Enabling stakeholders to seek and receive response for grievances and alleged harm is a critical aspect of accountability. It literally enables stakeholders to hold an organisation to account for either its decisions or actions by querying these and requesting an investigation. Internal complaint and response systems can help provide access to justice to those who may otherwise be denied it.

Complaint and response handling refers to the mechanisms through which an organisation enables stakeholders to address complaints against its decisions and actions, and through which it ensures that these complaints are properly reviewed and acted upon.

Complaints do not have to be against outcomes, they can also arise against both practice and policies. Complaint mechanisms can therefore be used in relation to ongoing business, decision making processes, active projects, end products, etc.

Complaint and response handling should be seen as a last resort for ensuring accountability, used only when an organisation has failed to act in an accountable manner. An organisation that is transparent and participative in its decision making and actions is likely to have fewer complaints arising. Transparency,  participation and  evaluation processes should be used to minimise the need for complaint mechanisms.