Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
What Mining Companies Expect of their Environmental
Consultants
Firstly, and most importantly, the mining company wants to rely on the consultant as a
strategist, as an advisor on both the legal issues and the EIA process, and as a manager
and advocate for the project. Secondly, the client wants to access the full expertise of
the selected consultant organization and of other specialist expertise where appropriate.
Thirdly, the client wants full attention.
As such the main task of the consultant EIA project manager is to facilitate teamwork
between the mining company and the consultant. The consultant should facilitate the EIA
outcome and should support the mining company communicating with its own internal
stakeholders as well as joint venture partners and government authorities. The consultant
is part of the team; the consultant EIA project manager should avoid acting as the regula-
tor or the EIA approval authority. The consultant EIA project manager is also responsible
for ensuring access to senior expertise and should command enough respect to stand up to
the client and communicate what the client has to contribute to make the EIA a success
story. The timely delivery of an adequate project description is one example.
The client wants full attention.
What Annoys Mining Companies about their Consultants
The worst things that a consultant can do to his or her client is to embarrass them or make
them appear dei cient. When this happens, it is usually a case of poor communications,
with responsibility shared by both parties. People, not companies, are the subject of such
embarrassment. In the case of a cost overrun, the client representative, usually the Project
Manager, must ask upper management for more funding. If there is a project delay, the
same individual has to explain the slippage to the next management level. None of this
helps the career development of the client representative especially if issues have not been
identii ed and communicated early. Bad news only becomes worse with time. It also does
not help the client relationship in submitting draft reports full of typographical and other
errors. The mining company should not be responsible for the QA/QC of environmental
documents. However, the company is responsible for ensuring that details of the project
are adequately described. In many cases, the company or its appointee will also play the
role of 'devil's advocate', challenging the consultant to ensure that the conclusions are
defendable and that recommendations are cost-effective. Any deliverable will be seen as a
i nal deliverable, and has to be prepared as such. Finally clients hate to bear the cost result-
ing from a lack of focus and inefi cient use of resources. The consultant should understand
the key issues, and should avoid labouring on and wafl ing about minor issues.
The consultant EIA project manager needs to remember a few pointers for success,
which are:
●
People, not companies, are the
subject of such embarrassment.
Ensure accountability, management continuity, and safety
●
Deliver senior advice
●
Act as a mentor for the client during the EIA process
●
Manage schedules including the client's schedule - deliver as promised
●
Identify and communicate issues early
●
Don't use gold plating when writing the initial scope of work
●
Ensure the quality of all deliverables (including drafts)
●
Use the Equator Principles as a checklist for completeness
●
Be professional and act professionally
●
Communicate often and positively
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