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Background and Overview

Purpose

The purpose of this guide is to provide a simplified roadmap to effective complaints handling in the public sector. The guide is informed by the identified needs of the public sector as well as good practices from other countries with similar public sectors. The guide also seeks to standardise the process of handling public complaints, with a view to enhancing sectoral coordination and collaboration as well as easing the process of monitoring and evaluation. It is expected that the public sector will use this guide while developing, applying, reviewing or strengthening their complaints handling mechanism.

The guidelines spelt out herein apply to all public sector institutions including ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) at the national and county levels of government, constitutional commissions, independent offices, Parliament and the Judiciary. The guide provides benchmarks against which public institutions will be assessed to ensure compliance with the public service delivery standards set out in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. The guide provides the following information:

i. Clear policy considerations for effective complaint handling in the public sector,
ii. Elements of effective complaint handling, including the cultural environment,
iii. Principles of complaint handling,
iv. Skills required in handling public complaints,
v. Analysis of complaints,
vi. Nature and main sources/causes of the complaints, and
vii. Key challenges and opportunities in effective complaint handling.

Download The Kenya Public Sector Complaints Handling Guide (PDF, 980KB)