Making Grievance Mechanisms Work: Dialogue, Trust and Engagement

How can grievance mechanisms move beyond processes on paper to support meaningful dialogue, build trust and contribute to remedy? In this ASI webinar, Making Grievance Mechanisms Work: Dialogue, Trust and Engagement, ASI and independent complaints mechanism counsel Dr Leopold von Carlowitz explore how grievance mechanisms work in practice, including the role of dialogue, engagement, investigation and assurance in addressing concerns. The webinar provides an overview of the ASI Complaints Mechanism and uses hypothetical case studies based on real experiences to examine some of the challenges that can arise when grievances involve complex environmental, human rights and community issues. These include unequal access to information and resources, fear of reprisals, technical and communication barriers, legacy impacts and differing perspectives on the facts. The case studies also illustrate how different approaches can influence outcomes – from complaints becoming stalled by lengthy and highly technical exchanges, to facilitated dialogue helping companies and communities build shared understanding and agree practical ways forward. The discussion highlights the links between ASI’s Complaints Mechanism and assurance processes, including how issues raised through complaints can inform audit planning, fact-finding and assessment of conformance. It also considers the role of ASI’s Indigenous Peoples Advisory Forum (IPAF) in providing local and cultural context and supporting engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The webinar concludes by considering why grievance mechanisms that appear robust on paper may fail in practice, and how organisations can assess whether their own mechanisms are genuinely effective.