PROTOCOL P-08 | Signal Detection & Early Warning

Early Warning Review Protocol

TRIGGER On a scheduled cycle throughout pre-development and construction (minimum monthly; bi-weekly during high-activity periods)

STEPS

1. Schedule the review as a standing agenda item

Bi-weekly during pre-development and construction; monthly during operations. The review should be a standing calendar item, not something convened only when there is a visible problem.

2. Pull all Signal Tracker entries since the last review

The ComRel officer prepares a summary: total signals logged, signals by type (verbal / behavioral / contextual / institutional), signals by stakeholder group, and any escalations triggered since the last review.

3. Look for patterns across signals

Ask: Are the same concern topics appearing repeatedly? Are signals coming from the same community areas? Are specific stakeholder groups generating more signals? Is signal volume increasing, stable, or decreasing? A pattern of three or more similar signals is a threshold for immediate attention.

4. Classify the overall signal environment

Green: signal volume is low and patterns are absent; monitoring continues. Amber: one or more patterns are emerging; targeted engagement or investigation is warranted. Red: multiple patterns or high-intensity signals; escalation to management is required.

5. For each pattern identified, assign a response lead and timeline

Name the person responsible, what they will do, and by when. Document this in the Signal Tracker review record.

6. For Red-classified environments, brief the Project Manager within 24 hours

Include: the pattern description, affected stakeholder groups, proposed immediate response, and resource or authority needed.

7. Document the review findings and decisions

Record the date, attendees, summary findings, patterns identified, classification, and response assignments. File as part of the project's SE-GRM record.

PURPOSE

To create a regular, structured review of signal data by responsible actors, not waiting for individual signals to escalate before reviewing what the system has captured. The Early Warning Review converts the Signal Tracker from a passive log into an active intelligence instrument. Without scheduled review, signals accumulate without pattern recognition.

Roles and Responsibilities

Convenes:

Actor: ComRel Officer / PCO
Responsibility: Prepares signal summary, convenes the review, presents findings, and documents the outcomes.

Participates:

Actor: Project Manager
Responsibility: Reviews amber and red classified environments; approves response plans for escalated patterns.

Participates (if applicable):

Actor: LGU Focal Person
Responsibility: Contributes community-side intelligence and receives briefings on relevant patterns.

Field Notes and Adaptation Guidance

• Field Note — The review is not the same as the log

  Having a Signal Tracker is not the same as doing early warning. The tracker is the data; the review is the analysis. Without regular structured review, the tracker becomes a documentation exercise rather than a risk management tool. The review is where the early warning actually happens.

• Field Note — Contractors are part of the notification chain

  A Signal Tracker with very few entries during an active construction period is not evidence of a well-functioning system, it is likely evidence of poor signal capture. If the tracker shows no signals during a period when significant site activity is occurring, audit the capture process rather than concluding that no signals exist.

• Adaptation Guidance

  In projects with multiple sites or barangays, consider a brief five-minute signal summary call with barangay focal persons before each full review session. This surfaces community-side intelligence that may not yet be in the tracker and ensures the review reflects the actual signal environment, not just what has been formally logged.

Required Output / Documentation

• Early Warning Review record (date, attendees, summary, classification, response assignments)

• Updated Signal Tracker entries for patterns identified

• Management brief if Red classification is assigned