State Comptroller and Ombudsman Matanyahu Englman presented today (June 20th, 2023), as part of an event to mark Ombudsman Day held in the Knesset, the "Public Service Index" that he initiated in his capacity as Ombudsman. The event was attended by the Chairman of the State Audit Committee, MK Miki Levy, and the Chairman of the Special Committee for Public Inquiries, MK Yitzhak Pindrus.
The Index will rate the key public bodies according to the quality of their public service. This is so that the citizens receive the best service experience when in need of public service.
Englman said as follows: "I wish to update you that we have completed the formulation of a public service index for the key public bodies, which will rate public service according to clear criteria. The index will refer to aspects of frontal, online and phone service, including office hours, signage and accessibility. In the inspections we will incorporate visits in the field and even 'mystery shoppers' from among the Office of the Ombudsman's employees.
Complaints about public service make up about a third and more of the complaints investigated by the Ombudsman every year. The large number of complaints concerning public service shows its centrality and importance in the public's eyes, especially when the percentage of those justified nears 55% above the average.
Thus, the report we published yesterday reveals that 889 complaints concerning public service were filed in 2022 against the Ministry of Transport, and 886 were filed against the Population Authority. At the Ministry of Economy, 546 complaints out of 786 proved to be justified.
In my capacity as Ombudsman, I intend to publish a special report on the topic of public service, the purpose of which is to present the issues troubling the public on this subject, as indicated by their complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman. Furthermore, the report will reflect the standards for appropriate and equitable public service as set by the Office of the Ombudsman for the public bodies when inquiring into the complaints that reach it."