Grievance mechanisms provide a way to reduce risk for projects, offer communities an effective avenue for expressing concerns and achieving remedies, and promote a mutually constructive relationship. Local people need a trusted way to voice and resolve concerns linked to a development project, and companies need an effective way to address community concerns. 1 A locally based grievance resolution mechanism provides a promising avenue by offering a reliable structure and set of approaches where local people and the company can find effective solutions together. A well-functioning grievance mechanism: • Provides a predictable, transparent, and credible process to all parties, resulting in outcomes that are seen as fair, effective, and lasting • Builds trust as an integral component of broader community relations activities • Enables more systematic identification of emerging issues and trends, facilitating corrective action and preemptive engagement. Demand for effective grievance mechanisms is increasingly underpinned by investor policies— such as those of the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC)—and international initiatives such as the United Nations Human Rights Council. This Advisory Note offers practical guidance to assist in the design and implementation of effective project-level grievance mechanisms