Feedback and complaints
The South Australian Government is committed to fair, transparent and accountable procurement practices.
If you have concerns about a procurement process, you should first raise them with the relevant agency, which is responsible for investigating and responding to complaints. If a complaint cannot be resolved directly with the agency, there are options to escalate the matter through the appropriate review and oversight processes.
Before making a complaint
Before lodging a formal complaint, you should take reasonable steps to understand the procurement process, seek clarification where appropriate and raise concerns directly with the agency. You should also be prepared to provide relevant information and supporting documentation to assist any review or investigation.
Complaints about corruption, misconduct or maladministration
Complaints relating to alleged corruption, misconduct or maladministration should be reported to the appropriate authority. Contract disputes are managed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the relevant contract. This complaints process does not replace any legal rights or contractual dispute resolution processes that may apply.
Steps to complaint resolution
Agencies are responsible for investigating and resolving supplier complaints in the first instance. While each agency maintains its own complaints process, the steps below outline the general approach to managing procurement complaints.
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If you were unsuccessful in a tender and have concerns about the outcome or procurement process, consider requesting a debrief from the agency. A debrief can help you understand the outcome and address any questions or concerns you may have. For more information, see Bid Evaluation.
If your concerns remain unresolved, you can lodge a formal complaint directly with the agency. Complaints should be submitted in writing and include the facts relevant to the matter. You should also provide any additional information requested by the agency to support its investigation.
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Once a formal complaint has been received, the agency will review the matter in accordance with its complaints process. Complaints should be assessed impartially by a person who was not directly involved in the procurement.
The agency may request additional information to support its investigation and should keep you informed of the progress of the review. At the conclusion of the investigation, the agency will advise you of its findings, including any actions, outcomes or recommendations arising from the complaint.
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If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the agency's investigation, you may escalate the complaint to Procurement SA for review by the Procurement Review Committee (PRC).
The PRC will obtain the agency's investigation findings and supporting documentation and arrange for an independent review of the complaint handling process and its outcomes.
Requests for review must be submitted to procurement@sa.gov.au within 7 calendar days of receiving the agency's final response.
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If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint process, you may make a complaint to Ombudsman SA for independent consideration.
For more information or to lodge a complaint, visit Ombudsman SA.