A Global Stock-Take of Country-Owned Grievance and Feedback Mechanisms

Abstract

Centralized country-owned GMs are managed by a single entity that provides the main gateway for the submission of citizen feedback. In most cases, the task of such a centralized GM is to accept and acknowledge the receipt of a submission and then forward it to the public sector entity with the mandate to address the specific issue at hand. Upon receiving a submission, the appropriate ministry, bureau, or department ensures adequate follow-up, investigation, and action, with a view toward proposing a resolution agreeable to the GM user. Grievance redress units established at the central/ national level typically monitor the responses of such public entities to ensure that they are abiding by legally established timeframes for an administrative response and that after receiving a suggested resolution, they are communicating it back to citizens. Furthermore, because of its position as a central node, a centralized GM can also collect and publish relevant grievance data.