May 2016 Sierra Leone Decentralized Service Delivery Project 2 (DSDP2) Activity Summary Report 1: Grievance Redress Mechanism 105837 This short note will illustrate the progress made to date in designing and establishing a grievance redress mechanism (GRM), one of the important social accountability and citizen engagement tools, for the Sierra Leone’s Decentralized Service Delivery Project 2. Through the project, the GRM pilot is currently being implemented in five selected Local Councils and this phase is expected to be completed May/June 2016. This note will be updated upon the completion of this pilot. 1. Introduction Committees (WDCs), which have been established under LCs The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) embarked on a with an aim of boosting community level dialogue and social decentralization program in 2004 and committed to the mobilization for participatory development. LCs align their services with sectors at the national level by subsidiary transfer of power, authority, and resources to local level agreements with the relevant MDAs and need to comply with institutions. The World Bank has been supporting the the local development plans they approve. GoSL’s devolution efforts through the Decentralized Service Delivery Project (DSDP) since 2008. The overall objective of DSDP, which currently is at its second phase 2. Results & Social Accountability in DSDP (DSDP 2), is to support decentralized delivery of basic 2--GRM services and to achieve this, it provides (i) block grants to During phase 2 of DSDP2, the project is focusing on LCs to deliver basic services in five focus sectors (health achieving results through selected social accountability and sanitation; education; solid waste management; rural (SA) approaches and tools. Social accountability refers to water; and social assistance for disabled and other the extent and capability of citizens to hold the state vulnerable groups) and (ii) capacity development and accountable and make it responsive to their needs. A technical assistance to LCs as well as central government. grievance redress mechanism (GRM) is one important tool by which SA can be advanced in projects. Effectively Box 1. Sierra Leone’s Devolution and Local Councils addressing grievances and feedback from people affected by World Bank-financed projects is a core component of Sierra Leone has been making a rapid recovery following a decade-long civil war that killed 20,000 people and displaced managing operational risks and achieving results. The cost half of its population. The country has been on a path of of ignoring disputes and grievances of project beneficiaries reconciliation, reconstruction, and stabilization of its and affected people—or responding to them too late—can economy and governance systems. That being said, the be high. When designed and implemented well, a GRM challenge to sustain political stability, address the striking can be an effective tool for generating public awareness human development deficits, and build infrastructure about the project and its objectives; deterring errors, fraud, remains. There is a particular need to strengthen the and corruption; identifying, assessing, and providing national and sub-national democratic institutions and resolutions at early stages as risk mitigation measures; and translate the likely gains of economic growth into increasing stakeholder involvement in the project. Well- improvements in poor and vulnerable peoples’ lives through designed GRMs may improve project outcomes and can services delivered at the local level. To address shortfalls in help both project team as well as project beneficiaries service delivery and poor human development outcomes, the improve results.1 Parliament passed the Local Government Act (LGA) and its attendant Statutory Instrument in 2004, effectively launching a program of decentralization. The legislation provided for a 3. DSDP 2’s GRM phased transfer of service delivery functions from 17 For DSDP 2, DecSec is Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to the 19 Local tasked to design and Councils (LCs). Regular elections to LCs have become a implement the project GRM. hallmark of decentralization in Sierra Leone. Working in close collaboration with the Local Councils operate within the LGA framework, and have World Bank team, DecSec has: quickly assumed major responsibilities in service delivery,  Coordinated with ongoing GRM initiatives in the country; including education and health. The Decentralization  Designed three-tier GRM process for the project based Secretariat (DecSec) at the Ministry of Local Government and on lessons learned from similar social protection and Rural Development (MLGRD) is in charge of supervising Sierra decentralization projects in other countries; Leone’s decentralization agenda. DecSec assigns Resident Technical Facilitators (RTFs) to every LC to provide technical assistance and to facilitate communication flows with 1 “How-To Note: Feedback Matters: Designing Effective Grievance Redress relevant MDAs. In turn, LCs operate with the Ward Mechanisms for Bank-Financed Projects, Part 1: The Theory of Grievance Redress� World Bank, 2011. 1 May 2016  Established the DSDP 2 GRM manual with principles, stipulated timeframe. Thus far, one case—on the procedures, and templates; unfinished school construction without a sanitation  Created GRM communications materials, including facility—has been escalated to the LC level (level 2). posters, stickers, and radio jingles; Complainants have been utilizing different methods  Provided training workshops to GRM implementers at almost equally to submit their grievances—the channels Ward, LC, and national levels; used include walk-ins, suggestion boxes, and phone call.  Issued a letter to establish a formal relations with the Among 14 complaints, one complaint was related to the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ombudsman office environmental and social safeguard4. for relevant case referrals; and  Assigned GRM focal points at each grievance tiers. In Kambia, a total of six The lowest level of the three-tier complaints, including non- GRM starts at the Ward level, then project related ones, were cascades to the LC level, and then collected during the first month to the national level. At each level, of GRM piloting. Of these, two Grievance Redress Committees are cases have been referred to the formed to receive and resolve LC (level 2) and are currently complaints and follow-up with the being processed. At the Kambia complainants. The community District office, the GRM members are encouraged to Committee, which consists of approach and submit complaints at the Deputy Chief (chair), an any relevant level through letters, M&E officer, an Environmental and Social Officer, an a form to the Suggestion Box (see Information, Education & Communications officer, Human photo), telephone, or walk-ins. Resource, and three representatives of civil society organization, religious institutions, and media, is meeting Although the piloting of GRM has been delayed by the frequently with an aim of investigating the complaints and recent Ebola Virus Disease outbreak, it has been smoothly brainstorming on the possible resolutions. The rolled out in five selected LCs (Kambia District Council, incorporation of non-LC members to the GRM committees Bonthe Municipal Council, Freetown City Council, Tonkolili has been perceived as a progress towards LC’s greater District Council, and Kono District Council) in September transparency, accountability, and participation. 2015. These LCs were selected based on the geographical locations (Southern and Northern LCs) and the data from The GRM pilot is planned to conclude in August 2016. 2013 CLoGPAS2. DecSec is coordinating closely with WDAs and LCs not only to collect data from the pilot but also to extract lessons learned. Such information is planned to be shared among 4. Results to Date and Next Steps stakeholders at a workshop planned in August/September While DecSec is in the process of collecting detailed 2016. Based on the pilot experience, the GRM manual reporting from the relevant GRM focal points at LC level, it may be revised and a phased GRM scale-up plan will be has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the developed. piloting from the LCs and WDCs. Feedback indicates that the DSDP 2 GRM is providing a formal, structured, and Logo of the DSDP 2 GRM (p.1): From DecSec’s presentation “Mid-Term direct channel to listen to the citizen voices related to Review Component 3� (Nov. 2015) service delivery, which did not exist prior to the pilot. Photo of the Suggestion Box (left): From the Freetown City Council (Nov. 2015) Photo of the community meeting and GRM posters (above): From the Kambia The GRM pilot is gradually being picked up by the District Council (Nov. 2015) community members. For example in the Bonthe Municipal Council, a total of 16 complaints have been This note was prepared by Saki Kumagai, Governance Specialist, under the guidance of Randa El-Rashidi, Senior Social Protection Specialist. The author recorded at the Ward level for September and October thanks Cerni Escale, Social Protection Consultant, for providing inputs. The 2015. Of which 14 complaints were related to the DSDP 2 findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this note are entirely and all3 have been resolved at the Ward level within the those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the World Bank, its Board, or its member countries. Last updated: May 19, 2016. 2 The Comprehensive Local Government Performance Assessment System. It aims at measuring LC’s performance on its core functionalities, including service delivery and good governance. 3 4 The Bonthe Municipal Council decided to take on all 16 complaints OP 4.01 Environmental Assessment and OP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement submitted as 2 complaints that were not related to DSDP 2 were related to have been triggered for DSDP 2. This specific complaint was related to service delivery, which LCs are responsible for. All 16 complaints were OP4.01. The complaint summary reads “Sand Hawkling within the township resolved at Ward level within the stipulated timeframe. One case that has resulting to environmental hazards� (from the Complaint Tracking Form of been escalated is being processed at the LC level. the Bonthe Municipal Council). 2