Suggestion And Complaint Cell memo HANDS-DFID Emergency Shelter Project
HANDS strongly believes that openness towards accountability, both internally and externally, is an essential ingredient to ensure transparency in the affairs of any organization. HANDS is a transparent and accountable organization. In order to ensure full accountability of its overall operations at all levels particularly HANDS-DFID shelter project; HANDS has taken the initiative of establishing the Suggestion And Complaint (SAC) Cell. HANDS understands and fully aware of the benefits to be derived from effectively managing the complaints concerns that will inevitably be made by its staff, beneficiaries, contractors, partners and the public in general. HANDS strongly believes that properly handled complaints can be an economical and effective way of improving public image, increasing community and partner satisfaction and identifying gaps in procedures and rectifying the same. Realizing that its people’s right to share concerns / complaints; HANDS greatly encourages and welcomes its staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders to register their complaints if any and let SAC Cell to handle it to your satisfaction and in a very transparent manner. HANDS believes that it will further improve its services with the feedback and cooperation of complainants and will be able to serve them even better…
Complainant’s category
The SAC cell has a much broader scope. It has received complaints from beneficiaries, general stakeholder and all HANDS team members which are grouped as following:
Community and Beneficiaries: This includes people from project areas and project beneficiaries.
General Stakeholders: This includes donors and partners, government and civil society representatives, and general public.
Service Providers: This includes contractors, vendors, suppliers, consultants and other types of service providers etc.
HANDS Team Members: This includes all HANDS staff (current and previous), interns and volunteers.
SAC Cell Promotion / Visibility:
HANDS have developed complaint info banner and pamphlet. Each district received 10 Banners and each beneficiary received one pamphlet. On Every distribution point SAC Cell banner was placed on visible location and Monitoring Manager gave brief intro about the complaint registration mechanism and also distributed pamphlet among all beneficiary. Moreover a hand book on complaint registration mechanism is under publication
Complaint receiving mechanism
These were five different ways to register complaint
Complaint Desk:
At each distribution point HANDS Monitoring Managerestablished complaint desk and directly receive/listen the complaint and resolve on the spot. Beneficiaries are being informed /oriented about the complaint desk before start of distribution. Monitoring Manager also orient beneficiaries about all steps of complaint registration and it follow up mechanism. This step has left very good impression for the organization as well beneficiaries. There are number of complaint received at complaint desk and resolved.
District wise detail
Complaint received at Complaint Desk during shelter kit distribution
Complaint Box
Complaint boxes had been provided / placed to each district office which is placed at main entrance of office where one can put their complaint. Monitoring Manager has to check the complaint box on every day morning and report to HANDS SAC Cell. It was very effective to for internal district office staff but we did not receive any single complaint of beneficiary through this method till up to date.
Complaint through Telephone
This was the second most important source of complaint registration. HANDS head office based Complaint Officer received 10 complaints from 4 different district. These complaints were discussed with GM IDEAS and Chief Executive. Chief Executive then formed the inquiry committee who held independent inquiry and reported to Chief Executive Secretariat. This way HANDS senior management took action against responsible.
District wise complaint detail
Complaint Email
In the context of shelter project SAC Cell did not receive any complaint from beneficiaries through email.
Web based Complaint registration
It is being developed
Following rights of the Complainant were followed during and after the registration of complaint
• All Complainants were treated with full respect and dignity at every level specially during the complaint handling and investigation process.
• During the course of complaint handling the privacy of complainants was fully protected
• Every Complaint was genuinely considered and properly investigated
• Every Complainant was provided with appropriate and easily understandable information and guidance regarding SAC Cell’s complaint registration and handling process
• Complainants should be able to comment on the complaint handling process
• Complainants was not any retaliation or revenge as a result of making a complaint
• Complainant was properly informed about the decision of the complaint regardless of the nature of the complaint
Conclusion
HANDS Welcome received and handled complaints from everybody concerned regardless of their affiliation, association, caste, religion, status and gender etc. We treated all types of complainants with respect and dignity and without any discrimination. HANDS handled all complaints with complete neutrality and maintain impartiality and fairness while dealing with both the complainant and the suspect. We maintained complete transparency while dealing with complaints. HANDS also maintained full confidentiality of both the complainant and the suspect until it is required other way round. In addition we ensured the complainant and the suspect both did not face any type of retaliation or revenge at any level. Beside that we Handled and resolved all complaints in a timely manner