CB.8:4.3 - Establish what happened and what needs action now
Receive the concern without deciding its truth from the reporter’s status or tone. Recover the relevant action, context, time, affected participation and requested help. Obtain the smallest evidence that can settle the next decision: a complete exchange rather than one isolated sentence, an account from the people present, or a relevant observation.
Separate what was observed, what someone reports, their interpretation and what remains disputed. Retain enough context for later review. Restrict access to sensitive material and avoid reproducing it in a public discussion of the case.
Ask what must be protected while the issue is examined. Where the available authority permits it, a temporary pause, removal of exposed private information, separation of an interaction or alternate contact can preserve participation. State the scope, reason, responsible person and next review point. A temporary protection measure does not by itself establish responsibility for the alleged conduct.
Choose the next contribution from the question that needs to be settled:
| What remains to be settled | Appropriate next contribution |
|---|---|
| People understood different meanings or lacked relevant information. | Clarify the expectation and context, then check whether the difficulty remains. |
| People disagree about the practice or a proposed result. | Obtain the subject discussion or qualified judgement through CB.4/5. |
| An observed action may breach an applicable participation rule. | Compare the action and context with that rule, hear the relevant response and decide within the available authority. |
| People dispute the rule, decision-maker or mandate itself. | Preserve any currently justified protection and return the governance question to CB.13. |
| The matter exceeds the community’s capability or authority. | Obtain the appropriate service or institutional response and limit the community’s own promise. |
Several questions can coexist. A useful criticism can contain an impermissible disclosure; preserve the criticism’s subject while acting on the disclosure.