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Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Bank to adopt 'grievance redress system'
THE "grievance redress system (GRS)," a special feature of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services: Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (Kalahi-CIDSS:KKB) Project, might be adopted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Roserillan Robidillo-Ortega, ADB coordinator, issued the statement during her field visit recently to Tinoc, one of the Kalahi-CIDSS areas in Ifugao.
Ortega said the system has the potential to be adopted in the accountability mechanism of ADB because of its attribute wherein the community themselves are involved in solving quandaries pertaining to the implementation of their sub-projects, whether sensitive or not, and the inclusion of cultural practices in the system.
The GRS did not create a separate body. Instead, the "lupon" or the council of elders forms the committee in addition to some volunteers identified by the community.
In Tinoc, the "tungtungan" has been a century-old practice to settle community disputes and the council are the members. In the Kalahi-CIDSS, the GRS did not only enhance the existing cultural practices but also strengthened the "tungtungan" system of the community.
Tinoc Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Rolando Guinsiman said the system, together with the indigenous practices of settling problems, has saved the community from spending much in going to courts or conducting rituals. At present, GRS committee members are more confident in handling grievance situations.
Ortega said the ADB's accountability mechanism was established to provide an independent forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and resolve their problems.
However, the problem-solving process of this mechanism is too long and passes through many channels. It would take months to years for the ADB accountability mechanism to solve issues because of the channeling, when in fact some problems can already be solved at the community level.
Also, a certain problem should only be addressed to a specific ADB office concerned, which would make the process longer when the issue was delivered to the wrong office.
In the GRS of Kalahi-CIDSS, anyone with a complaint against a project, its implementation, the project staff, local personalities and others involved in the project may file a grievance. The complaints can be submitted to the social welfare department, the barangay assembly (BA) or the municipal inter-barangay forum. However, the complaints will always go back to the BA for them to act on it and if not resolved, would only be the time to bring the problem to the municipal or to the regional level.
In addressing grievances, timelines is always a strict policy. This means that problems must be solved immediately so as not to affect the set schedule of implementing sub-projects.
(May 3, 2006 issue)
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