17 April 2024

Anthony Jordan
[FYI request #26214 email]

Kia ora Anthony

Your Official Information Act request, reference: GOV-031352
Thank you for your request of 24 March 2024, asking for the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):

1.  Obligation for the ACC to Proactively Seek Feedback from Clients for General services Provided ie
Satisfaction/Concerns
2.  Please provide Directives submitted from the Minister for the ACC to Review/Consider changing
Policy to Proacvticly Seek Client Feedback since 2010
3.  Please provide Directives submitted from any Government Department for the ACC to
Review/Consider changing Policy to Proacvticly Seek Client Feedback since 2010
4.  Please provide Directives submitted from any Voluntary Entity for the ACC to Review/Consider
changing Policy to Proacvticly Seek Client Feedback since 2010

What feedback ACC collects and why
ACC collects client feedback routinely as part of our Voice of the Customer Feedback Programme. This
Programme consists of ‘relationship’, ‘interaction’, ‘journey’, and ‘custom’ surveys at ACC. ACC uses these
surveys to seek feedback from clients (and providers, business customers, and the general public).

•  Relationship feedback – these surveys ask customers to consider the overall experience and
satisfaction they have with ACC and are typically carried out at regular intervals (e.g., quarterly, half-
yearly or yearly).
•  Interaction feedback – there are two types of interaction survey: solicited and unsolicited. Solicited
interaction surveys are used to learn more about a specific interaction. These solicited interaction
surveys could be about satisfaction with decisions, phone calls, applications, receiving an item, signing
up for an online service etc. Unsolicited interaction surveys are opt-in feedback options, for example,
via our Heartbeat feedback buttons on our digital platforms.
•  Journey feedback – these surveys happen after a customer reaches a point in a specific customer
journey and is focused on the entire journey rather than just the customer's most recent interaction
with ACC. For example, we may seek feedback on the entire process of setting up and receiving weekly
compensation.
•  Custom surveys – these surveys are one-off and are typically used to test pre- and post- experiences to
a change in a product, service, or process.

ACC also periodically seeks feedback from clients as part of service improvement and design activities,
Customer Advisory Panels, and as part of broader consultation activities (e.g., via ShapeYourACC). You can
find more information on our Customer Advisory Panels here: www.acc.co.nz/about-us/customer-advisory-
panels.

Our obligations
In 2014 the Office of the Auditor General completed an audit of how ACC deals with complaints. This has
been attached. Their recommendations were for ACC to:

•  periodically seek suggestions and implement solutions to make it easier for people to complain.
•  periodically look into, understand, and remove any barriers that prevent or discourage people from
complaining.

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•  define, record, and respond to complaints appropriately and consistently throughout the organisation.
•  measure, monitor, and report on performance in handling complaints, including financial costs,
complainant satisfaction, and the implementation of remedies.
•  provide senior leadership, the board, and the public with accurate, reliable, and appropriately detailed
information about complaints and how the organisation has learned from complaints to make service
improvements.

These recommendations prompted ACC to develop what is now the Voice of Customer Feedback
Programme.

All of our client feedback activities are consistent with ACC’s commitment to the Code of Claimant Rights,
which encourages positive relationships between ACC and claimants. You can find this code here:
www.acc.co.nz/assets/im-injured/730eea8693/claimant-rights.pdf. For ACC’s Customer Advisory Panels,
we are also guided by the intent of the Health Quality & Safety Commission’s ‘Code of expectations for
health entities’ engagement with consumers and whānau’ (hereafter the Code of Expectations) to support
our practice with the Customer Advisory Panels.

ACC is not an entity that is legislatively bound to the Code of Expectations; however, the principles and
intent of this code are broadly relevant to ACC and the wider health and social sector. You can find this
code here: www.hqsc.govt.nz/resources/resource-library/code-of-expectations-for-health-entities-
engagement-with-consumers-and-whanau/.

Directives on changing on client feedback
Notwithstanding the recommendations by the Office of the Auditor General (above), we have not been
able to identify any directives to change or consider changing our client feedback processes since 2010. Due
to this, we are refusing this part of your request (questions 2 to 4) as the information does not exist or
cannot be found. This decision is made under section 18(e) of the Act. Please note that as ACC is a Crown
Agency, the Minister for ACC is not able to direct ACC in terms of its policies.

As this information may be of interest to other members of the public
ACC may decide to proactively release a copy of this response on ACC’s website. All requester data,
including your name and contact details, will be removed prior to release. The released response will be
made available www.acc.co.nz/resources/#/category/12.

If you have any questions about this response, please get in touch
You can email me at [email address]. If you are not happy with this response, you can also
contact the Ombudsman via [email address] or by phoning 0800 802 602. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.

Ngā mihi

Christopher Johnston
Manager Official Information Act Services
Government Engagement

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