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Complaint Feedback Mechanism (CFM) improving efficiency in service delivery: Belet-Xawa

BELET-XAWA CFM SUMMARY REPORT: MAY, JUNE & JULY, 2021.

Complaints & Feedback Mechanism (CFM) is a formalized mechanism that provides safe, accessible and effective channel for displaced persons to get information feedback and to raise complaints for services within the sites and for a response or remedy to be given. The CFM is a direct feedback channel from the community to service providers.

This is part of NoFYL’s broader commitment to accountability, which promotes information sharing, transparency and participation with IDPs.

Through the existing information desks and the free-hotline number (2181), IDPs are able to raise concerns and/or request for assistance with regards to service provision within the 5-selected sites (Ajuran, Jiron, Iidan, Lebi Ad & Belet-Amin) in Belet-Xawo district.

In May 2021, NoFYL’s CCCM team first began raising awareness on the complaint and feedback mechanism. The team explicitly explained to the IDPs how the CFM works and how to use the channels to raise their complaints and concerns relating to service provision in the sites. The team did this by:

  1. Going door-to-door in the sites using Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials such as CFM stickers which contains information on the toll-free hotline number, with a request asking the IDPs to call. The door-to-door visits ensured that the mechanism is accessible to all groups, including PWDs, the most vulnerable and socially excluded members of the community.
  2. Ensuring the IEC materials are translated into the local Somali language for easier understanding.
  3. The CCCM team also affixed the CFM posters and stickers in different areas of the sites in order to reach more audience, especially those that weren’t home during the awareness & door-to-door visits.

Figure 1.1: NoFYL CFM attendants conducting door-to-door CFM awareness on the toll-free hotline number (2181) in Belet Amin site.

Figure 1.2: Left, CCCM monitor demonstrates how the free hotline number (2181) operates in Iidan site. Right, in Lebi Ad site, an IDP is using the IEC material (CFM sticker) to call and record a case.

The response from the community was immense as they began recording cases using the information desks set up in the 5 sites. The opportunity for communities to raise complaints and request for assistance and in exchange to receive feedback or response with an action has reinforced a feeling of being ‘listened to’ amongst community members and as a result fostered transparency and accountability and built rosy relationships in the camps. It also helped establish a relationship of trust between NoFYL and communities and improve the impact of our responses, as evidenced in the sites.

Figure 1.3: Left, NoFYL’s CCCM monitor listening to a complaint from a complainant at the information desk in Jiron site. Right, door-to-door recording of CFM cases in Ajuran site.

Overview of CFM Cases for May – July

A total of 865 CFM cases were recorded in the month of May, June & July, 2021. This is further dissected as follows:

May: 254 cases recorded with 175 the cases successfully referred & 100% of cases closed.

June: 310 cases recorded with 187 the cases successfully referred & 99% of cases closed.

July: 301 cases, recorded, with 186 of the cases successfully referred & 99% of cases closed.

Figure 1.4: Graph depicting the number of registered complaints between May and July

In each of the 3 months, the vast majority of the cases were filed by females and persons whose age range between 30 years to 59 years. The most popular mode used by the IDPs to record these cases was through information desks in the sites. High number of the cases filed in each month involved requests for assistance on different services.

The confidentiality aspect of the CFM is invariably prioritized when collecting and recording the CFM cases. NoFYL integrates a referral system in which cases; especially the GBV ones are immediately referred to specialized protection partners for action and for immediate follow-up and survivor protection.

The complaints & requests were addressed within one week of registration, though, in some instances depending on the complexity of the complaints, more time was required. All this time, the complainants were updated on the status of their cases through phone calls and by going to the field sites to provide verbal feedback & updates. Given the risks associated with sensitive complaints like GBV, NoFYL designed the mechanism in such a way that the complainants felt safe to provide any type of sensitive complaints. This also required CCCM monitors to go to the sites to provide feedback to the complainants while prioritizing and keeping in mind the aspect of confidentiality.

The team observed that maintaining confidentiality and ensuring safety of the complainant is crucial for building trust on the mechanism. This helped create a favorable environment which enabled complainants and NoFYL’s CFM attendants to engage and give feedback. Information on the cases are kept confidential and only limited to number of monitors. Equally, feedback and complaints are processed by designated team members who have been carefully trained on confidentiality and processing feedback.

Sector Summary

  1. Shelter:
  • Shelter complaints and information requests feature the highest issue to be recorded in May, June & July.
  • All the cases received on shelter were request for assistance. The request for assistance included provision of shelter.
  • All shelter cases in 4 sites were referred to HAPEN, a shelter partner except for shelter issues recorded in Lebi Ad site where HAPEN is not operating.
  1. WASH
  • WASH complaints and requests were the second highest issue to be recorded in May, June & July.
  • All WASH featured cases in May, June & July were request for assistance. Camp residents reported on the fewer number of toilets, some camps had no toilets and shortage or lack of water.
  • Most WASH cases in 4 sites were successfully referred to DRC, a WASH partner. WASH issues for Lebi Ad site was not referred because DRC is not operating in the site.
  1. CCCM
  • CFM cases relating to CCCM were immediately solved by NoFYL’s monitors whilst in the community through conversation, sharing information and taking action on the spot. This included information request on the commencement of the cash-for-work program and information on NoFYL’s activities.
  • More serious issue such as complaints against the camp management committees and camp leaders were conveyed back to the office for corrective actions to be taken.
  1. Food Security & Livelihood
  • FSL filed issues featured requests for assistance on food and work opportunities.
  • All FSL cases were not actionable as there are no active FSL partners operating in Belet-Xawo.
  1. Education
  • Lebi Ad site recorded the highest number 18 (62%) ofeducation issues to be recorded per site, with the IDPs requesting for schools facilities and learning opportunities for their children. The site also filed the highest number of education cases to be recorded per camp in the previous month of June.
  • There is no active education partner operating in Lebi Ad site.
  1. Health & Nutrition
  • All the health featured issues were request for assistance related lack of health facilities and services at the IDP sites and referrals to MCH which are not available in the sites.
  • The IDPs were requesting for nutritional services for children in the sites. The requests for nutrition services were primarily recorded in Iidan and Lebi Ad sites and were referred to Lifeline Gedo, a nutrition partner, for action.
  1. NFI, CHILD PROTECTION & GBV
  • Since most reports of GBV are time-sensitive and require confidential but personalized counselling, NoFYL team ensures that GBV cases are prioritized and confidentially managed. The month of July also saw an increase in the number of GBV cases recorded in the sites. This is thanks to GBV awareness conducted in the sites by NoFYL’s protection team. The GBV cases recorded involved issues around sexual assault and physical assault.
  • The NFI issues filed were request for assistance on mosquito nets. Child protection cases recorded involved issues around lost children in the sites.

IDP sites breakdown

  • Jiron IDP site continues to record high number of complaints & requests on shelter in May, June & July.
  • Belet-Amin site also continues to record high number of complaints & requests on WASH for June & July while Iidan and Lebi Ad IDP site had the highest cases related to WASH in the month of May.
  • There is also thirst for education and learning opportunities for camp residents in Lebi Ad site as they continue to record high number of issues related to education in the month of May, June & July.
  • Lack of health facilities including MCH and medical assistance is conspicuous in Ajuran site as it continues to lead in recording health complaints & requests for the month of May, June and July consecutively.

Figure 1.5: NoFYL’s CFM attendant putting up a sticker in Belet-Amin site.

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