EVMS Grievances App Usage Policy

1. Purpose & Scope

This Usage Policy governs the Grievances module of the EVMS (Electronic Voucher Management System) application, through which users can lodge, track, and resolve complaints or grievances related to Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project. It applies to all complainants, field staff, and administrators who use the module.

2. Who This Applies To

• Members of the public or registered users submitting a grievance.
• Field agents and case officers who log or action grievances on behalf of a complainant.
• Administrators and supervisors who triage, escalate, and close cases.

3. Acceptable Use

• The Grievances App must only be used to submit genuine, good-faith complaints or feedback relevant to the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project.
• Users must not submit knowingly false, defamatory, or malicious complaints against another individual or organisation.
• Case officers must record grievances accurately and must not alter, suppress, or falsify a case record or its outcome.
• Access to another user's grievance case is restricted to staff assigned to that case or with a legitimate supervisory need.

4. Confidentiality

Details of a grievance, including the complainant's identity and any supporting evidence, are treated as confidential and shared only with staff directly involved in investigating or resolving the case, unless disclosure is required by law or the complainant consents to wider sharing (for example, referral to a partner agency).

5. Case Handling & Timelines

• Every grievance submitted through the app is assigned a unique case reference and an acknowledgement is issued to the complainant.
• Case officers are expected to action, update, or escalate a case within the service-level timelines defined by MCash Software's grievance-handling procedure.
• Complainants may request a status update on their case at any time using their case reference.

6. Protection Against Retaliation

Complainants and whistleblowers who raise a grievance in good faith will not be penalised, denied service, or subjected to retaliation as a result of having raised the matter.

7. Data Privacy

Personal information collected as part of a grievance (contact details, case narrative, supporting documents) is used solely to investigate and resolve the case and is retained in line with MCash Software's data retention schedule.

8. Prohibited Activities

• Submitting spam, abusive, or repeated frivolous grievances intended to disrupt the system.
• Using the app to harass a named individual rather than raise a legitimate service concern.
• Sharing confidential case details outside of authorised channels.

9. Escalation & Appeals

A complainant who is not satisfied with the resolution of their case may request escalation to a supervisor or, where applicable, an independent oversight body, using the escalation option within the app.