The Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was designed to include a grievance mechanism. The ADB recognized early on that problems may arise in large-scale projects, especially so for this one, since the project area was devastated by a major earthquake and a huge tsunami, and has experienced years of conflict.

A complaint handling mechanism with staff and funding was set in place in Aceh and Nias, the two project sites. People in the sites were informed of the presence of the mechanism, and were told how and where to complain. They were also given options on how they will file their complaints. Each method for receiving complaints provided referrals to a higher level in case initial responses to the grievances were not satisfactory. In areas where traditional methods were preferred, the complaint handling system was integrated with the indigenous systems.

The mechanism facilitated project implementation. It brought greater transparency and accountability among project implementers. It also fostered greater openness among community residents for discussing and resolving issues that arose. Grievances, instead of escalating into conflicts or crises, became feedback that further informed and enhanced the project.

Thus, the project ran smoothly, with minimal conflicts. It was no surprise that, even with a project as complex as the Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project, no formal complaints were ever filed at the Office of the Special Project Facilitator of the ADB.