The document provides an overview of the PSNP IV Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) training. It defines key terms like grievance and grievance mechanism. It describes the purpose and advantages of a GRM. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in the PSNP IV GRM process like the Kebele Appeals Committee. It also describes the grievance reporting channels, grievance process which includes appeal collection, investigations, decision making, notification and monitoring. Record keeping and an annual evaluation called Roving Appeal Audit are emphasized.

1. PSNP IV Grievance Redress
Mechanism(GRM):
Training
Jalane Hirpesa ( Advisor Inst. Stregthening&SA)
SPIR DFSA CARE HO
Saro Maria Hotel
June 22, 2018

2. Contents of the Presentation
 Definitions
 Types Of Grievance Mechanisms
 Purpose Of GRM
 Advantages Of GRM
 Limitations Of GRM
 Costs Of Using Grievance Mechanisms
 PSNP Iv Grievance Redress Mechanism
 Roles And Responsibilities In GRM
 Grievance Reporting Channels
 Roles Of Other Stakeholders in GRM process
 Lists Of PassiblePSNP4 Related Compliments
 Formation Of Kebele Appeals Committee

3. DEFINITIONS
Grievance:
An issue, concern, problem, or claim that an individual or
community group wants addressed by the program in a
formal manner.
Grievance mechanism:
A formalized way to accept, assess, and resolve
community complaints concerning the performance of the
program. This includes adverse economic, environmental
and social impacts.

4. What is a grievance mechanism?
A grievance mechanism is a formal, or non-
formal complaint process that can be used by
individuals, workers, communities and/or civil
society organizations that are being negatively
affected by certain activities and operations.
Grievance mechanisms are also called ‘dispute’,
‘complaints’ and 'accountability' mechanisms.

5. What types of grievance mechanisms exist?
A wide variety of grievance mechanisms exist at the project,
company, sector, national and regional levels.
They vary in:
 Objective
 Approach
 Target Groups
 Composition And
 Government Support.
They also vary in how long the procedure can take to conclude
and whether there are any costs involved.

6. Can't
 The manner in which grievance mechanisms deal with
complaints also varies widely.
 Some are designed to resolve problems through
dialogue-based, problem-solving methods like
mediation.
 Others conduct investigations or fact-finding that lead to
recommendations or statements (Aynachin program by
ETV)
 Finally, some mechanisms are mandated to attach
consequences to their findings, such as withdrawing
funds or excluding access to government benefits (e.g.

7. Purpose of GRM
 To be responsive to the needs of beneficiaries and to
address and resolve their grievances;
 To serve as a channel for asking questions, inviting
suggestions, and increasing community participation;
 To collect information that can be used to improve
operational performance;
 To enhance the project’s legitimacy/ acceptability among
stakeholders;
 To promote transparency and accountability;
 To discourage fraud and corruption and mitigate project
risks.

8. Advantages of GRM
 Provides project staff with practical suggestions/feedback
that allows them to be more accountable, transparent,
and responsive to beneficiaries.
 By publicizing how grievances are resolved, can help
build trust between citizens and government/service
providers.
 Grievance-related data provides management with
insights into the effectiveness of the Project
Management Unit’s (PMU) programs.

9. Advantages of GRM cont.
 An effective GRM can help catch problems before they
become serious or widespread.
 Multiple projects in a country can centralize GRM
functions to reduce costs and enhance overall
effectiveness.
 Range of flexibility in GRM design and implementation
– from a simple local complaint box to more elaborate,
wide-reaching systems, such as;
 website,
 text-message/short message service.

10. Cont.
Benefits of a Grievance Redress Mechanism
Benefits to Projects Benefits to Affected Persons and
Other Stakeholders
• Provides information about project
implementation.
• Provides a forum for resolving grievances and
disputes at the lowest level.
• Resolves disputes relatively quickly before they
escalate to an unmanageable level.
• Facilitates effective communication between
the project and affected persons.
• Helps win the trust and confidence of
community members in the project and creates
productive relationships.
• Ensures equitable and fair distribution of
• Provides a cost-effective
method to report their
grievances and complaints.
• Establishes a forum and a
structure to report their
grievances with dignity, and
access to a fair hearing and
remedy.

11. Limitations
 If complaints and queries are not responded in a timely
manner and fails to produce results, beneficiaries may
not take the GRM seriously.
 Poor and marginalized communities face numerous
barriers in accessing GRMs.
 Poor and marginalized may not voice grievances
because of lack knowledge about their rights, mistrust
government and fear revenge, transaction costs and
cultural constraints.

12. What are the costs of using grievance mechanisms?
 GRM design and implementation costs can vary
significantly depending on the type, scale and scope of
the GRM
 Implementing agencies should allocate funding for
GRM:
 Assessing context, resources (human, financial,
technological) and capacity for GRMs;
 The costs associated with establishing and running the
KAC is financed from the woreda administrative
budget in all PSNP woredas.

13. Cont.
 Conducting a needs assessment to determine
GRM’s scope and scale;
 Developing a GRM (e.g. drafting operating
procedures, guidelines and manual, and
standalone publications for GRM;
 Training for GRM staff;
 Develop comprehensive communications strategy
to launch and publicize GRM;(different formats)
 Monitor and evaluate grievance-related data.

14. PSNP IV Grievance Redress Mechanism(GRM):
 The means by which program clients and other
community members can express their views on how
program design or implementation can be improved.
 It also describes the means by which clients and
community members can raise grievances with different
aspects of programme implementation and get these
grievances resolved.
 Thus, clients and others need to have good
understanding on PSNP

15. Programme Safeguards
PSNP has a variety of safeguards designed to ensure that the programme does not have any negative
environmental or social impacts. These safeguards are outlined below by programme element.
Element of
programme
Safeguard
General • Charter of rights and responsibilities
• Grievance Redress Mechanism
• Social accountability
Programme entry and
exit
• Public posting of client lists
• Appeals through Grievance Redress Mechanism
• One year grace period for graduation
Payments • Client cards and PASS
• Grievance Redress

16. Programme Safeguards cont.
Element of
programme
Safeguard
Public works • Environmental and social mitigation framework
ESMF
• Community review of PSNP Public Works plans
presented at kebele level, after woreda Food
Security Task Force approval.
Livelihoods • ESMF
• Grievance Redress
Resource Management • Audits

17. Grievance redress mechanisms and awareness
raising;
All stages of programme implementation will function
better if communities and clients have a strong
understanding of the programme’s objectives and
activities.
This knowledge should include:
Objectives of the programme
Targeting criteria and methods
Payment dates

18. PSNP IV (GRM) Cont.
The amount of the cash or food transfer
The purpose of the transfer and the importance of
using it to meet the basic needs of the household
The purpose of public works and how they are
planned
The purpose of livelihoods interventions and how a
client can participate

19. PSNP IV (GRM) Cont.
Gender provisions, such as light work
Who is responsible for doing what in the programme,
including the responsibilities of programme clients.
The importance of working towards graduation and the
criteria for graduation
The existence of mechanisms for grievance redress, and
how to make use of them.

20. PSNP IV (GRM) Cont.
Woreda staff, kebele staff and KFSTF should make use of
all opportunities to share the above information, including the
use of regular community meetings, such as:
Community meetings during program targeting
Public works planning meetings
Behavioral Change Communication sessions
Community Livelihood Consultations
Meetings to inform clients and communities of changes in
program design

21. The above is complemented by key printed materials
These include:
Client Cards. All clients will be issued with a client card
with their name, photograph, details regarding their
entitlements, and space to record receipt of transfers.
PSNP Program Posters. Posters describing specific
aspects of program implementation will also be available
and put up in offices at woreda and community level

22. Cont.
Posting of Client Lists. Once
the list of clients has been approved
at woreda level, the list of clients is
posted in public locations on the
woreda and kebele centers. This will
help ensure that clients and non-
clients in PSNP areas are well
informed of which households will
participate in the PSNP for the
coming year.
Charter of Rights and
Responsibilities. This will be
posted next to the client list but will
remain posted throughout the year. It
is also included on Client Cards.

23. Roles and responsibility's
PSNP4
GRM
FSD/P
WC
KC
KFSTF
CFSTF
KAC

24. Roles And Responsibilities In The Grievance Redress
Mechanism
Food
Security
Desk/Process
(FSD/P)
Provide guidance to the formation of the Kebele Appeals
Committees.
Support awareness creation activities.
Woreda
council
Assist in resolving unresolved appeals submitted to them by
the kebele council and share the outcomes of these appeals
cases with the WFSTF.
Work with kebele councils to ensure that up-to-date listings of
clients are posted in public locations at woreda, kebele and
community levels
 Work with Kebele Councils to ensure that up-to-date listing of
appeals and appeals resolutions are posted in public locations at
woreda, kebele and community levels.
Approve the use of the woreda contingency budget (including for

25. Roles And Responsibilities cont.
Kebele
council
Assist in establishing and ensuring effective operation of the
Kebele Appeals Committee
 Review unresolved appeals from the Kebele Appeals Committee
and forward them to the Woreda Council and the WAO every
quarter
Forward list of grievances, their resolutions and any unresolved
cases to the Woreda Council for their resolution.
Kebele
Appel
committee
Submit a complete listing of appeals cases by sex of appellant,
appeals resolutions, and unresolved appeals to the Kebele Council
each quarter
Convene within one month of the establishment of a new annual
listing of clients to hear appeals submitted in their jurisdiction and
to resolve a minimum of 95 percent of these cases within the
month.
Provide the listing of the appeals and the associated resolutions to

26. Roles of other stakeholders:
 Monitoring of KAC decisions will be made in
collaboration KFSTFs, the development agent (DA),
the kebele development teams and Kebele
administration.
 TAs and experts working on woreda level, also
responsible for monitoring cases and providing
feedback on implementation status of appeal
decisions.
 It is better that written way of monitoring decisions is
preferred than oral communication.

27. GRIEVANCE REPORTING CHANNELS
 PSNP program participants/clients and non PSNP/
community members can voice their grievance about
any aspect of the program on a Face to face reporting
channel to KAC at their respective kebele.
 24.Appeal format-filled.doc

28. PSNP 4 GRIEVANCE MECHANISM PROCESS
Appeal
Collection
Appeal
Investigations
Appeal
Decision
making
Notification of
Appeal Decisions
Documentation and
Recording Keeping
Monitoring the
status of Appeal
Decisions

29. Appeal Collection
 Appeal collection is the first step GRM process.
 It is agreed that the level of attention KACs provide for appeal
collection, such as proper documentation of the cases, has great
implication on the degree of transparency in case investigation
and quality of decisions finally made by the committee.
 When the KACs face some complicated cases that is beyond
their scope, proper appeal collection and documentation helps
the committee to further refer the case to next step.
 It also helps to get first hand information about each case during
the regular monitoring activities and the annual Roving Appeal
Audit to measure the effectiveness of KACs on annual basis.

30. Appeal Investigations
 The PIM clearly pointed out that KAC is the only responsible and
authorized body to hear appeals, claims or complaints on various
issues related to PSNP.
 The KACs are expected to investigate the cases based on the
PIM.
 In most cases investigation practice is done through oral
communication but PIM clearly states to use written appeal
submission as an input during investigation process.
 It also suggested using other means like physical visit, community
consultations and document reviews for rigorous (hard)
investigation.
 Investigations should also be supported with key program
documents like the PIM

31. Appeal Decision making
 During decision making sessions, the KACs revealed
that there must be a minimum of four members i.e.
50%+1.
1. Dealing with appeals related to client selection: If the KAC
agrees that a household’s exclusion was wrong, this is
communicated to the Woreda Council and Woreda Office of
Agriculture in the quarterly list of appeals cases. Following
confirmation by the council, a request will be submitted to the
Food Security Desk that the successful appeal should be
included in the programme as a contingency budget financed
client.

32. Appeal Decision making cont.
1. Responsiveness of the KACs: The KAC is expected to
resolve 95% of grievances within one month of the
complaint being heard.
2. Reporting flow of KACs: Following each meeting, the
KAC will submit a complete listing of grievance cases,
grievance resolutions and unresolved grievances to the
Woreda Council and Woreda Rural Development Office
on a quarterly bases.

33. Notification of Appeal Decisions
 Decisions should be announced to the responsible
bodies in addition to the appellant.
 Decision should be announced to the public by posting on
Notice boards that are accessible by the wider community
in the kebele.
 The process of notification of appeal outcomes has
several advantages. Including;
 public awareness about their rights and responsibility in
PSNP;
 raising public confidence on the service providers and
 minimizing the burden on KAC.

34. Documentation and Recording Keeping
 The PIM states that keeping
records has paramount importance
to ensure transparence and
accountability in the process of
appeal management.
 Similarly, properly conducted
record keeping practice will have
significant contribution for
successful appeal audit;
 It also serves as a database for
future reference and monitoring
over the status of decisions
made;

35. Cont.

36. Monitoring the status of Appeal Decisions
 Various stakeholders have significant responsibilities to
oversee the establishment and proper implementation of KACs.
These are:
 Community and Clients: Clients and communities provide feedback on
the programme.
 KFSTF: is expected to inform community members at the community
meeting every 6 months of the appeals process that appeals should be
taken to the KAC.
 Kebele council: In the PSNP, the Kebele Council plays a role in
overseeing the KAC to ensure the proper functioning of the appeals
system and creates a link with the Woreda Council to ensure the
functioning of the appeal system.

37. Cont.
 Kebele cabinet: Participate in the monitoring and evaluation
system to ensure that lists of clients, appeals heard and resolved,
along with programme plans and budgets, are posted in public
locations.
 Woreda office of agriculture: Maintain an accurate record of
appeals and appeals resolutions. Ensure that posters are
effectively disseminated to ensure broad awareness of rights and
responsibilities under the programme.
 WFSTF: At the Woreda level, the WFSTF makes periodical
monitoring and evaluation.
 KACs: The KACs has the responsibility to monitor decisions
made on appeals through the established structures including
KFSTFs and CFSTFs.

38. Evaluation:
 Roving Appeal Audit (RAA) is introduced as key
instrument for understanding how the PSNP’s core
grievance Redress mechanism (GRM) in general, and
the Kebele Appeal Committees (KACs), are functioning
and essential for identifying actions to improve
operations.
 Roving Appeal Audit (RAA) is a regular annual basis
evaluation over the roles of KACs. The core objective of
the Roving Appeals Audit (RAA) is to assess and
support the Kebele Appeals Committee system.

39. Formation Of Kebele Appeals Committee
Kebele Appeals Committees have been established in almost all existing
safety net kebeles. If a new kebele enters the programme, or a Kebele
Appeals Committee (KAC) has stopped functioning, a new KAC should
be formed as soon as possible. The Kebele Council (with support from the
woreda) is responsible for establishing the KAC.
The membership of the KAC is as follows:
1 elected Kebele Council member (not the Chairperson)
1 Development Agent
1-2 members of the community care coalition (if existing in the kebele)
A Health Extension Worker or Volunteer Community Health Worker
Social worker (if represented in the kebele)
2 elder representatives (1 female)

40. Independence of Kebele Appeals Committee:
 It is important that the body that hears complaints be
separate from the individuals and committees responsible
for aspects of implementation about which people may
wish to complain.
 For this reason, there should be no overlap of members
between the KAC and the individuals involved in central
roles in the implementation of the programme, particularly
targeting. Therefore,
 No member of the KAC should also be a member of the
KFSTF or the CFSTF.
 The costs associated with establishing and running the KAC
is financed from the woreda administrative budget in all
PSNP woredas.

41. MAKING A COMPLAINT
 Clients and communities may make a complaint about
any aspect of programme implementation.
 Community members should submit their complaint to
the Kebele Appeals Committee.
 Grievances taken to other formal structures at community,
kebele or woreda level, such as women raising
grievances to the Women’s Affairs Office, will use every
opportunity to inform PSNP clients and non-clients of the
avabe transmitted to the KAC for action and resolution.

42. Cont.
Clients and non-clients can also make complaints
about the;
 management of public works,
 timeliness and completeness of transfers,
 prioritization of households for livelihoods
interventions, and any other perceived abuses of
the PSNP.

43. Lists of passible PSNP4 related compliments
 Early graduation, asset assessment and evaluation:
 Partial family targeting:
 Deduction and delay of payment;
 Preference to in kind payment:
 Request to shift from the PWs to DS:
 Lose of client card and other:

44. Illustrative list of complaints to be addressed through
grievance redress mechanism
Client selection-related complaints:
Exclusion from PSNP participant list despite meeting criteria
and being as poor as others included on participant list.
Exclusion from the PSNP participants list despite meeting the
criteria because a household member suffers from HIV/AIDS
Inclusion of non-poor community members on participant list
Nepotism/bias (e.g. CFSTF including friends and family
members who do not meet the criteria possible at the cost of
excluding other community members who do meet the criteria for
inclusion.

45. Cont.
Failure to include all family members as PSNP clients (up to the
cap of 5)
Mis-categorisation of household as able to participate in public
works despite lack of adult able-bodied labour.
Failure to properly set labour cap to the actual level of adult able
bodied labour available to participate in public works (no more that 15
days per able bodied adult).
Mis-categorisation of household member as able bodied when she
is pregnant, in first year of breastfeeding a child, or s/he is under 18,
sick or disabled.
Exclusion from list of livelihoods transfers recipients despite being
poorer than other recipients.
Selection as a graduate when household is not yet food sufficient
and does not meet the criteria for graduation.

46. Other possible complaints:
Client rotated off programme after only two months of public works and
transfers
Transfers are delayed
Transfers are incomplete
Kebele or woreda officials are deducting money (for any reason) prior to
transfer being distributed
Transfers are deducted from clients for non-participation in soft
conditionality's
Public work hours are too long
Public works are located too far from area of residence
Livelihoods support is provided at places and times that do not enable
women to attend
Physical or verbal abuse by officials involved in PSNP implementation,
particularly that directed to female participants

47. Thank you !