A grievance is any good faith complaint about an action or inaction that is reasonably believed to contribute to or cause harm, whether perceived or otherwise, to an individual, community, or other stakeholder. There are different types of grievances from low to high severity. An example of a high severity grievance is a human rights abuse or violation.
A grievance redress mechanism (GRM) is a transparent and unbiased system where credible grievances are tracked in a confidential, secure database across standardized procedural steps to assess, address, and mitigate or resolve concerns. A GRM enables Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs), WCS staff, project staff, and any other affected stakeholders, to submit grievances and seek resolution when they experience or perceive a negative impact arising as a result of an organization’s activities. It is a key way to mitigate, manage, and resolve potential or realized negative impacts, and to keep organizations and their staff accountable for their actions, inactions, or for the outcomes of their projects. A GRM is a social safeguards tool through which IPLCs can exercise their voice and claim their rights.
More than a grievance tracking system, a GRM also facilitates two-way communication. It can be built into an organization’s overall communication strategy, providing an opportunity for trust-building and broader conflict resolution.
The GRM applies to projects or activities undertaken or sponsored by WCS that are reasonably believed to contribute to or cause human rights abuses, safeguarding violations, or violation of the human rights of individuals or communities. The GRM can also handle all other types of complaints or suggestions as a process for ensuring open dialogue between WCS staff and any one affected by WCS activities or sponsored programs.
The purpose of the GRM is to:
Provide a mechanism for affected individuals or communities, and others with knowledge of the circumstances, to raise good faith grievances about the impacts of projects or activities undertaken or sponsored by WCS; and
Provide a structure to ensure that human rights and safeguarding grievances are handled, responded to and documented in a fair and timely manner.