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About AIMS | Corporate profile
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Service charter
The purpose of this Charter is to explain what we do and how we
provide our services. It has been developed in consultation with
our staff, our clients, and other stakeholders. In it we set out
our service commitments, and we seek your feedback and advice to
help us improve that service.
About AIMS
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is a
Commonwealth Statutory Authority reporting to the Minister for
Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. The Institute was
established by the Australian Institute of Marine Science Act
(1972) in recognition of a national need to know more about
our marine resources and to provide research assisting those who
manage our marine environment.
What we do
AIMS provides world-class marine scientific and technological
research in support of the protection of our marine environment
and the sustainable use of its wealth for the benefit of all
Australians.
Our Strategic Plan and
Research Plan set out in
more detail how we go about our activities and the ways we
measure our success in achieving our objectives.
Our Clients
Our main clients are users of marine science and technology,
including the Australian community, marine industries, regulators
and governments, policy developers, educators and students.
Our Service
Our primary role is to deliver an agreed service to Government:
to generate and transfer knowledge to support the protection and
sustainable use of the marine environment through innovative,
world class scientific and technological research. We report our
performance to the Australian Parliament through the Minister for
Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, in our Annual Report.
Areas in which we provide services that impact directly on our
clients include the following:
- Provision of scientific data relating to marine and
coastal ecosystems
- Advice for scientists in universities and other research
organisations wishing to work in marine ecosystems
- Information on the Institute’s research program and
its scientific capabilities
- Scientific input to policy development related to marine
research and technology
AIMS is committed to providing the best
possible standard of service to all its clients. We will:
- Be honest, ethical and professional;
- Treat you politely and fairly;
- Act with care and diligence in the execution of our
duties;
- Listen to what you tell us;
- Endeavour to use plain language in our communication;
- Respond in a timely fashion when answering reasonable
requests for information;
- Maintain appropriate confidentiality.
If we are unable to provide the service you
need, we will refer you to an alternative contact point. The
Institute recognises the diverse needs of its clients and will:
- Ensure all public information clearly identifies contact
details for further information;
- Provide opportunities for you to give feedback with our
performance;
- Commit to continuously improve our level of service.
Our Service Standards
When developing research directions we will:
- Consult widely to make sure that we integrate information
from a range of views to determine our priorities.
When we are carrying out our legislative
responsibilities and tasks for our clients we will:
- Strive for the highest scientific and ethical standards;
- Seek to enhance our outputs and value through strategic
collaboration;
- Provide high quality, timely and comprehensive advice to
the Minister; and
- Transfer technology, through appropriate mechanisms, to
users of AIMS research.
If you contact us, we will:
- Answer phone calls promptly during normal office hours
(8:00am – 4:40pm AEST) and identify the name or
position of the person speaking and/or the area you have
contacted;
- If we are unable to answer your phone query immediately,
we will take your contact details and ensure that you
receive response within 2 working days.
- Respond to requests for existing printed information,
reference material or publications within 10 working days
of receipt;
- Reply to correspondence (letter, fax or email) within 20
working days of receipt or, if we can’t answer
within that time, send you an acknowledgment and let you
know when you can expect a reply;
- Refer you to the appropriate organisation if the matter
is outside the Institute’s area of expertise.
In providing you with information we will:
- Give you the most accurate, up to date information
available to us, within the limits imposed by
confidentiality and privacy; and
- Answer you as fully and precisely as your request makes
it practicable for us to do so.
Performance against our service
standards
We welcome your comments to how successful we are in achieving
the service standards set out in this Charter. Please send us
comments by letter or e-mail on any matter of concern to you. We
will:
- Monitor and evaluate our services against the standards
we have set in this Charter;
- Formally review the standards set out in this Charter
once a year and adjust them where appropriate in light of
your comments and in response to ongoing changes;
- Report annually in the Institute’s Annual Report, on
how well we have met the standards.
The Annual Report is available on the
Institute’s Internet site (www.aims.gov.au) and from the
Science Communications Section, AIMS.
The Charter will be independently reviewed at least every three
years. The Institute invites comments from clients, stakeholders
and staff as part of its monitoring and review procedures.
How you can help us
You can help us meet our standards by:
- Providing your queries to us in writing;
- Giving us sufficient and accurate information for us to
understand your request and be able to respond
appropriately;
- Recognising that we have limited resources, a wide range
of clients and agreed priorities with government;
- Treating our staff courteously; and
- Providing feedback and comments on the service we
provide.
How to give us feedback
We welcome feedback on our performance, so we can know to what
extent we are meeting your needs. If you have any comments or
suggestions about improving our service, please let us know by
completing and sending us this
[
feedback form
].
If you are dissatisfied or have concerns about our day-to-day
services, please discuss this with the person you dealt with or
their supervisor, and we will try to resolve your concerns
immediately.
If you are still not satisfied, please contact the Human
Resources Manager who will respond within ten working days of
hearing from you.
If you are still dissatisfied with our service we will refer you
to the most appropriate complaints body.
Help us to improve this charter
This charter is being developed through a consultative process
with our clients. The Institute is committed to continually
improving its services to you. Your comments on how we might
improve this charter are important to us. Please contact our
Business section.
We will use your comments to ensure that the service we provide
is of the highest standard and that our charter accurately
reflects this. We appreciate your efforts to help us to serve you
better.
How you can contact us
The Institute’s main office is at Cape Ferguson, about 50km
east of Townsville, Queensland. You may contact us during office
hours 8.00 a.m. to 4.40 p.m. AEST Monday to Friday (except public
holidays).
Postal Address
PMB No 3, Townsville, MC, Queensland, 4810
Telephone number (07) 4753 4444 (International +61-7-4753 4444)
Facsimile number (07) 4772 5852 (International +61-7-4772 5852)
E-mail address business@aims.gov.au
March 12, 2008
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