Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world

Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism
Timetable and Procedure
Flow Chart of the Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism
Set out below is a chart showing the Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism process.
Included in this timetable and procedure is a summary guide of the key steps toresolving a complaint issues under the Grievance Mechanism (“Complaint“). Whensubmitting a Complaint please refer to the Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism Rules
here for full details.

CEDR Services Ltd

T: +44 (0)20 7536 6060

100 St. Paul's ChurchyardW: www.cedr.com/commercial/mediationschemes/bonsucro

LondonE: adr@cedr.com

EC4M 8BU
Registered in England no. 2422813

Registered Charity no. 1060369© CEDR 2020

Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world

Step 1: Submitting Complaint
To commence a Complaint please carefully consider the eligibility requirements
referring to the Eligibility Checklist here. If your complaint meets the eligibility
requirements, please submit the following:•••

A completed Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism Application Form here;
A Complaint submission in English not to exceed 25 A4 pages (see Rule 4.1 forrequirements); andSupporting materials in English (or with accompanying English translations asrequired by the Rules), not to exceed 175 A4 pages for documentation and 1
hour of video/visual material.

CEDR will notify you within 5 business days of receipt of your application that CEDR
have received it.

Step 2: Submitting a Complaint and checking if it is in Scope
Within 10 business days of receiving your Complaint, CEDR will notify you if CEDR
believe that you need to re-submit your Complaint to meet the requirements ofComplaint submissions under the Rules, or if CEDR believe that the Complaint is outof scope.
Where you are asked to re-submit in order to complete the application properly orprovide appropriate information, you will be given 5 Business Days to do so.
Note that CEDR can only offer one attempt at a re-submission.
Once CEDR are satisfied that a Complaint meets the requirements of the Grievance
Mechanism, CEDR will check with Bonsucro in the first instance whether they havesufficient funds remaining in their annual budget to process such a Complaint
through to completion. CEDR will let you know the position on this – if CEDR have anumber of complaints in a year, CEDR may encourage you to seek separate funding
support for your complaint.
The Bonsucro website list alternative options tohttps://www.bonsucro.com/complaints-and-grievances/ .

raise

CEDR Services Ltd

T: +44 (0)20 7536 6060

100 St. Paul's Churchyard

W: www.cedr.com/commercial/mediationschemes/bonsucroLondon

E: adr@cedr.com

EC4M 8BU
Registered in England no. 2422813

Registered Charity no. 1060369© CEDR 2020

yourcomplaint.

Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world

Step 3: ResponseOnce eligibility and funding are in place, CEDR will then notify the Respondent
Member, of the Complaint. The Respondent Member’s time for issuing a Responseto the Complaint depends on whether the Complaint alleges a breach of theBonsucro Standards by a Respondent Member who is a Bonsucro certificate holder
or is in the process of applying for Bonsucro certification.
•••

Where no breach of the Bonsucro Standards is alleged, the Respondent
Member will have 30 Business Days to reply.
Where a Complaint has alleged a breach of the Bonsucro Standards, butthe Respondent Member is not a Bonsucro certificate holder nor is in theprocess of applying for Bonsucro certification, the Respondent Member
will have 30 Business Days to reply.
Where a Complaint has alleged a breach of the Bonsucro Standards, andthe Respondent Member is a Bonsucro certificate holder or is in theprocess of applying for Bonsucro certification, CEDR will seek
information on this separately from the responsible Certification Body
first (if applicable), before asking for a response from the Member. CEDR
will notify you at the time what effect this has on the time periods
involved.

Step 4: Mediation
Unless one of the parties decides to opt out of this stage, a mediation process isoffered to all parties to seek early resolution of the Complaint. An independent
Mediator will work with the parties on-line to help them review the Complaint inmore depth, and to seek a resolution if possible. This normally takes no longer than
30 days unless an extension is agreed by the parties.
− If the parties reach an agreement as a result of the mediation, then theComplaint is closed.
− If the parties do not reach an agreement as a result of the mediation, they may
ask the Mediator to provide the parties with a non-binding recommendation.
All parties, including the Mediator, must agree for the Mediator to provide sucha recommendation.
− If for any reason the parties do not reach an agreement, the Complaint willproceed to Step 5.

CEDR Services Ltd

T: +44 (0)20 7536 6060

100 St. Paul's Churchyard

W: www.cedr.com/commercial/mediationschemes/bonsucro

LondonE: adr@cedr.com

EC4M 8BU
Registered in England no. 2422813

Registered Charity no. 1060369© CEDR 2020

Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world

Step 5: Decision and Bonsucro Recommended Actions
If there has been no resolution at Step 4, the Complaint goes to adjudication for adetermination as to whether the Complaint is justified and, if the decision goesagainst the Bonsucro Member, remedies will be recommended. The decision will
specify if there has been a breach of Bonsucro Code of Conduct or relevant Bonsucro
Standards. The Bonsucro Board will be informed of this decision and it will be postedon the Bonsucro website.
If the Respondent Member is found in breach, then recommendations will be madeas to what remedial action the Respondent Member should take, which may involve
sanctions relating to membership or conditions on continued membership. Such
restrictions or conditions may include remedial proposals or future monitoring
depending on the decision. These recommendations are submitted to the Bonsucro
Board who may confirm or suggest modification of these recommended actions
before the case is closed. Such amendments or modifications will be noted in an
addendum to the decision and recommendations report issued by the Adjudicator.
This process is likely to take CEDR 6 to 8 weeks, after which the parties will be notified
that the Complaint process is completed. A decision together with any remedialactions will be final once published on the Bonsucro website.
− If the decision requires monitoring of future conduct, the Complaint is
considered “resolved” and will be left open until such actions are completed.
− If the decision does not require monitoring of future conduct, the Complaint isconsidered “closed”.

General•Parties are free at any time to resolve the process by direct agreement.

•If a party fails to cooperate with the Grievance Mechanism, its timetable, orrequests from CEDR for responses, these factors can be taken into account in
the final Decision.

•Time periods may be extended by agreement or if there are multiple parties orparticularly complex issues raised.

•Non-Compliance with a mediated resolution or a decision/recommendation,
can be the subject of a further Complaint.

CEDR Services Ltd

T: +44 (0)20 7536 6060

100 St. Paul's Churchyard

W: www.cedr.com/commercial/mediationschemes/bonsucro

LondonE: adr@cedr.com

EC4M 8BU
Registered in England no. 2422813

Registered Charity no. 1060369© CEDR 2020

Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world•

Where a Complaint is rejected as ineligible, or a Decision issued in draft form,
any party involved can ask for a Review of the procedures taken to consider
the Complaint, to ensure they have been conducted in accordance with theRules. The Review is procedural and not substantive. The review will be carriedout by a member of the CEDR Panel who has not previously been involved withthe Complaint. For further details see section 15 of the Rules.

•Bonsucro will also track on its website the stages a particular Complaint hasreached for further details see here.

CEDR Services Ltd

T: +44 (0)20 7536 6060

100 St. Paul's Churchyard

W: www.cedr.com/commercial/mediationschemes/bonsucro

LondonE: adr@cedr.com

EC4M 8BU
Registered in England no. 2422813

Registered Charity no. 1060369© CEDR 2020