SMART, the Social Management and Responsibility Toolkit; and SMART- Exploration, a Toolkit Especially for Exploration!

Communities of Interest can share their questions, concerns, or issues through this feedback box, located at Carmen de Andacollo. SMART has many tools, including a Grievance Mechanism Tool.

There is a “social” or “community relations” dimension to all our activities. Whether we are exploring a potential area, designing a new project, constructing a road, expanding an existing mine or rehabilitating a closed facility, our presence has an impact on the people who live in and use the affected area.

SMART

Social risk refers to any project risks arising from actions by people and groups (other than government regulators); social performance is about managing our local, national and international impacts and our relationships with our Communities of Interest (CoIs). Cols are defined as those individuals or groups who may be affected by, or have an interest in, or have the ability to influence an operation or project.

Since September 2009, the Social Responsibility Team has been working with Environmental Resources Management (ERM) consultants to develop a set of tools and guidelines to help us manage these social risks and monitor performance at all of our operations and projects, throughout the entire project cycle. Together, these tools and guidelines make up SMART (Social Management and Responsibility Toolkit).

SMART‘s tools are relevant across the project lifecycle in five key areas: social risk management, engagement, social impact assessments, community investment and local content. In addition, we will have a set of overarching guidance documents on themes such as human rights, gender, Indigenous Peoples, resettlement and local conflict. Some of these tools and guidelines are already in circulation in draft form and we hope to publish our first full set of tools by the end of 2011. SMART Training for our exploration groups, projects and operations teams will commence in September 2010.

Why are we developing SMART now?

Unmanaged social issues are now widely recognized as posing a major risk to resource sector business as well as a lost opportunity. Many resource companies have been faced with multi-million dollar project delays as a result of issues raised by CoIs while financial intuitions, shareholders and investors increasingly view management of social performance as key criteria in their financial decision making. As a result, we recognize the need to professionalize the management of social or community related issues, so that we better understand and manage those risks and opportunities.

SMART- Exploration

SMART-Exploration has been specially developed to provide specific guidance during each stage of exploration. It provides practical guidance and checklists for geoscientists and support staff on how to approach and manage relationships with communities, including indigenous groups. The toolkit is currently being piloted by our North American group.