The Lao Competitiveness and Trade Project was launched in 2019 to assist the Government of Lao PDR to further deepen reform to improve the business environment, improve connectivity with neighboring economies, and raise firm-level productivity. The Project is financed by the World Bank Group International Development Association, and a multi-donor trust fund to which the Governments of Australia, Ireland and USA contribute. The project aims to eliminate barriers to private sector-led growth by improving the regulatory environment, lowering trade costs, and raising firm-level competitiveness.

The Project is committed to establishing a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) to manage its operational risk. A GRM is a way for people who are affected by the Project to raise concerns and seek help when they feel that it has had a negative impact on them. The GRM is designed to help people get the services they should receive and it can be an effective tool for early identification, assessment, and resolution of complaints about the Project. This will in turn help improve the Project’s outcomes and help both its teams and beneficiaries.

About grievance reporting

The GRM is designed to receive and address any concerns, complaints, notices of emerging conflict, and grievances, and assist in their resolution between and among Project stakeholders, as well as relevant government ministries, agencies, and private enterprises.

Any project-affected persons can report a complaint
Any individual or group of individuals who believe they have been or will potentially be impacted or harmed by the Project can submit a complaint. The complainants will always be kept anonymous to protect their rights and privacy.

Information that should be included in a complaint
Complaints should may the following information:

1. The claimant’s contact details (email, phone, address, other), which only a GRM consultant can know.
2. Who gave the claimant the right to speak for them, and their names.
3. The description of the potential or actual harm caused by the Project.
4. The harm or risk, the people involved, the responsible parties, the place and time.
5. The claimant’s actions to solve the issue.
6. Whether the claimant wishes their identity to be kept confidential; and
7. What kind of help the claimant needs from GRM.

However, complainants do not have to give all of these details and they can send the complaint anonymously. At first, the complainant only needs to give enough details to check if their eligibility to make a complaint. If insufficient detail has been supplied, the GRM must honestly attempt to reach the complainant and ask for more detail in order to determine the eligibility of the complaint, and to develop a proposed response.

Complaints can be submitted by:

1. Sending an email to: lctgrm@laosaft.org
2. Reporting to: https://www.t4dlaos.org/lctgrm/
3. Placing the complaints in the comment box in front of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
4. Sending a letter to the NIU Division, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Phonexay Road, PO Box 4107, Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Complaint review process

After a complaint is submitted, several steps are involved prior to it being fully resolved. The time it takes to resolve a complaint can vary depending on its complexity and severity. Typically, complaints are resolved within 10-60 days. The key steps in reviewing and resolving a complaint are as follows:

1. The project GRM secretariat receives the complaint.
2. The GRM secretariat acknowledges the complaint within five working days.
3. The GRM committee and the head of the GRM secretariat review the complaint by conducting an investigation, or referring to a mediator or another competent body.

   If the complaint was not anonymous, an action plan is discussed with the complainant and put in place.

   The personnel involved with the complaint/issue are held accountable, and steps to correct any issues are established.

4. The GRM secretariat informs the complainant of the assessment outcomes.
5. Follow-up steps are put in place for periodic checks/audits to ensure that appropriate action was taken. However, if the complainant does not accept the decision, a formal appeal may be made, which may take between several days and 60 days to resolve.

A properly functioning GRM will enable stakeholders to raise their concerns and provide feedback on the Project. This feedback can be used to improve the Project and ensure that it meets the needs of all stakeholders. A GRM is not only an essential component of stakeholder engagement, but also an important source for us to continuously improve our Project and the services we deliver to our beneficiaries.