Procedures for Complaints and Suggestions

In accordance with the principles of transparency and accountability expressed in its policy statement on quality, A3ES has adopted the following procedure to deal with complaints and suggestions:

1. Any person or institution wishing to present a complaint or propose a suggestion to the Agency may submit it by e-mail sent to the address reclamacoesesugestoes@a3es.pt.
2. The processing of the complaints and suggestions received will be coordinated by the Secretary-General of the Agency, who will provide:
   
   1. The weekly recording of the complaints and suggestions received and their forwarding, for information, to the permanent members of the Management Board (CA);
   2. The necessary steps for the analysis of the questions raised and the definition of adequate measures;
   3. The preparation of a response, under the guidance of a member of the CA, specifically designated for that purpose, when the subject to be treated so justifies;
   4. Sending the response that, except under exceptional impeditive circumstances, must be given within twenty working days and forwarded to the permanent members of the CA;
   5. The preparation of an annual report, by the end of January of each year, summarising the number and characterisation of the complaints and suggestions received in the previous year, the results of the analyses carried out and the solutions adopted as an immediate response.
3. In the event that messages are received in the mailboxes a3es@a3es.pt or sia3es@a3es.pt that fall under the scope of complaints or suggestions, they should be forwarded to the mailbox referred to in 1.
4. The CA member referred to in 2 c) will supervise the procedure and will propose to the Board such measures as may be necessary to eliminate or mitigate the causes of complaints or to improve the Agency's processes, procedures or instruments as a result of suggestions received.
5. The present procedure takes effect immediately.

Adopted by the Management Board, on the 3rd of July 2018