of Public Affairs.  

The complaint may be escalated to Burnet’s CEO or Board if deemed appropriate by the Chief of Public Affairs.  

A written or verbal response will be made to the complainant outlining the outcome of the investigation and/or the course of action to be taken within 30 working days, where possible. Should this timeframe not be possible, the complainant will be informed of the reasons for this and will be provided with an estimated timeframe for the investigation to be finalised. 

Burnet is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and signatory to their Code of Conduct. Should this outcome not be satisfactory to the complainant and resolve the issue, an appeal can be made for review or the matter elevated to ACFID:  

  • Via mail:
    Chair, ACFID Code of Conduct Committee
    c/- ACFID
    Private Bag 3
    Deakin ACT 2600 
  • Via email:
    code@acfid@asn.au
    Address to Chair, ACFID Code of Conduct Committee 
  • Via phone:
    Contact the Code Secretariat at (02) 8123 2234.

Complaints can also be lodged in each of the countries in which Burnet has a presence. See contact details below:

Papua New Guinea

Physical address: Section 90, Lot 1 Takubar, Kokopo, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea 

Mailing address: PO Box 1458, Kokopo, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.

Myanmar

Mailing address: No 226, 4th Floor, Wizaya Plaza, U Wisara Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar. 

Vanuatu

Mailing address: Yumiwork, Rue Bretagne, Numbatu, Port Vila, Vanuatu 

Responsibility for implementation

The Executive Council is responsible for the oversight and review of this policy. The Chief of Public Affairs is responsible for implementation.  

Working Group Heads, Department Managers and Project Managers are responsible for ensuring that this Policy information is provided to all stakeholders, including to members of the communities where activities are implemented, in particular about the reporting and complaints handling procedure.  

On this page