Definitions & References
Definitions
Complainant
An individual, group, or organization that submits a verbal or written complaint.
Complaint owner
An employee or contractor of the company assigned the specific responsibility for investigating a complaint or implementing a resolution. This person may be tasked with managing a grievance mechanism (Grievance Officer in this document) or could be an individual with specific technical expertise assigned to manage resolution of a complaint.
Grievance/complaint
An expression of dissatisfaction that stems from real or perceived issues, typically referring to a specific source of concern and/or seeking a specific solution. For the purposes of a grievance mechanism, real and perceived impacts are treated equally and given the same due process. The terms grievance and complaint are used interchangeably in this document.
Project
Project is used generically in this document to mean new projects under consideration or construction, mature operations, and operations that are expanding or closing.
Operational-level grievance mechanism
A process for receiving, investigating, and responding to questions or complaints from community stakeholders pertaining to a particular project. It is usually developed, implemented, and managed by the company operating the project. Also known as a "project-level grievance mechanism.”
References
- United Nations, Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner, 2011. UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. New York and Geneva. http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf
- International Finance Corporation, 2012. Sustainability Framework. Washington, DC. http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/Topics_Ext_Content/IFC_External_Corporate_Site/IFC+Sustainability/Our+Approach/Risk+Management/IFCSustainabilityFramework_2012
- International Finance Corporation, 2012. Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, Washington, DC. http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/c8f524004a73daeca09afdf998895a12/IFC_Performance_Sta ndards.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
- Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO), 2008. A Guide to Designing and Implementing Grievance Mechanisms for Development Projects, Washington, DC. http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/howwework/advisor/documents/implemgrieveng.pdf
- AngloAmerican, 2013. Sustainable Development Report: Focused on Delivery, London. http://www.angloamerican.com/~/media/Files/A/Anglo-American-Plc/reports/annual-report-2013/AA-SDR-2803.pdf
- Freeport McMoRan, 2013. Strength in Resources: 2013 Working Toward Sustainable Development Report, Phoenix, Arizona. http://www.fcx.com/sd/pdf/WTSD_Bk_2013.pdf
- Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd., 2013. Sustainable Development Report, Sakhalin Island, Russia. http://www.sakhalinenergy.com/media/user/otchety/GRI_2013_Eng.pdf
- Davis, Rachel and Daniel Franks, 2014. “Costs of Company-Community Conflict in the Extractive Sector,” Harvard Kennedy School, Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Report No. 66, Cambridge, MA. http://www.hks.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/CSRI/research/Costs%20of%20Conflict_Davis%20%20Franks.pdf
- Some helpful questions to ask when determining the potential breadth and types of complaints the project may experience can be found in IPIECA’s Grievance Mechanism Scope Assessment tool (IPIECA, 2014. Community Grievance Mechanisms toolbox. http://www.ipieca.org/publication/community-grievance-mechanisms-toolbox)