Ombud Council AR 2026

PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

MTDP Priority 1: MDTP Outcome MDP Priority 2: MDTP Outcome

Inclusive growth and job creation.

Supportive and sustainable economic policy environment. Reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.

Optimised social protection and coverage.

Ombud Council Strategic Priority 3:

Leverage legislative toolkit to coordinate the streamlining, reform, and future direction of the financial ombud system.

Outcome

Outcome Indicator

Five-year target

Conduct risks identified through analysis of reported ombud data and shared with relevant stakeholders to enable mitigation through policy or regulatory responses. Implementation of reforms in National Treasury policy paper (“A Simpler, Stronger Financial Sector Ombud System” (February 2024)) supported. Improved alignment and coordination of ombud scheme complaint handling processes.

Engagements with regulators and National Treasury to share identified conduct risks and develop appropriate policy or regulatory responses. Records of technical and regulatory inputs to reform process. Records of ombud scheme process changes aimed at alignment and coordination between schemes. Finalised Ombud Council Rules (OCRs) for the Pension Funds Adjudicator, appropriately aligned with existing OCRs for the FAIS Ombud and governing rules of the NFO.

Demonstrable Ombud Council support to policy or regulatory responses to identified conduct risks.

Demonstrable progress in implementation of NT reform proposals, including legislative proposals finalised and Ombud Council and schemes prepared for implementation. Simplified consumer access points to ombuds, reduced overlap and simplified referrals between ombud schemes (notably between NFO and FAIS Ombud), and improved alignment of complaint handling processes. OCRs for the Pension Funds Adjudicator implemented.

Note that this Table reflects adjustments to the Strategic Plan that were approved together with the Ombud Council’s approved APP for 2026/27. This section provides a high-level indication of progress toward the five-year targets for each of the above outcomes over the first year of our Strategic Plan, with full details of achievements against 2025/26 annual performance targets set out in section 4 below. Please also refer to the service delivery highlights discussed in section 2.1. 3.1. Outcome 1: Good governance and operational efficiency underpinned by effective systems and controls are embedded.

The indicators for this outcome have been revised, as indicated in the Strategic Plan amendments annexed to the Ombud Council’s 2026/27 APP, to shift from the compliance-based approach of the original version of the Strategic Plan to a more outcomes-based focus on continuous improvement and demonstrable management of risks. The revised indicators aim at improvements informed by internal audit outcomes and at demonstrating ongoing active management of risks in line with the methodology set out in the Council’s approved GRC framework.

The target of an annual unqualified audit opinion has been achieved for financial year 2025/26, with confirmation of a clean audit with no findings provided in this report. The annual target of implementing Council is, however, hopeful that we have the controls in place to achieve these targets, with internal auditors having confirmed that all audit recommendations in respect of 2024/25 were duly implemented during 2025/26. A new indicator of managing risks in line with approved appetite, tolerance and capacity levels has been achieved for 2025/26, with the Board having approved an integrated GRC framework and reporting in line with that framework having taken place throughout the year.

Ombud Council 2025/26 Annual Report

31