Client Service Charter
About our Service Charter
This Service Charter sets out our commitment to provide you, our clients, with a high level of service.
The department has a wide range of clients—consumers of communication services, industry, and non-government organisations; other Australian Government departments and agencies; state, territory and local government bodies.
Our charter was developed in consultation with our staff and clients and takes into account feedback from the department's annual client surveys.
We aim to maintain an open and accountable department with a strong client focus.
This Service Charter explains what we do and the standards of service you can expect from us. It also explains the steps you can take if our service standards are not met.
Your comments on our service—whether they are complaints, compliments or suggestions—help us improve the quality of our service and how we go about our business.
Our role
The department provides strategic advice and professional support to its Minister and the Australian Government on a wide range of policy areas, including:
- a national broadband network and telecommunications,
- broadcasting and digital switchover,
- the digital economy
- cyber-safety.
We also administer legislation, including regulations, and deliver programs. In world forums, we seek to maximise Australias opportunities in global markets and on related international treaties and agreements.
Our values
Our staff conduct their duties in accordance with the Australian Public Service Values (www.apsc.gov.au/values) and the Code of Conduct (www.apsc.gov.au/conduct).
We place a high value on:
- behaving honestly and with integrity
- acting with care and diligence
- complying with Australian laws
- using Government resources in a proper manner
- providing professional and consistent standards of service
- ensuring our clients have equal access to relevant information.
Your rights
You are entitled to expect:
- equitable access to our programs and services
- treatment of personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988
- access to information under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
- your feedback and complaints be treated seriously and impartially
- be treated consistently with Commonwealth anti-discrimination legislation
- that if your complaint is not resolved, you should refer it to the Client Service Manager.
Our service standards
Our service standards outlined below are indicative targets on which we measure our performance. They apply to all areas of the Department.
When you communicate with us, we will:
- be courteous
- be willing to assist you and be responsive to your needs
- treat you fairly and professionally
- provide timely advice that is clear, concise, accurate and complete
- demonstrate technical/professional competence in providing advice
- be sensitive to diversity.
We will ensure that major departmental publications, information and statements are accessible through our website, which we will aim to have available a minimum 99 per cent of the time.
If you telephone us, we will:
- aim to resolve your enquiry during the callif the enquiry is complex we will respond to you within three working days, and
- identify ourselves by name and/or work area.
If you email, write or fax us, please provide your mailing address and we will respond to you within 20 working days. Where this is not possible due to the nature of your enquiry, we will:
- inform you of the time needed to provide a response
- give you contact details if you have further enquiries.
In delivering our services and programs, we will:
- provide information about the services and programs and how they operate
- publicise services and programs, application procedures and policy issues
- administer funding agreements and programs fairly, in accordance with relevant published guidelines, criteria regulations or legislation
- ensure payments are made within 30 days of the date of acceptance of goods and/or services under the funding agreement and the date of receipt of a correctly rendered invoice.
In developing and reviewing policy and legislation, we will:
- consult widely with interested parties as early as practicable
- design consultative processes that include those who are most affected by changes in policy and legislation
- provide reasonable timeframes to comment on policies and proposals
- provide information regarding our decisions and consult during implementation of those decisions
- prepare a regulation impact statement for all reviews of existing regulations and for all new regulations that will directly affect business, have significant indirect impact on business or restrict competition.
Measuring, monitoring and reporting performance
We measure and monitor our performance against our Service Charter by:
- recording and acting on your feedback and complaints about our service
- regularly reviewing the terms and effectiveness of this Charter
- undertaking an annual client survey to ensure we continue to meet the standards we have set
- reporting on our client service performance in our annual report.
How you can help us
You can assist us to provide a good service by:
- providing timely, honest, complete and accurate information
- treating our staff with courtesy
- meeting any reciprocal obligations of the service relationship
- providing feedback on the quality of our services.
Your feedback
We value and appreciate your feedback on the quality, timeliness and responsiveness of our service. The options for sending your feedback are available from www.dbcde.gov.au > About us > Contacts or by using the Contact us link in the bottom left-hand corner of any page on the website.
We would be pleased to know if:
you are happy with our service so that we can acknowledge the responsible staff and/or area through our senior management, and you have ideas on how we can improve our service to you so that we can include your suggestions as a part of our business improvement process.
If you have a complaint or are unhappy about how we have handled your complaint, please let us know so that we can improve our service.
You should:
first contact the person you have been dealing with to resolve the problem
if you are not satisfied, ask to speak to that persons supervisor
if you are not satisfied, contact the Client Service Manager.
Contacts and information
Our central office is located at:
38 Sydney Avenue
Forrest ACT 2603
You can contact us during business hours (except on public holidays) on 1800 254 649.
Client Service Manager
Client Engagement and FOI
GPO Box 2154
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone: 02 6271 1000
Facsimile: 02 6271 1901
Email: clientservice@dbcde.gov.au
Or, if you are dissatisfied at any time with our handling of your complaint you may wish to contact:
The Commonwealth Ombudsman
GPO Box 442
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone: 02 6276 0111
Toll Free: 1300 362 072
Website: www.ombudsman.gov.au
