EP-JSLP Steps Up Establishment of Community Grievance Redress Committees Across 56 Chiefdoms in Eastern Province
The Eastern Province Jurisdictional Sustainable Landscape Program–Emission Reduction Project (EP-JSLP), under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, has intensified efforts to establish and operationalise Community Grievance Redress Committees (GRCs) across its 56 participating chiefdoms to strengthen community participation, accountability and access to grievance resolution.
As part of this initiative, the EP-JSLP Project Implementation Unit (PIU), working in collaboration with District Project Officers (DPOs), Environment and Social Safeguards Focal Point Persons and officers from implementing institutions, has taken the grievance redress process to Mumbi Chiefdom in Petauke District.
Yesterday, a delegation led by EP-JSLP Assistant Environmental and Social Inclusion Officer, Ms. Lucy Mbewe, accompanied by EP-JSLP Communications Officer, Mr.Creavat Chituta, Petauke and Lusangazi District Project Officer, Ms.Chipango Lukungu, Lusangazi Environment and Social Safeguards Focal Point Person, Timothy Banda, and other officers from implementing institutions, paid a courtesy call on Chief Mumbi of the Nsenga-speaking people before proceeding with a community meeting to facilitate the formation of the Community Grievance Redress Committee.
Members of the Mumbi Chiefdom Emissions Reduction Coordinating Executive Committee also participated in the meeting.
The exercise forms part of EP-JSLP’s commitment to strengthening its Feedback and Grievance Redress Mechanism (FGRM), which provides accessible channels through which project beneficiaries, workers and other stakeholders can raise concerns, submit complaints and provide feedback.
The mechanism is designed to ensure that grievances are handled promptly, fairly, transparently, confidentially and inclusively, in line with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework.
Through the establishment and operationalisation of Community Grievance Redress Committees, the Program seeks to bring grievance resolution closer to communities, ensuring that local concerns are heard and appropriately addressed while strengthening coordination between community structures, district teams and the Project Implementation Unit.
The committees will also play an important role in promoting safeguarding and ensuring that sensitive complaints, including those relating to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH), are handled confidentially and referred through appropriate and survivor-centred pathways.
The ongoing community-level engagements will be supported by capacity-building for district teams and Environment and Social Safeguards Focal Point Persons to strengthen their understanding of grievance intake and registration, documentation, investigation, resolution, referral procedures and reporting responsibilities.
By extending the FGRM to the grassroots, EP-JSLP is reinforcing its commitment to inclusive participation, transparency, accountability and community trust as it advances sustainable landscape management and emission reduction activities across Eastern Province.
Empowered committees. Communities whose voices are heard. Sustainable landscapes for a better future.
Photos by EP-JSLP Communications Unit
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