These cookies cannot be disabled. They are essential for core functionality in ebrd.com to ensure a seamless and secure experience.
About Problem Solving
The Problem Solving function supports voluntary dialogue between complainants and clients to resolve the environmental, social and public disclosure concerns underlying a complaint, without attributing blame or fault.
IPAM acts as a third party facilitator to help find mutually satisfactory resolutions through flexible, consensus based alternative resolution approaches.
The Problem Solving Process
This function has two stages:
Stage 1. Problem Solving Initiative
can last up to 12 months and its goals and design are agreed by the Parties. The objective is to reach an agreement on how to address the concerns raised in a mutually satisfactory fashion.
Stage 2. Monitoring of Agreements
at times Parties agree on actions that need to be implemented after the signing of an agreement. IPAM monitors the completion of those actions as per a jointly agreed timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
The individuals, entities and organisations with a direct interest in a case. Parties may include (but are not limited to): the complainants; their Representatives, if any; the relevant Bank department, team or unit; the Client; and other Project financiers or other entities responsible for the implementation of a Project.
The scope and format of an initiative are defined in terms of reference drafted by IPAM and agreed with the Parties before starting. At this stage ground rules are also agreed to ensure a respectful and solution-oriented process. Every PS initiative is designed according to the needs of the case.
IPAM covers the cost of the local facilitator, logistics costs for convening meetings and depending on the specific needs of each case, the hiring of technical experts, translations and securing other inputs that might assist the parties to reach an agreement within the limits of the IPAM budget and the budgetary rules of the EBRD. IPAM does not provide compensation.
A member of the IPAM Problem Solving team may act as a facilitator but in most cases IPAM hires local dispute resolution experts to ensure direct and responsive engagement. In any case, the team in IPAM always participates.
The Parties decide jointly if they wish the process and/or the agreements reached to be confidential.
The complainant can ask IPAM to have the case considered under the Compliance function.
All case reports produced by IPAM are publicly disclosed in its case registry. When the parties have decided on a confidential process, IPAM will only disclose a Summary preserving the confidentiality requested.
IPAM monitors the actions agreed by the Parties until they have been completed. The monitoring approach includes consulting with the complainants, the client, Bank staff and other relevant stakeholders; considering Project documentation and from other sources relevant to the agreement; undertaking site visits; and engaging technical experts, if necessary.
IPAM disclosed monitoring reports twice a year until all actions agreed are completed.