Alternate Dispute Resolution - Free and Speedy Complaints Redressal Framework using Technology: Ombudsmanship at Proverbial Doorsteps in Pakistan

Ombudsmanship is the framework to provide the speedy administrative justice to poor man which is originated in Sweden in the 19^th Century and the modus operandi with modernized arrangement of public grievance redressal. Pakistan has thirteen different Ombudsman Institutions at both Federal and Provincial level with limited public accessibility. This paper presents a collaboration framework for extending the outreach of Ombudsmanship at proverbial doorstep of complainants. This framework has three main components as collaborative arrangements, Proceedings and Resolution of the complaints that increased the public trust. A pilot project titles Swift Complaint Resolution (SCR) was constructed and executed by Federal Ombudsman Secretariat to materialize the concept of speedy redressal of complaints. The SCR project first affirmed the strength of the components of the framework. The concept of SCR was first presented in the Federal Advisory committee for Administrative Justice, which comprised of highest level of the Parliamentarians, Public Officials, NGOs and Civil Society where presented guidelines to be adopted for the free and speedy redressal of grievances at proverbial doorsteps in tehsils and district headquarters ultimately to the extended to the union councils. In SCR, the complaints were decided within 25 days even though the Law permitted 60 days that is itself a record in any judicial /quasi-judicial forum.