Complaints

The grants complaints management process outlined here isn’t:

  • an appeals system against decisions that have been made properly
  • a vehicle to address criticisms about Government policy, levels of funding or the types of creative industries programs funded.

The investigation of a complaint may review the decision-making process within a particular grant application to ensure that correct procedures have been followed, but the investigation won’t reassess or review the merit of an application or overturn a funding decision.

Why do we have a grants complaints management process?

We’ve implemented a grants complaints process to:

  • deliver good customer service and provide our clients with a process to make an official complaint
  • establish a supportive framework for our staff and organisation to manage dissatisfied clients
  • improve our performance by identifying short-comings and correct them, where appropriate
  • ensure that criticisms and complaints are examined and that we provide a formal organisational response to the complainant
  • assist in transparency.

What does the process address?

  • Dissatisfaction (i.e. a complaint) with the level, quality or timeliness of the service, or with the advice/communication provided by Creative Victoria
  • An allegation that there was a failure to comply with Creative Victoria grants assessment processes
  • Dissatisfaction with some other aspect of the Creative Victoria grants assessment process

The complaints process

Informal verbal complaint

If you’re not satisfied with the service you have received, or you have a problem with an aspect of the Creative Victoria grants management process, please contact the Creative Victoria staff member you dealt with first. It’s the Creative Victoria staff member's responsibility to attempt to clarify problems with their clients.

However, if you believe your first point of contact at Creative Victoria is unable to assist you, you may wish to contact their supervisor.

Depending on the nature of the dissatisfaction, or progress in dealing with it, the Creative Victoria staff member (or their supervisor) may ask you to submit a formal complaint (see below), and you’ll be given a copy of this procedure statement.

Formal complaint

If you’re not satisfied with the response to your informal verbal complaint, you may wish to make a formal complaint.

Formal complaints must:

  • be in writing, preferably on the Grants Complaint Form (download below).
  • provide specific details about the nature of your complaint, dissatisfaction or concerns
  • be marked CONFIDENTIAL and addressed to the:Chief Executive, Creative Victoria
    • GPO Box 4509,
      Melbourne,
      Vic 3001

Your complaint letter will be acknowledged, and you’ll receive a full response as soon as practicable. Creative Victoria's Chief Executive will either investigate the matter personally or delegate a senior Creative Victoria staff member. That staff member will either not be involved with funding or grants management or will not be involved with the funding program relating to the complaint. They will investigate and advise. In some cases, you may receive a request for further information, or you will be invited to attend a meeting to discuss your complaint prior to a written response being provided.

Once a formal complaint has been made, the complainant should only contact the Chief Executive of Creative Victoria, or the person delegated to consider the complaint. No further contact should be made with the relevant Creative Victoria staff member about the matter.