Session Description
This interactive session combines a moderated fireside conversation with practical case study discussions about grievance management. Drawing on lessons from past projects, participants will explore how complaints can be transformed from compliance obligations into strategic sources of learning and evidence that strengthen stakeholder engagement, adaptive management, and project decision-making. Participants will examine why recurring complaints persist despite functioning grievance mechanisms, how to distinguish symptoms from root causes, and when grievances signal failures in communication, project design, governance, or stakeholder engagement.
The session will discuss practical tools for root cause analysis, structured engagement protocols, negotiation, and adaptive social impact management, while encouraging participants to reflect on their own experiences and share lessons learned across sectors and regions. Working in small groups, participants will analyze realistic cases informed by practitioners' experiences with land acquisition, labor relations, livelihood restoration, community health and safety, and benefit sharing. They will identify underlying causes, develop appropriate engagement and negotiation strategies, and discuss how complaint data can inform project redesign, policy improvements, and institutional learning.
Session Summary
This interactive session explores how stakeholder concerns and grievance processes are sources of learning for adaptive social performance management to improve project outcomes. Through fireside chats and practical case exercises, participants will discuss root causes, engagement strategies, negotiation approaches.
Additional Information
Bringing together perspectives from Environmental and Social performance practitioners in development finance, project implementation, dispute resolution, and regulation; the session will provide practical insights for environmental and social practitioners, project developers, lenders, regulators, and community engagement professionals
Session Chair
Edith Kahubire
African Development Bank Group
Uganda
Session Co-chair
Sheba Ndagire
THOM Consult Limited
Uganda