GRIEVANCES REDRESS MECHANISM February 2019 ECOWAS CENTER FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY (ECREEE) 1 The Grievances Redress Mechanism (GRM) is effectively addressing grievances from people impacted by ROGEP and is a core component of managing operational risks and improving the project´s results. The GRM will be used as a tool for early identification, assessment and prompt resolution of complaints related to the project. Understanding when and how a GRM may improve the project outcomes will help both the PIU and other stakeholders to improve results. Complaints will be addressed by different by different stakeholders—private companies, commercial financial institutions, financial, technical implementation agencies (BOAD and ECREEE respectively) and the ECOWAS Commissioner for Energy and Mines. The matrix below shows potential complaints arising from project and sub-project activities and how they can be addressed. The fulfillment of their responsibility will be a pre-condition for each stakeholder to participate in the project. Level Description Responsible Entity Actions Private Customer Complaints Solar Equipment  Set up a call centers to Companies such as non- Distributors and receive feedback and replacement of Energy Service complaints from customers, products, aggressive Providers  Address customer repossession of units complaints received at the from households for Call Centers defaults, inadequate  Adhere to Warranty behavior of workers, arrangements/terms etc  Solving the issues on repossession in amicable ways  In cases where workers do not behave properly with customers, use a local grievance mechanism that has authority to deal with complaints of this nature, if it exists  Otherwise, customers should seek redress through the local courts in the country if amicable resolution of issues is unsuccessful Commercial Solar Equipment Commercial  Ensure that the processing Financial Distributors and Financial and requirement for loans Institutions Energy Service Institutions, are clearly communicated. Providers complaints comprising banks,  Resolve disputes amicably about the loan micro-finance between the parties at the processing, institutions and operational level repayment leasing companies  Establish local grievance requirements, and mechanisms for dealing with disputes related to complaints that cannot be interest charges resolved by the commercial financial institutions. Such mechanisms should include local representatives who 2 have the authority to hear and resolve disputes of this nature.  Seek redress through the local courts in the country if amicable resolution of issues and/or grievance process is unsuccessful Financial Complaints about the BOAD  Clearly communicate the Implementation Credit Line, processing requirement for Agency repayment Credit Lines requirements, and  Resolve disputes amicably disputes related to between the parties in line interest charges with the credit line agreements.  If not already done so, establish an internal Grievance Redress Service for processing complaints that come to the Financial Implementation Agency i.e BOAD.. Complaints and the decisions regarding their resolution should be recorded. Seek redress through the local courts in the country if amicable resolution of issues is unsuccessful Technical Complaints from all ECREEE  Set up a GRM reporting Implementation stakeholders. portal on the website Agency Issues related to  Set up a GRM team following Sub- (Coordinator of the PIU, E&S Components: Enabling Focal Person and the Environment, Administrative Officer) Entrepreneurship  Upon the receipt of any Support and Risk complaints, the GRM team Mitigation Facility. will review the issue and within 3 business days notify the complainant of receipt of the complaint and ask for additional information if needed.  Within 30 business days of receipt of full complaints (including any additional information received), the GRM team shall send a proposal to the complainant(s) with an 3 action plan and timeframe for its implementation  The GRM team shall consult with the complainant(s) on the proposal (Complex complaints may require the team to extend the time limit for resolution of conflicts to 45 business days)  If the complainant(s) accepts the proposal, the project team implements it according to the process and timeframe set out in the proposal. The complaint is closed when the actions in the proposal are satisfactorily implemented. Document all complaints and resolutions.  If the complainant does not accept the proposal, the complainant may file an appeal. The appeal will be made to the ECOWAS Commissioner of Energy and Mines who will have to act on the complaints within 30 days  ECREEE/ECOWAS will seek to use arbitration to resolve issues as much as possible in order to avoid resolutions at the courts.  Extremely complicated and/or issues that ECREEE/ECOWAS considers beyond its GRM team and The Commissioner of Energy and Mines resolution, seek the advice of the World Bank in handling extremely complicate complaints. In such circumstances, further redress may be done through the local/international courts in the country where complaints originated or a regional court. 4