Distribution of Ombudsman's Annual Report 2012
News
November 13, 2013
The Ombudsman team distributed copies of the Ombudsman’s 13th Annual Report pertaining to the year 2012 on the 8th November 2013. This year the Ombudsman has changed the format of delivering his annual report by handing it out electronically in USB pen drives along Main Street rather than distributing the habitual printed version outside Parliament House. The Ombudsman believes this action to be more practical and environmentally friendly. The USB pen drives were presented to the members of the public with an informational tri-fold pamphlet of our office which enclosed additional information of our work. At the same time, an awareness survey was carried out with the people that received USB pen drives.
Ombudsman pamphlet, USB pen drive & awareness survey The 'O' Team all set up for distribution
The survey comprised of 7 questions and a total of 185 persons took part in it. 86% of the people taking the survey said that they had heard about the Ombudsman before and from those 160, 45% of them heard about the Ombudsman through word of mouth, i.e. friends, family members and work colleagues who have used our services whilst 14% had never heard about us and interesting to note that the majority that did not know about us were young people from an age group of 16-19 years. On the other hand in our last awareness survey carried out in 2012, 93% of the people had heard about us through word of mouth and only 2% through the media; this new survey shows that since 2012 we have been more engaged with the media as 34% of the people interviewed heard about us through the media (in total 55 - Local radio/TV 31, Newspaper 18 and others 6).
Referring back to our awareness survey of 2012 we calculated that more than half the members of the public had never used our services due to the fact that 54% did not know the location of our office but on analysis our new survey it shows that although 26% of the people do not know where our office is located, 78% (three times greater) have not used our services before; in other words a large group of the public do know where we are located and aware of the services we provide but have not needed to use them yet. From the 41 out of 185 persons who have used our services, 88% of them have been satisfied with our service.
The Ombudsman feels that conducting surveys is an important tool to improving oneself by taking unbiased opinions from a wide variety of people and this last survey’s feedback has shown that the office has maintained a high level of service, and awareness has increased amongst the public on its accessibility.
