NWSA Administrative Complaints Policy
NWSA is committed to a policy of courteous, fair, and efficient interactions with all program participants. Nevertheless, from time to time, individuals may have complaints of an administrative nature involving dissatisfaction with NWSA services or the conduct of an NWSA employee. NWSA recognizes that such complaints can stimulate organizational improvements. When administrative complaints are received, NWSA endeavors to handle them as opportunities for improvement.
In the first instance, whenever appropriate, individuals are encouraged to discuss their concerns with NWSA staff to resolve the matter directly. In cases where a reasonable resolution cannot be reached, individuals may wish to lodge a formal administrative complaint under this policy.
What is an Administrative Complaint?
Administrative complaints may include, without limitation, NWSA staff failing to adhere to published policies or procedures, not responding to inquiries in a timely manner, unprofessional conduct by an NWSA employee, or other issues.
However, not all complaints are administrative. For further clarification, please review the descriptions below before registering your administrative complaint.
- Program Integrity. To lodge a complaint regarding an NWSA Program Participant (Certificant, Trainer, etc.), a violation of the NWSA Code of Ethics, or a similar program integrity matter, please click here.
- General Feedback. For general feedback, suggestions, or comments other than complaints, please click here. For questions or information regarding NWSA certification programs, including certification requirements, please click here.
- Administrative Appeals. If you have been the subject of an adverse administrative decision that is subject to appeal (typically involving your certification), and you received a written notice that you have a right of appeal under NWSA’s Decisions/Appeals Process matrix, you may have a right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Committee or other appropriate body. For information about pursuing an administrative appeal, please click here.
- Administrative Complaints. For complaints of an administrative nature involving dissatisfaction with NWSA services or the conduct of an NWSA employee, as defined above, please proceed with the procedures below.
Lodging an Administrative Complaint
If an issue cannot be resolved informally and you wish to file a formal administrative complaint, it should be done within two weeks of the incident or occurrence. Formal administrative complaints must be submitted in writing (via email or postal mail) to the following address:
NWSA
PO Box 521267
Salt Lake City, UT 84152
info@nws-a.org
Administrative complaints must include the following information:
- Complainant’s name, address, phone number, and email address
- Nature and details of the complaint
- Sufficient information to allow for an investigation and response
Procedures for Handling Administrative Complaints
It is the policy of NWSA to respond to complaints in an equitable, objective, and unbiased manner, and to process them in a constructive, impartial, and timely manner.
Upon receiving a complaint, NWSA determines whether the complaint relates to certification activities for which it is responsible. Whenever possible, NWSA will acknowledge receipt of the complaint and will keep the complainant reasonably informed regarding progress of the complaint. To the extent possible, personal information related to complaints is kept confidential.
NWSA’s Program Integrity Staff is responsible for managing, gathering, and verifying all necessary information to validate an administrative complaint. As appropriate, an administrative complaint may be escalated or referred to an appropriate body within NWSA, including the Program Integrity Team or an NWSA committee. In other cases, a complaint may be referred to NWSA staff, including the Executive Director, which may extend the time required to respond to a complaint.
Whenever possible, NWSA will provide formal notice of the outcome of the complaint to the complainant at the end of the complaints-handling process, generally within 30 days. The decision to be communicated to the complainant will be made by, or reviewed and approved by, personnel not previously involved in the subject of the complaint.
Appeals Involving Administrative Complaints
Any determination or disposition of an administrative complaint under these procedures is appealable to the Administrative Appeals Committee pursuant to the terms of NWSA’s Appeals Policy.