A guide to Good Practice Grievance Mechanisms

“For projects with environmental and social impacts grievances are a fact of life. How a company responds  (or perceived to be responding) to grievances is  important and can have significant implication for  business performance” - IFC, 2007

A well-functioning grievance mechanism provides a transparent, credible, and fair process to all parties. It enhances outcomes and gives people the satisfaction that their complaints have been heard, even if the outcome is less than optimal. A good complaints handling process helps build trust as part of the broader community relations activities and contributes to the overall success of the company’s social performance.

In this e-book you’ll find:

• key principles for an effective grievance mechanism
• sample framework for a grievance procedure
• three real-life examples to demonstrate how the basic principles can be applied to projects.