Grievance-redress-mechanism (Read Urdu Version)

The project provides a comprehensive mechanism for grievance redressal through online form as well as form for written filing of grievance, in accordance with the procedures and guidelines by the World Bank.The larger scale of the investment, diversity & quantum of the project interventions, peculiar socio-political environment and stakeholder risks require a robust, evolving Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) within the organizational structure of the project. The GRM has been available to all Project stakeholders, especially local community members. The GRM will deter fraud and corruption, mitigate risks and provide Project staff with practical guidance on accountability, transparency and responsiveness to beneficiary requests.

Principles

The GRM is based on the following guiding principles:

Responsiveness and Confidentiality

Adopting the doctrine that there is always room for improvement, the GRM will entertain all types of complaints, comments and suggestions, with a view to improve the project’s efficacy and efficiency. Comments and suggestions received for improvement of the mechanism will be given due consideration and the providers will be kept informed of the response to their inputs. In order to ensure transparency in handling and processing of grievances, all project stakeholders, especially complainants will be kept informed of the handling process and the outcome of the redress process in timely manner. As confidentiality is an integral part of fairness, the identity and personal details of complainants will only be disclosed to those involved in the resolution of the grievance.

Objectivity and Independence

The mechanism empowers the Grievance Redress Cell to operate independently and objectively while handling grievances and to ensure that all information, stakeholders and records required for inquiry and analysis are easily accessible. To avoid any conflicts of interest the selection of Complaint Handling Officers will be made from the project / consultant staff / community members, identified at different tiers of the project structure and community groups.

Simplicity

Simple procedures will be adopted for logging complaint and/or submitting suggestions or comments (described below), to ensure the GRM is accessible and understandable to all project stakeholders especially marginal groups, poor farmers and female beneficiaries.

Fairness

The GRM will equally consider all complaints irrespective of their nature, size and complexity. All complaints, comments and suggestions received will be registered and the person or entity making the request for Redress will be acknowledged in writing. The project staff implementing the GRM will specially training for grievance handling and resolution.

Timeliness

All grievances, irrespective of their nature and size shall be considered and corrective actions taken within 25 working days. All possible efforts will be made to complete the process within the shortest possible time.

Participation

The GRM encourages any stakeholders to lodge complaints, make suggestions, including for improvement of the GRM. The GRM will ensure that project beneficiaries are included in the process of redressing grievances and incorporating suggestions where required. Matters concerning Environmental and Social Management and Involuntary Resettlement will be an integral part of the process.

GRM Handling Hierarchy

The following figure indicates the hierarchy for handling grievances:

The different GRM forums, units, sub-units and field units, and their GRM roles and responsibilities are described below:

Project Steering Committee

The Project Steering Committee (PSC) will act as the Apex Forum to hear and adjudicate on appeals against GRM decisions. Pending cases shall be presented by the Chairperson of Grievance Redress Committee to the Project’s Steering Committee. The PSC will review and resolve any appeals against the Grievance Redress Committee. Appeals must be lodged with the GRC for submission and reporting to the PSC.

Grievance Redress Committee

The Grievance Redress Committee (GRC), constituted at PMU Level and chaired by Project Director, will have the following mandate:

  1. Resolving and addressing complaints categorized at level-4
  2. Reviewing appeals lodged against the resolutions of GR Sub-Committees
  3. Considering and determining corrective measures in the light of comments and suggestions received by GRC and/or recommended by GR Sub-Committees
  4. Monitoring GRM handling by Field Unit Sub-Committees and reviewing resolutions suggested by sub-units and/or field units
  5. Notifying members of GR Sub-Committees
  6. Analyzing data on grievances and using this to make informed decisions
  7. Reporting to PSC unresolved grievances at GSC level
  8. Constituting special committees, if required under un-usual circumstances for Redress of grievance of exigent nature and/or for resolutions of complaints requiring broader inquisitorial procedures

The GRC will be the highest forum within the project for redressing the grievances received from the beneficiaries, stakeholders and other concerned. The committee, while handling a complaint may requisition any staff for its assistance and/or may constitute a special committee if required. The Project Director (Chairperson of GRC), with prior approval of the World Bank, may replace a single member and/or the entire GRC.

Grievance Redress Sub-Committees (Project Field-Units)

In view of the large scale interventions of the Project, and enable field level staff handle local complaints, there will be Level 2 & 3 Sub-units, one in each Project river basins as follows:The Sub-Committees will be responsible for redressing complaints and suggestions at levels 2 and 3. These Sub-Committees will review appeals lodged against the resolutions of E&S Sub-Unit and forward unresolved complaints and unattended suggestions / comments to the GRC. A PIU will act as Focal Person for the GRM and will be responsible for collecting, registering and handling complaints, suggestions and comments that are submitted.

Grievance Redress Sub-Committees on Environment and Social Safeguard

Two Grievance Redress Sub-Committees (one for each project river basin) will redress complaints and consider suggestions / comments relating to environmental and social safeguards and resettlement issues. These sub-committees will submit recommendations to GRC Sub-Committees (Field Units) for any necessary action. The GRC Sub-Committees will review resolutions of the E&S Sub-Committee and will take action as appropriate if such action falls under their jurisdiction, otherwise the matter will be forwarded to the GRC for action.

Grievance Mechanism Process

The key steps in the GRM are summarized in Figure 2 and described below:

Grievance Mechanism Process

The receipt of complaints is key and hence a simple and understandable procedure is adopted for receiving grievances, suggestions and comments relating to the project. The complainant may submit, containing his/her personal information, suggestions and/or comments on the prescribed form or simple paper, to the Focal Persons of Grievance Redress Committee and/or Sub-Committees at (i) PMU Office, (ii) PIUs Nari and Porali, or (iii) PSIA Consultant Office. In case the concerned Focal Person is not available in the office the Aggrieved Person/Complainant can drop his/her written complaint, suggestion/comments in a Box placed at a visible location for the purpose.

Alternatively, grievances may be submitted by (i) filing an application on the Project web site (www.biwrmdp.org.pk), (ii) sending an SMS or WhatsApp message (to XXX or YYY), or (iii) use of the postal mail service.

The Project will ensure that any person either in his personal capacity or representing a group of complainants and/or entity that files a grievance will be made aware of the grievance mechanism. To facilitate tracking, evaluation and response to grievances, a standardized form will be used (Annexure-A). Complainants are encouraged to use this form that will be available at every office/outlet mentioned above.

A project GRM awareness campaign will be launched in print and electronic media. This will include distribution of brochures (in local languages), signboards in the vicinities where project interventions will be executed and in print media. The contents of these hoardings may include but not limited to the following:

  • Summary of the GRM procedure and how it can be used
  • Details of the process, such as who is responsible for receiving and responding the grievances etc.
  • Timeline for receiving responses and results
  • Safeguards in place to ensure confidentiality

All grievances, suggestions/comments etc. will be recorded in a Grievance Register by the Focal Person(s) / Complaint Handling Officer within two (2) working days of the receiving of the grievances. A unique number will be assigned to each grievance, suggestions and comment. In addition to lodging the grievance/suggestion/comment in the Grievance Register, the same shall also be uploaded in a dedicated data base to be maintained at Project Web Portal, which can only be accessed by Project Director or any of his assigned representative.

Grievance Mechanism Process

The Focal Person or Complaint Handling Officer will formally acknowledge the receipt of grievance within five working days of the submission of grievance and will inform the complainant that the Project will respond within 20 working days. It will be ensured that all such acknowledgements, verbal or written are recorded in an appropriate manner to ensure that a record of correspondence. Acknowledgments should include a summary of the grievance and an estimated time for response/resolution.

Acknowledging Grievance

The Focal Person or Complaint Handling Officer will formally acknowledge the receipt of grievance within five working days of the submission of grievance and will inform the complainant that the Project will respond within 20 working days. It will be ensured that all such acknowledgements, verbal or written are recorded in an appropriate manner to ensure that a record of correspondence. Acknowledgments should include a summary of the grievance and an estimated time for response/resolution.

Screening/Sorting of Grievances/Suggestions/Comments

Each and every complaint received in writing or through SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger or verbal channels will be sorted out from Level 1 to 4 as per definitions provided in Table 1 to determine the appropriate method of Redress.

Once the sorting of all the relevant/maintainable grievances/suggestions and comments have been made, the Focal Person / Complaint Handling Officer will send the complaint / suggestion / comment to the concerned committee for redress.

Verification of Complaint/Investigation/Redress

Once a complaint and/or suggestion / comment has been forwarded to the GRC or Sub-Committees, the Chairperson of the Committee will nominate a committee member to verify the issue and/or analyze the suggestion / comment prior to a thorough investigation, and to prepare a working paper for consideration of the Committee / Sub-Committee in its meeting. The investigations will include collecting and review of relevant documents, making site visits, consulting appropriate internal staff, contacting external stakeholders, interviewing the complainant as appropriate.

The Committee and Sub-Committee will meet as often as required to handle complaints and suggestions. The GRC and its Sub-Committee will ensure attendance of complainants at meetings as observers to ensure transparency. The Field Unit Sub-Committees, in case of complaints pertaining to social and tribal issues / conflict, may redirect complaints for Redress through tribal elders and Jirga if required, or they may invite such tribal elder to their meetings for facilitation and assistance.

Dissemination

Once the redress process is completed and the GRC and/or GR Sub-Committee has reached a conclusion, the result will be communicated to the complainant and concerned stakeholders. The results of the redress process will be uploaded to the project website. Besides communicating the results to the Complainant, the Focal Person(s) / Complaint Handling Officer will also record the information pertaining to the decisions of the Committee(s) in the grievance register and corresponding grievance database. The actions suggested by the GRC or Sub-Committee will be communicated to the concerned person(s) and will be recorded in a register.

Right of Appeal

If a complainant is dissatisfied with and/or unwilling to accept the resolution of the GRC or its Sub-Committees, he/she may approach the appellate forum for review. The appeal committees will review the case and determine if further action is possible. Once all options for corrective actions have been explored and no further action is deemed appropriate, a written notice will be sent to the complainant advising that his/her grievance case is closed. In cases where appellate forum is PSC the complainant will be asked in writing to submit a written appeal along with the reasons of not accepting the resolution of GRC, for submission to PSC for issuing a final decision into the matter.

Monitoring and Evaluation

To ensure evaluation and improvement of the GRM, the Project will monitor implementation using the monitoring matrix in Table 2.

Monitoring indicators (Table 2)

Complaint/grievance Status

All complaints and queries are responded in due course of time and posted on the website. Click here to check the status of previously filed complaint.

For further information/querries please contact:
Project Director
Balochistan Integrated Water Resources Management & Development Project
18-B, Jinnah Town, Samungli Road, Quetta
Tel:  +92-81-2870705        |         Fax: +92-81-2870704
Email: biwrmdp@gmail.com