The Gombe Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (GO-CARES), has conducted a three-day step-down training on Grievance Redress Mechanism and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) for key stakeholders.
The initiative aims to ensure the satisfaction of project beneficiaries and other interested parties while promoting transparent and timely resolution of grievances.
The training also seeks to enhance the capacity of staff and institutions in Gombe State to manage reported grievances effectively and to foster safer, more inclusive communities by equipping participants with the skills needed to resolve grievances fairly and address GBV issues within the state.
According to the National Coordinator of the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus, NG-CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, the training is critical to strengthening the grievance redress and GBV response mechanisms in Gombe State.
Dr. Obaje said participants would gain the requisite knowledge and strategies to establish and manage effective systems for handling grievances and GBV cases during the implementation of the NG-CARES programme.
The National Coordinator of NG-CARES says that to ensure the public benefits from the mechanism, NG-CARES is actively conducting sensitization campaigns to inform citizens to report any grievances through the established channels, such as if a project was not satisfactorily delivered, a payment is delayed, or a beneficiary is wrongfully excluded.
He said the NG-CARES programme recently conducted a training initiative to strengthen the capacity of delivery platform staff and local government officials, such as Desk Officers, Grievance Mechanism Officers, and Fadama facilitators, in effectively addressing grievances and gender-based violence (GBV).
According to him, the training underscores the programme’s commitment to establishing robust systems for grievance redress while safeguarding vulnerable populations.
He said grievance redress mechanisms had always been an integral part of the World Bank programmes, which the NG-CARES was leveraging on to establish structures and enhance them to ensure comprehensive coverage, saying that there are about five platforms in Gombe State, actively implementing the NG-CARES namely:
• Social Transfer at the Cash Transfer Office
• Targeted Grants Transfer (TGT)
• Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA)
• Fadama Programme
• State Development Agencies (SMA)
“Each platform has its grievance redress mechanism, but NG-CARES has harmonized these into a unified system supported by a Grievance Mechanism Manual. This manual provides standardized procedures for handling complaints, including those related to fraud, corruption, GBV, and other issues,” Dr. Obaje said.
Overall, he said the training would educate staff on the elements and content of the Grievance Mechanism Manual, equip them with skills to handle complex issues, including GBV and fraud, build their capacity to manage grievances efficiently and ensure swift redress within specified timeframes.
Dr. Obaje said the World Bank was Implementing the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus through a 750 million dollar grant and that over 50 million people had benefited from it nationwide.
“The programme emphasizes addressing infringements on the rights of women, children, and marginalized groups. The grievance redress procedure outlined in the manual provides clear steps for logging and managing complaints, escalating cases to the State Grievance Management Response Team (under the Ministry of Women Affairs) or federal authorities when necessary,” said Dr. Obaje.
Supporting the Vulnerable
The Gombe State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Salihu Baba Alkali, emphasized that GO-CARES is a local adaptation of NG-CARES, a World Bank-supported project aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by poor and vulnerable populations.
He explained that the program, domesticated in Gombe over the past four to five years, has significantly improved the lives of beneficiaries.
Mr. Alkali highlighted that the step-down training was mandated by the Federal NG-CARES to ensure that both implementers and beneficiaries are aware of their rights to raise complaints.
“This program allows implementing partners and beneficiaries to understand the grievance procedure. If grievances aren’t addressed, the program risks losing its credibility and impact,” said Mr. Alkali.
Capacity Building
The training also focuses on creating a safe and supportive environment to ensure beneficiary satisfaction.
It is designed to empower participants to design, establish, and manage effective grievance mechanisms tailored to the needs of vulnerable populations.
Additionally, the programme is also geared to
• Enhance understanding of GBV concepts, principles, and response strategies.
• Provide participants with the skills to develop protocols for resolving all types of grievances, including GBV cases.
• Promote collaboration among stakeholders such as government agencies, civil society organizations, and community leaders.
“By fostering coordination and ensuring a unified response, we can strengthen the program’s implementation and provide much-needed protection and support to targeted individuals and communities,” Mr. Alkali added.
Comments are closed.