Technical
Complaints
Procedure
By the trade,
With the trade
Transparent complaint handling
As directed by our Council, the Member Analysts Scheme and the Member Superintendents Scheme are to be administered through the Technical Committee and be subject to a complaints procedure, should a grievance arise.
We have detailed the Technical Complaints Procedure below and we ask those who are considering making a complaint to ensure they understand these procedures, paying close attention to the time limits for lodging a complaint, as detailed in step 1.
The Technical Complaints Procedure:
A step-by-step guide
The complaint must be made in writing
A complaint must be made, in the first instance, in writing on headed company notepaper by an official representative of the company or organisation initiating the complaint.
Note the time limits: Parties making a complaint have 28 days from the date of arrival of the shipment to make an initial complaint and 40 days to provide the Federation with complete case details. The Federation will inform the respondent member as soon as the initial complaint has been received. The respondent member will have 40 days to provide a full written response from the date of receiving the complaint.
Complaint is investigated
An urgent complaint may be investigated at once by an independent agent approved by the parties concerned and the facts transmitted to FOSFA. If the Federation requires it, the member analyst or superintendent shall provide copies of all relevant contractual documents. All complaints will be treated as confidential and the documentation will be kept under conditions of restricted access.
Where a complaint involves supervision or analytical discrepancy, the complainant must immediately instruct the superintendent or analyst to send the relevant sample/s to a Federation consultant analyst for safekeeping, pending further instructions as to analysis or disposal. In notifying the respondent of the complaint, the Federation will request the respondent to likewise instruct their analyst or superintendent to send their relevant sample/s to the nominated consultant chemist.
Establishment of a Complaints Panel
A Complaints Panel will be convened and will make its findings known to the Technical Committee, in the first instance, which may then make a recommendation to the Council.
A complaint may be dismissed by the Complaints Panel if, in the opinion of the Panel, there is no case to answer. The Panel for each case will comprise the Chair and/or Vice Chair of the Technical Committee, a representative from the section concerned (commercial or technical, who is a member of the Technical Committee) and the Technical Manager.
Malaysia
Special arrangements have been developed with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), whereby they will be invited to assist the Federation’s investigation process should a complaint arise against one of their licensed superintendents or analysts.
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Source: FOSFA International Membership Survey Results 2021
