GCF: Complaints and Feedback Management

UNICEF is committed to ensuring that any people affected by UNICEF programmes, community members, partners or service providers involved in UNICEF-supported activities under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) can safely and confidentially submit complaints and feedback related to UNICEF activities.

Complaints and Feedback Management (CFM) informs and improves programme effectiveness by enhancing monitoring and risk management. CFM contributes to the early identification of issues and triggers quality and timely responses in line with a survivor centred approach.

The main objectives are to:

• Strengthen local risk management and programme oversight.
• Support timely decision-making and referral.
• Enable effective use of data to improve programme implementation.

Who Can Submit?

People affected by UNICEF programmes, community members, partners or service providers involved in UNICEF-supported activities under the GCF may submit a complaint or feedback.

What Can Be Reported?

UNICEF receives and acts upon all types of complaints and feedback that relate to its work under the Green Climate Fund in the Central African Republic. Submissions are classified into one of four standard categories:

1. Asking for information or help or sharing suggestions or opinions:

• Requests: requests for (1) information, (2) assistance and/or services, and/or (3) Data Subject Requests. Example: When will the immunization campaign start?
• Observations: suggestions or opinions, including the quality, accessibility and/or relevance of UNICEF activities. Example: Distribution should be in the market area, as the current location can get hot.
• Grievances: expressions of dissatisfaction on matters related to UNICEF activities and/or interaction with Feedback Channels.  Example: I did not receive the right cash amount.

2. Concerns:

• Concerns: Issues that may affect people, communities, or the environment. Any activity that contravenes or poses a threat of contravening any environmental and/or social safeguarding standards, as per UNICEF’s relevant policies and procedures. Example: The consultant delivering the training to the teachers smoked in the school premises, in front of the children.

3. Harm to people, the community or the environment:

• Occurrences or events generated by acts or omissions that result in harm to individuals including children, their communities or the environment. Example: I was sexually assaulted in the project site supported by UNICEF; my brother got injured in a rehabilitation site supported by UNICEF.

4. Fraud, Corruption and Aid Diversion: Theft, corruption, or misuse of resources:

• Fraud and Corruption include fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion and obstruction. Example: Someone from your organisation said if we give them half of our food, they will put us first on the list.
• Aid diversion refers to the misappropriation or re-direction of humanitarian funds, assets, or resources, by actors external to UNICEF preventing them from reaching intended beneficiaries or being used as originally intended. Example: Some school kits are being sold at the market by the teacher.

How to Submit?

The UNICEF Central African Republic Office ensures that the below channels are adapted to the context and accessible to any individuals, groups, or entities.

Complaints and feedback are collected through both fixed and mobile channels. An online form will be added to this page as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, complaints and feedback regarding activities supported by UNICEF under the GCF can be submitted in person at the Information and Feedback Centres (CIFs/IFCs), via mobile collectors in GCF intervention areas, or by email:

• Fixed mechanisms or Information and Feedback Centres (IFCs) are service desks set up in each Green Climate Fund (GCF) intervention area. They allow community members to come forward and submit their complaints or feedback to the IFC manager. The IFC manager records the complaint, or feedback directly notifies the appropriate focal point.

• Mobile mechanisms consist of individuals from the concerned community, selected by the community itself, whose role is to travel along the project‑covered areas to collect complaints and feedback from beneficiary populations. Mobile collectors record complaints and feedback and transmit them directly to the appropriate focal point. This mechanism allows people living far from the centre, as well as people with reduced mobility, to have access to a system that enables their voices to be heard.

• Email mechanism - Complaints and feedback can also be shared through messages to the following email address: [email protected]

Complaint and feedback could be submitted via:

• In person: Information and Feedback Centres (IFCs) in your area
• Through community members: Mobile collectors visiting communities

Complaints and feedback may also be submitted anonymously, although this may limit UNICEF’s ability to act on them.

What Happens After You Submit?

Complaints and feedback are:

• Acknowledged, categorized and reviewed by the designated Focal Point.
• Referred and acted upon, depending on the nature of the issue, to/by the appropriate focal point, section, or division for further action.
• Tracked through closure, including follow-up with relevant programme teams as appropriate.

Closure of a complaint or feedback record does not prevent the feedback provider from pursuing available judicial or other formal mechanisms, where applicable.

Can I stay anonymous?

Yes. You can submit a complaint without giving your name.

UNICEF will:

• Keep your information confidential
• Only share it with authorized staff

How will information be used?

• Your information is handled confidentially
• Only authorized staff can access it
• Data is used to improve programmes

Reports use anonymous, aggregated data (no names)

Reports Involving Misconduct

If the complaint relates to possible misconduct or wrongdoing by UNICEF Staff, Affiliate Personnel, Implementing Partners, or Vendors, it may be referred to UNICEF’s Office of Internal Audit and Investigations (OIAI). OIAI maintains an independent and confidential centralized reporting mechanism.

For more information about OIAI: https://www.unicef.org/auditandinvestigation/

Furthermore, you can also access the GCF’s Independent Redress Mechanism to address your grievance. Please file your grievance using the online form available at: https://irm.greenclimate.fund/case-register/file-complaint.