There are four separate stages to the process. The first stage would be that the counsellor would receive a letter or some form of communication and would then go to the company. And I should add here that it could happen in reverse. Companies can decide that they're subjected to frivolous and vexatious complaints. But in the more standard way of thinking about it, an NGO or a community or an individual could come to the counsellor. The counsellor would approach the company to see if it was willing to let the counsellor first embark on informal fact-finding. That could include going to the place itself and interviewing people, talking to people, and trying to figure out what's happening. After the informal fact-finding, if the counsellor feels that informal mediation is warranted and would help in this situation, then the two parties would be asked whether they agree to proceed to that step. If informal mediation doesn't succeed in coming up with a game plan forward to resolve the situation or to mitigate the situation, then the counsellor would ask whether the parties would like to be put in touch with a formal mediation process, with the expertise that could formally mediate.
On June 1st, 2009. See this statement in context.