Staff awareness of grievance mechanism
This criterion assesses whether at least 90% of staff and volunteers demonstrate awareness of the organization's justice and dispute resolution mechanisms when surveyed. It evaluates the organization's commitment to ensuring that all team members understand how to access support when conflicts arise or ethical concerns need to be raised. The maxim ‘No harm and no reciprocating harm’ (La darar wa la dirar) and the principle of blocking means to evil (Sadd al-dhara’i) oblige leadership to provide safe, accessible channels and protect from retaliation. This mechanism is linked to the Hisbah tradition of public accountability and the Prophetic command to 'help the oppressor' by stopping them from oppression (Sahih al-Bukhari 2444), making explicit the institutional lineage of speaking up for justice.
| Metric | Staff and volunteer awareness of grievance and whistleblowing mechanism |
|---|---|
| Target | ≥90% |
| Frequency | Annual + onboarding within 30 days |
| Method | (Respondents meeting awareness standard ÷ Total staff and volunteers surveyed) × 100 |
| Unit | Percentage |
Level 1: Initial/Ad-hoc
No formal grievance mechanism is documented or communicated. Staff awareness is informal, ad-hoc, and dependent on personal relationships.
Level 2: Developing
Basic documented mechanism with limited communication; surveys show low awareness (50–74%).
Level 3: Established
Mechanism formally communicated in induction; surveys show developing awareness (75–84%).
Level 4: Advanced
Proactive, multi-channel communication; surveys show high awareness (85–94%).
Level 5: Optimizing
The mechanism is widely understood and trusted. Staff surveys show very high awareness (≥95%), staff can articulate core principles, and the organization tracks a speak-up confidence index.
Organisation Types
By Organisation Size
| Size | Applicability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Micro | exempt | Completely disproportionate for 0-2 volunteers; informal communication of the grievance process is sufficient. |
| Small | exempt | Disproportionate for under 5 staff; providing a basic policy during induction is adequate without formal scored surveys. |
| Medium | partial | Requires a grievance policy and basic induction checks, but complex version-controlled surveys and scoring rubrics are too burdensome. |
| Large | partial | Annual surveys and induction materials apply, but the strict mathematical scoring and role-family question banks can be simplified. |
| Major | full | Fully applicable; large HR departments can maintain version-controlled role-specific surveys and complex scoring logic. |
Applicable When
- The organization employs staff or engages volunteers
- The organization has a defined structure with reporting lines
Not Applicable When
- The organization is a sole proprietorship with no employees or volunteers
- The organization consists only of unpaid directors with no operational staff.
Discussion (1)
📋 **Version updated: 1.0.0 → 2.9.7** **Changes:** Updated islamic_references from mizan-297.json
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