SE3.1: Stakeholder Grievance Process – Above Green

(1.8 points)

Intent

This indicator identifies the existence of a grievance mechanism at the reporting entity. An entity’s procurement decisions and activities can lead to significant negative sustainability impacts in the supply chain, including human rights violations, even when entities operate optimally. Grievance mechanisms play an important role to provide access to remedy and reflect an entity’s commitment to ESG management. An entity should establish a mechanism for stakeholders in the supply chain to bring this to the attention of the entity and seek redress.

Requirements

Select Yes or No: If selecting Yes, select applicable sub-options.

Is there a formal process for stakeholders to communicate grievances that apply to this entity?

Yes
- Select all the characteristics applicable to the process (multiple answers possible)
  - Dialogue based
  - Legitimate and safe
  - Accessible and easy to understand
  - Improvement based
  - Predictable
  - Equitable and rights compatible
  - Transparent
  - Anonymous
  - Prohibitive against retaliation
  - Other: ____________
- Which stakeholders does the process apply to? (multiple answers possible)
  - Clients/customers
  - Community/public
  - Contractors
  - Employees
  - Investors/shareholders
  - Regulators/government
  - Special interest groups
  - Suppliers
  - Supply chain (beyond Tier 1 suppliers and contractors)
  - Other: ____________
No
- Provide additional context for the answer provided (not validated, for reporting purposes only)
  ________________________

Prefill: This indicator is similar to the one included in the 2019 Assessment and some sections have been prefilled from the 2019 Assessment. Review the response and/or evidence carefully.

Validation

Other: This indicator contains two options to provide an Other answer. Other answers must be outside the options listed in the indicator to be valid. Within the respective sections, state:

Other: State the other method used for the grievance process. It is possible to report multiple other answers.
Other: State the other stakeholder group. It is possible to report multiple other answers.

See Appendix 4 of the reference guide for additional information about GRESB Validation.

Scoring

This indicator is scored as a One Section Indicator. Evidence is not required. Fractional points are awarded based on the selections of:

Characteristic elements selected that are applicable to the grievances process.
Stakeholder to which the process applies to.

Other: Any ‘other’ answer provided will be manually validated and must be accepted before achieving the respective fractional score. If multiple ‘other’ answers are listed, more than one may be accepted in manual validation, but only one will be counted towards the score.

Diminishing Increase in Score approach: As indicated by the blue line, some elements of this indicator are scored based on a Diminishing Increase in Score approach, per additional checkbox selected.

Terminology

Accessible: Known to relevant stakeholder groups and provides adequate assistance for those who may face particular barriers to access (e.g. 24/7, language translations)

Dialogue based: Looks for mutually agreed solutions through engagement between parties.

Equitable: Ensure that parties have reasonable access to sources of information, advice and expertise necessary to engage in a grievance process on fair, informed and respectful terms (e.g. independent review).

Grievance mechanism: Formal, legal or non-legal (or ‘judicial/non-judicial’) complaint or feedback process that can be used by individuals, communities and/or civil society organizations that are being negatively affected by certain business activities and operations.The process enables the complaining party to flag an issue, seek redress and remedy.

Improvement based: Drawing on lessons learnt to improve processes and prevent future harms.

Legitimate: Enable trust from stakeholder groups.

Predictable: Provide a clear procedure with an indicative time frame for each stage, and clarity on the types of process and outcome available.

Rights compatible: Ensure that outcomes accord with international norms of behavior.

Transparent: Stakeholders are informed about the process and complainants are kept informed about the progress of grievances.

Safe: Protect stakeholders from potential threats and retaliations through a secure, anonymous, independent and two-way communication system.

Stakeholder groups: Terminology for the various stakeholder groups is defined in Appendix 2.

References

ISO20400: Sustainable Procurement

UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

Alignment with External Frameworks

GRI Standards 2016 - 103-2: The management approach and its components

Good practice example: Please refer to this link.