Poverty Reduction Fund
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Feedback and resolution mechanism is created to ensure that the PRF has in place a system to receive feedback from citizens, assuring that the voices are heard from the poor and vulnerable, and the issues are resolved effectively and expeditiously. Such a system is expected to enable the PRF to be fully responsive to its beneficiary communities and empower the ethnic groups and poor in villages who are the principal target of the Program.

Guiding principles of the system:
1).Visibility: Information about how and where to provide feedback is well-publicized.
2).Acessibility: Citizens should find it easy to engage and use the feedback procedure, irrespective of language or disability.
3).Responsiveness: Prompt acknowledgment to be followed by prompt action, with informant kept informed of progress.
4).Objectivity: Any investigation should be open-minded and impartial, complete and equitable.
5).Charges: There are no costs to the informant as their feedback is provided and handled.
6).Confidentiality: Unless voluntarily provided, identities of informants will be kept confidential throughout and after the investigation process.
7).Citizen-focus: The project welcomes citizen feedback of all types, with a culture that sees citizen as central.
8).Accountability: There should be clarity on roles and authority in handling feedback, and staff should be accountable for their actions and decisions.
9).Continual Improvement: There should be a permanent objective to learn from feedback to improve processes, policies, and procedures.
 
PRF always keeps in mind your feedback is a significant assest for its working improvement.

Its fundamental philosophy is "act on behaft of the poor's interests".
Source of Feedback
In principle, feedback can be provided by anyone involved in the PRF process (Government authorities at each level, villagers, contractors, development agencies, PRF staff, and other involved parties). The system has been setup and modified to increase participation of vulnerable groups (such as ethnic groups and women) who are likely to have less voice in planning and implementation process of the PRF.
Types of Feedback
Feedback may include: (i) misuse of funds; (ii) corruption allegations; (ii) inappropriate intervention by outside parties; and (iv) violation of program policies and principles. Feedback may just be simple inquiries about program procedures or rules.
Feedback Channels (Uptake)
FR mechanism is an integral part of the Monitoring Information System (MIS) of the PRF, and crucial for an effective implementation of the PRF basic principles. Provision of feedback is possible at all levels (village, koumban, district, provincial, and national level). For the FRM to function, the PRF has established the following conduits for feedback:
  • FRM Committees at village, koumban, district, and provincial level.
  • Feedback boxes.
  • Toll free hotline.
  • PO Box.
  • Dedicated e-mail.
  • PRF Website.
  • Regular meetings at all level during PRF Cycle implementation (village, koumban, district, provincial and national level).
  • Annual meetings in selected villages in each koumban soliciting feedback from community members.
Feedback can be provided verbally or in a written form. Given that verbal feedback to trusted community members is traditionally accepted as an effective conflict resolution channel, Village FRCs consist of the Village Committee (including traditional intermediaries, such as Neo Hom) and the two PRF village representatives (one man and one woman) who can receive verbal feedback and facilitate the Feedback process at the village level. Since some of the FRC members might be illiterate, literate members of the FRC will work with them closely to ensure proper documentation of all feedback, including the verbal feedback (designated person at the village level and koumban facilitators at the koumban level). All FRC members are expected to receive appropriate training about their function and responsibilities in the FRM.

Feedback and Resolution Forms (FR-Form) are available at the village, koumban, district and provincial levels, where “feedback boxes” have been established. All citizens who are seeking clarification, more information or have complaint about the PRF are encouraged to fill out the FR-form for investigation, but can also be stated and submitted on a plain paper, following the Feedback and Resolution form contents. Individuals with difficulty in writing are encouraged to find someone capable of writing on their behalf (such as friends or relatives, members of MBOs, PRF staff, village or koumban FRC). All feedback in written form should be submitted to the feedback boxes.

Feedback can also be conveyed verbally by visiting PRF offices or during the regular meetings organized by the PRF at the different stage of the PRF Cycle. All feedback received must be recorded on the FR-Form by the PRF staff, and the PRF staff will provide details of the next step to the informant which is then submitted to the feedback box by the informant. In addition, the koumban-level FR Committee members will pay annual visits to select villages in their koumban in order to hold meetings with community members and solicit their feedback in a more proactive manner.

MBO representatives on the FRCs, such as the Lao Women’s Union or the Lao Front for Reconstruction, are encouraged to take on a more proactive role in soliciting feedback from citizens.

In order to stimulate demand for the FRM and encourage citizens to provide feedback, MBO representatives could pay regular visits to communities living in remote areas to collect their feedback and mediate them to the koumban level, for further sorting and processing.

The selected representatives of the MBOS along with the FRC members and the identified local intermediaries should receive training on FRM – in particular, on two-way communication and conflict resolution.

Beyond FRM, the PRF will maintain the regular communication channel through volunteers and MBOs between PRF and citizens, so they can provide feedback. Beyond the meetings envisaged in the PRF’s project cycle, koumban committees could organize regular public hearings on project implementation, where citizens would have an opportunity to voice their concerns and suggestions. Such public hearings could help the government institutionalize participation of the poor in the policymaking processes in the country over time.

With regard to sorting and processing, the Feedback Box is opened every two weeks by the FR Committee (at village, koumban, district and provincial levels) in the presence of all FRC members and recorded.(Full document...)
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