22 Local Communities While our legal license to operate is granted by the national government, we seek to obtain the broad support of, and bring benefits to, the communities directly associated with our operations. The area directly onshore from the Jubilee and TEN fields includes the six coastal districts of the Western Region, where we have centered much of our local community engagement. During meetings, we encourage community members to have an open dialogue with our company by visiting our offices, contacting us by phone or email, or using our grievance mechanism. In the Western Region, we regularly meet with the fourteen traditional councils within the six coastal districts, the Fish Processors’ Associations of Ankobra and Ekpu Communities, as well as communities that benefit from our social investment projects. The main topics of conversation include social investment projects, our ongoing commitment to doing business in Ghana, and the manner in which we monitor and respond to our grievance mechanism. Kosmos has two primary approaches to managing grievances. The first is a formal grievance mechanism that enables members of the community to raise concerns and submit complaints. Five grievances were logged through this formal channel in 2016. All of the grievances concerned our social investment projects in the Western Region. Our grievance management has matured over the years, and has not only helped narrow the communication gap with communities, but has also allowed members of the community to become part of the decision making process with regard to our local activities. Linguists representing traditional chiefs attend a commissioning ceremony for a new water treatment facility in the Western Region. “It is critical to learn the knowledge and culture of our local communities. With this background we are better placed to listen patiently, understand their views and collaborate with them. For us it is a continuous process, exploring opportunities for mutual benefit and approach for maintaining our relationship with communities in Ghana.” RICHARD QUAICOE Community Relations Supervisor, Kosmos Energy Ghana