Two grievances closed last quarter. Same buyer, same regional supplier group, same RSPO case-tracking code applied to both. On the public dashboard they look identical: status 'Resolved', date stamped, next review in 18 months.
One of them is genuinely closed. The other isn't, and the community that filed it is preparing a re-submission through a different channel because they were never told the case was even being reviewed.
Case A — closed on the ground
Original complaint: encroachment of a smallholder corridor onto customary land, 2022. Recovery work included joint boundary survey, compensation agreement, and a written FPIC process for any future expansion. We verified the survey markers on a field visit in February, and interviewed five of the original complainants. All five confirmed the closure.
Case B — closed on paper
Original complaint: water contamination from a mill effluent pond, 2021. Recovery documentation showed a remediation plan, contractor sign-off, and a closure letter from the supplier's sustainability team. No third-party verification. No community sign-off. The pond, when we visited, was still discharging.
2
Grievances marked 'closed'
1
Actually closed
5/5
Complainants confirming closure (Case A)
0/8
Complainants confirming closure (Case B)
What separates the two
- Independent verification — Case A had it; Case B closed on self-report.
- Complainant sign-off — Case A required and obtained it; Case B never re-contacted the filers.
- Field visit within 12 months of closure — standard in Case A, absent in Case B.
"A grievance is closed when the people who filed it agree it's closed. Not before."
The fix is procedural, not technological: no closure without third-party verification, complainant confirmation, and a field visit within twelve months. We won't accept a 'closed' status on a Vault record without all three.