The Process of Receiving and Verifying Public Complaints in Handling Maladministration at the Riau Representative Office of the Indonesian Ombudsman

Abstract

This article discusses the process of receiving and verifying public complaints concerning alleged maladministration at the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, Riau Representative Office. The Ombudsman is a state institution authorized to oversee public service delivery and receive reports of alleged maladministration. The article uses a descriptive method with a qualitative approach, based on the internship report and informed by observation, documentation, interviews, and secondary data related to complaint receipt and verification. The discussion covers complaint receipt and initial recording, administrative completeness checks, formal verification, substantive verification, information clarification, determination of the Ombudsman's authority, and decisions on follow-up. The discussion indicates that these stages are interrelated and provide the basis for determining whether a public complaint can proceed in accordance with applicable rules and the Ombudsman's authority. Supporting factors include personnel who understand public services and maladministration, facilities and infrastructure, complete documents, clear information from complainants, and regulatory support. Obstacles include incomplete documents, unclear chronologies, limited supporting evidence, issues outside the Ombudsman's authority, and limited public understanding of complaint procedures. The internship also provided practical experience in service administration, including entering complainants' consultation data.