The Bahamas Protected Areas Fund maintains a formal Grievance Redress Mechanism (“GRM”) to provide a fair, transparent, and timely process for receiving and addressing complaints relating to environmental, social, labour, gender, health and safety, and stakeholder-related concerns arising from BPAF activities or BPAF-funded projects. The mechanism is intended to ensure that concerns are handled consistently, documented appropriately, and resolved at the lowest possible level where feasible.

BPAF is committed to confidentiality, anonymity where requested, and protection against retaliation. To preserve the anonymity of complainants and maintain the integrity of the process, grievances must be submitted through BPAF’s secure online reporting platform. Supporting evidence such as documents, photographs, or videos may be attached where relevant, and all complaints will be handled discreetly and with due regard to confidentiality.

The mechanism is available to community members, grantees, contractors, consultants, employees, government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders affected by BPAF activities or funded projects. Complaints may relate to environmental impacts, social impacts, labour matters, gender concerns, community health and safety, or stakeholder engagement issues. Matters involving fraud, corruption, ethics violations, or procurement concerns fall outside this mechanism and should be referred to BPAF’s Whistleblower Mechanism or the appropriate procurement process.

Once a grievance is submitted, BPAF will acknowledge receipt within seven days. The Compliance and Ethics Officer will review the matter within ten days to determine whether it is admissible under the GRM and whether it should be handled at the institutional or project level. Where admissible, BPAF will investigate the matter, typically within 30 to 60 days, and may gather evidence, hold stakeholder meetings, take witness statements, conduct interviews, or undertake site visits where necessary.

Where a grievance relates to a grant application that is under active review or within an active grant cycle, BPAF may, on a case-by-case basis, place a Stay of Action on the application until the complaint has been reviewed and the outcome of the investigation determined. During this period, no final decision, approval, or disbursement will be made unless and until the matter has been properly considered in accordance with the GRM process.

Following investigation, BPAF will develop and implement any necessary corrective actions and, where appropriate, communicate the outcome to the complainant. The grievance will then be formally closed and recorded in the Grievance Register for monitoring, reporting, and accountability purposes.

Can I remain anonymous?

Yes.

Anonymous complaints are accepted, although providing contact information may assist with the investigation.

Will my identity remain confidential?

Yes, to the fullest extent possible.

How long does the process take?

Acknowledgement: within 7 days
Review: within 10 days
Investigation: typically 30–60 days

Will I receive updates?

Yes, if contact information has been provided.

Can I submit evidence?

Photos, videos and documents can all be uploaded.