Speaking during the occasion at the Bakadaji Hotel in Kololi, along the Bertil Harding Highway, Mr Jeng gave a rundown of the functions of the NSPA, central among them being the protection of vulnerable individuals and households from poverty, shocks and exclusion. This includes, he notes, creating systems that allow citizens to raise concerns, seek redress, and receive fair and timely responses.
He professed: "The development of a robust and unified grievance redress framework is therefore not incidental to our work, but fundamental to the credibility and effectiveness of social protection delivery in this country. Social protection is ultimately about people. It is about safeguarding dignity, promoting equity and ensuring that public interventions reach those who need them most. However, even the most well-designed systems can encounter challenges, whether in targeting, service delivery, communication or coordination.
"A strong grievance redress mechanism ensures that when such challenges arise, they are identified early, addressed fairly, and resolved transparently. It gives beneficiaries and stakeholders confidence that the system listens, learns and corrects itself. In this sense, grievance redress is not merely an administrative requirement; it is a core pillar of good governance and social accountability."
He noted that it was in recognition of these realities that the NSPA developed the National Grievance Redress Mechanism Manual for the social protection sector.
In addition to the manual stemming from a consultative, inclusive and evidence-based process, the executive director also emphasised that it ensures grievance redress within the social protection sector is legally grounded and enforceable, and that it guarantees coherence between policy, law and practice, thereby reducing fragmentation and institutional ambiguity.
He added: "Historically, grievance handling across social programmes has often been fragmented, with multiple entry points, varying procedures and inconsistent responses. This can create confusion for beneficiaries and inefficiencies for institutions.
"Therefore, the unified approach proposed in this manual streamlines grievance intake channels, clarifies referral pathways across institutions, standardises procedures for assessment, response and resolution, and strengthens coordination and reporting."
