Complaint process review for a regional university
A regional university engaged KordaMentha to review its complaints management function as part of a broader HR review. We identified key issues and delivered a better practice framework and roadmap to improve consistency, capability and staff confidence.
Related Industries
EducationAs part of a broader review of its HR function, a regional university engaged KordaMentha to assess how it managed staff complaints.
The university was preparing for a period of change and wanted to ensure its complaints process was robust, fair and fit for purpose—particularly in light of past concerns about how complaints had been handled.
KordaMentha’s Forensic team was brought in to provide subject matter expertise and conduct a detailed review of the university’s complaints management function.
The goal was to identify gaps, benchmark against better practice, and recommend practical improvements to support a more consistent and confident approach to managing staff concerns.
How we helped
We worked closely with the university to understand its current approach and identify opportunities for improvement. Our scope included:
- Reviewing policies, procedures and documentation related to complaints handling
- Conducting interviews with staff, complainants and key stakeholders to understand pain points
- Researching better practice in complaints management across the sector
- Developing a better practice framework tailored to the university’s context
- Conducting a gap analysis to assess current practices against the framework
- Providing a roadmap to support implementation of our recommendations
- Our recommendations focused on improving clarity, consistency and capability across the complaints process.
Outcomes acheived
- Clearer scope and structure: Redefined the complaints function to reduce silos and improve coordination.
- Capability uplift: Designed training to build confidence in resolving complaints and remediating issues.
- Increased awareness: Recommended awareness initiatives to improve staff understanding of the process.
- Improved consistency: Developed tools and resources to support a more consistent approach.
- Better alignment with policy: Clarified what matters fall within the scope of the complaints policy.
- Actionable roadmap: Delivered a step-by-step guide to support implementation of improvements.
- Council engagement: Presented findings and recommendations to the university’s Council.
- Sustainable change: Provided a framework to support long-term improvement in complaint handling.
