4. Feedback and complaints

A Feedback and Accountability Mechanism (FAM) is a set of procedures and tools formally established (ideally across programs and linked to other monitoring processes) which:

1. solicits and listens to, collates and analyzes feedback and complaints from members of the community where CARE works about their experience of an intervention provided by CARE and its partners;
2. solicits and listens to, collates and analyzes feedback and complaints from partners about their experience of working with CARE;
3. triggers action, influences decision-making at the appropriate level in the organization and/or prompts a referral to other relevant stakeholders if necessary and appropriate;
4. provides a response back to the feedback or complaint provider and if appropriate, the wider community.

In some contexts, particularly in humanitarian responses or when working in consortia, an inter-agency or joint mechanism may exist. It is always preferable for CARE and partners to utilize joint mechanisms where they exist rather than setting up a separate FAM. CARE must ensure that joint mechanisms meet CARE’s minimum standards which may require following-up with the lead agency (if not CARE) and may necessitate that the minimum standards are included in agreements with other agencies.

Feedback is a positive or negative statement, a concern or a suggestion on a non-sensitive issue about an intervention provided by CARE or its partners or the behavior of CARE or partner staff.

A complaint is a specific grievance from anyone who has been negatively affected by an organisation’s action or who believes that an organisation has failed to meet a stated commitment. Complaints can be about either non-sensitive issues (such as dissatisfaction with activities) or sensitive issues (such as fraud, corruption, abusive behavior or sexual exploitation).

Feedback and complaints can be shared by any member of the communities where we work, such as project participants, other crisis-affected populations, local traditional or administrative authorities, suppliers and even CARE and partner staff. Crucially, all community members should be able to access the FCM, regardless of age, gender and ability, including the most marginalized, and the FCM should be designed and managed in a way that does not cause harm.

If operated effectively, a feedback and accountability mechanism (FAM) supports CARE and its partners to meet the organization’s goals, values and commitments by ensuring that:

• Initial steps are taken towards redressing power imbalances and we are accountable to those we work with and for – by providing opportunities for participants (of all ages, genders and abilities) and partners to participate in and influence decision-making.
• Our interventions are relevant and appropriate to participants’ needs and aspirations – by identifying changing needs and inappropriate activities and taking appropriate action.
• Our interventions are implemented in a way which respects communities and protects their well-being and safety – by identifying activities or behavior which are causing harm and taking appropriate action.
• The integrity of our interventions is upheld –– by identifying situations in which assistance is being diverted for personal or political gain and taking appropriate action.
• Gender equality and women’s voice are supported – by identifying what is working and not working for women, men, boys and girls and providing opportunities for marginalized community members to voice their opinions and feed into decision-making.
• Trust with community members is built and maintained – facilitating implementation and creating a solid relationship with the community upon which to intervene at a deeper level in the future.
• Actual and potential cases of sexual harassment, exploitation abuse are identified and addressed – acting as an early warning system and allowing us to respond and prevent further sexual misconduct or other sensitive issues

Experience shows that Feedback and Accountability Mechanisms (FAM) can have enormous benefits for both communities and for CARE staff.  On the other hand, setting up such a mechanism that does not function well (for example if complaints are not followed up) may contribute to frustration and worsening relationships with communities and local stakeholders thus can potentially be harmful.

CARE divides the process of setting up and operating FAM into three main stages with specific steps in each stage:

PLAN                     ACT                    IMPROVE

Step 1: COMMIT                              Step 4: DESIGN                               Step 7: RESPOND

Step 2: UNDERSTAND                    Step 5: PROCESS                           Step 8: ADAPT

Step 3: CONSULT                            Step 6: MAKE SENSE                    Step 9: LEARN

 

These steps follow standards for the design, implementation and management of Feedback and Accountability Mechanisms that are aligned with global commitments as outlined by the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS).

Please do not consider the steps as a linear progression but instead that each step reinforces the others in a circular fashion. Frequently these steps will be conducted in parallel or previous steps will be revisited with the new understanding gained from the other steps.

See full FAM Guidance for further details about each of those steps.

For each stage and related steps defined in the minimum operating standards, specific roles and responsibilities need to be clearly assigned. Roles and responsibilities should be assigned to appropriate staff members working in the following types of functions:

• Senior Management are ultimately accountable for the establishment and performance of the FCM, as well as ensuring organisational commitment and encouraging a culture supportive of accountability.
• The Program Director should be a champion of accountability and hold the Program Team to account for effectively operating the FCM and using data in decision-making. This person is responsible for the inclusiveness and effectiveness of the FCM with a focus on learning and improvement.
• Program Team / Project Managers provide programmatic-level support to the implementation and operation of the FCM. They should create a demand for feedback and complaints data and use that data in decision-making.
• The MEAL Manager in the country office (or whoever leads on MEAL) has oversight of the running of the FCM across all areas on a day-to-day basis, including coordinating with field office and partner staff to ensure consistent understanding, to build capacity and provide tools and guidance. This person takes a lead on quality control and data analysis.
• MEAL/Accountability staff at the field office (which could include Officers or Community Engagement staff) are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the various channels, including directly receiving and processing feedback and complaints.

Sensitive complaints such as sexual exploitation and abuse should be escalated to the designated manager for appropriate handling and response.

When working with partners, CARE’s role should cover the following:

• Ensuring partners have a clear understanding of CARE’s expectations and minimum standards;
• Providing technical support, capacity building, resources and tools as required (e.g. training on PSHEA);
• Providing quality control during field monitoring visits;
• Regularly reviewing analysis of feedback and complaints data and supporting partners to use this for decision-making;
• Regularly participating in reviewing the effectiveness of the FCM and contributing to efforts around learning and improvement.