Grievance Redress Mechanisms in the Health Sector in Mozambique

Context: This research stemmed from learning and changes that occurred in the intervention strategy and budget of the POTENCIAR programme. In consultations and meetings between the Programme Management Unit (UGP) and various actors operating in this area, POTENCIAR’s partners identified — in a participatory and inclusive manner — the issue of grievance redress mechanisms as a problem that they can intervene on within the context of Pro-Accountability Initiatives (PAIs). Taking this perspective , POTENCIAR conceived the present research on mechanisms for complaining about and denouncing poor standards in maternity services. Objectives: The objective of this study was to understand the complaints and grievances management system available to users in the health sector. The insights gained from this study will subsequently feed back into revision s to POTENCIAR’s theory of change and theory of action. The research included mapping the flow of the complaint channel ling process; identifying the motives, capacities, and opportunities for the health authorities to implement the system of mechanisms for redressing complaints; an analysis of how the perspectives of users are perceived, considered, and rejected by health authorities; and, finally, an analysis of the extent to which existing grievance mechanisms are used, including the opportunities, capacities, and motivations for using them.