Panel for Identified Individual Service Providers for External Drafting

Description

The Financial Services Ombudsman is a statutory officer who deals independently with complaints from consumers about their individual dealings with all regulated financial services providers that have not been resolved by the providers. The FSO is therefore the arbiter of unresolved disputes and is impartial. It is a free service to the complainant. Broader issues of consumer protection are the responsibility of the Central Bank of Ireland as Financial Regulator of Ireland. The FSO wishes to establish a panel of service providers to meet its requirements for External Drafting Services to assist with the investigation of complaints. Successful candidates will be required to formalise consumer complaints and to identify information and evidence to be sought by the Financial Services Ombudsman for the purpose of investigations. Successful candidates will also be required to prepare reasoned opinions as to aspects of the validity and merits of complaints. It is emphasised that membership of the panel constitutes no guarantee to purchase a specific quantity of services from a particular service provider. Indeed, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to operate outside of the panel at its discretion; particularly should it become apparent that doing so would offer access to greater technical expertise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the panel approach has been adopted in order to leverage efficiencies and maximise cost savings over the duration of the panel.