Effectiveness
The National Ombudsman's work can prove effective in a number of ways. The quickest way of achieving a result is the intervention method, which is usually sufficient to resolve the problem that gave rise to the complaint.
Announcement and institution of an investigation
The announcement and institution of an investigation can also be effective in itself. The mere fact that the National Ombudsman has decided to investigate a case brings the matter to the attention of senior officials and/or politicians. This regularly results in steps being taken even before the National Ombudsman has published his report. From the point of view of speed and what the organisation learns from the incident, this is an extremely important and valuable effect.
Recommandations
In addition, there are cases where no steps have been taken by the authority concerned even at the point when the Ombudsman reaches his decision that the action under investigation was improper. In such cases, the Ombudsman may exercise his power to issue recommendations. These may be aimed either at achieving a resolution of the specific case or at a more generic beneficial effect on the authority's operations. Experience shows not only that authorities respond to recommendations reasonably promptly, but also that they almost always implement them.
Structural effects
The effectiveness of the National Ombudsman's work can take a variety of forms. Where the National Ombudsman finds that a complaint is justified, the administrative authority may take measures benefiting the individual complainant. But apart from this sort of impact in individual cases, there are also more structural effects: in order to avert complaints in the future, authorities may modify their administrative procedures or existing rules in response to a problem or pattern of problems signalled by the National Ombudsman in individual cases or in the annual report. A good example is the introduction of the practice of confirming the receipt of letters if it is likely to take some time to deal with them. In this way, the work of the National Ombudsman can have a preventive effect.
In a wider sense, moreover, the very existence of the National Ombudsman can be said to have had an impact in any case where an administrative authority decides on its own initiative to improve its administrative practices in order to avoid complaints to the National Ombudsman, or to establish its own internal complaints procedures. Moreover, members of the public often find it effective merely to indicate that they are considering complaining to the National Ombudsman.