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I I I ~: Page #2 The No-Fault Grievance Process, a newer concept than the Memorandum of Agree- ment, lends itself well to the structure and function of the local human rights commission. The process is clearly defined and with a few modifications, many commissions have agreed that it is a very suitable working arrangement to develop with the department. As the process has been developed, a commission would at- tempt to resol ve compla ints related to human rights before referring a person with such concerns or problems to the department. It is possible, as a result of this procedure, for commission members to be involved in resolving human rights complaints informally, that is, by contacting the parties concerned in such a problem and settling the matter through informal discussion. A local commission's familiarity with and influence in its community will be key factors in deter- mining the success of the process. If an agreement is reached, it will be presented to the commission as a body to decide whether or not it wishes to Sign the Agreement as a third signa tor. If the matter is not resolved, a commission will apprise the grievant of her/his rights under the law and refer the grievant to the department. In order for commissions to effectively implement the process, both the department and commissions must be prepared to accept certain responsibilities. I will briefly outline these. The department will: (1) Design and make available in appropriate locations a program to assist local human rights commissions in meeting department requirements; (2) Make available a representative to serve as a consultant on an on-goi ng basi s; (3) Nake available to local human rights commissions any forms re- quired for reporting purposes; (4) Notify local human rights commissions of any charge that is filed in the department which originated in its constituency; (5) Have in place a mechanism to accept and process the charges of individuals referred to it by local commissions in a timely manner. Local human rights commissions will be called upon to: (l) Have at 1 east one member of the commission who has participated in the department's basic training program; (2) Certify that members who have been trained have spent an equal amount of time in the training of other local human rights commission members who will participate in the process;