Community Development - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 639

6. sewerage facilities;
7. water rates and metering;
8. nature of supply;
9. availability of private supplies; and
10. efi ciency of water management.

Finally mining companies will generally consider the merits of any requests to contribute
to the community's construction of places of worship or religious education as part of its
infrastructure support programme. It goes without saying that extreme care is required
not to appear as favouring one religious belief over another.

Capacity Building

Experience in developing countries indicates that both local communities and local gov-
ernment are seldom well prepared to cope with changes that accompany mine develop-
ment. To participate in the project and to leverage the many opportunities the project is
able to generate, specii c CD programmes should be geared towards capacity building.
Training helps to maximize local participation in a mining project, and to develop social
capital. Training also acts as a catalyst for sustainable development. Training programmes
related to a mining project typically have three components, namely:
●

Training helps to maximize local
participation in a mining project,
and to develop social capital.

Training geared towards employment during construction;

●

Training geared towards employment during operation; and

●

Broader training and skill development for adjacent communities.

Other training opportunities involve the day-to-day activities of community members and
may include management, marketing, accounting, or farming.
An assessment of skill needs and availability is central to community capacity build-
ing. In most instances, the mining company and its contractors will need to seek skilled
and semi-skilled labour outside the host region, at least during the initial stages of the
project. However, the company should identify semi-skilled labour requirements which
can, in time, be i lled through local training programmes. Non-local workers brought to
the project for semi-skilled jobs should be on short-term contracts and required to provide
on-the-job training to local employees. It should be anticipated that, when locals have
acquired the basic knowledge and experience required to perform semi-skilled tasks, they
will be able to replace their trainers. This does not pose a problem to the mining company.
In fact, the workforce becomes more stable, and costs decrease as the local content increases.
Civilian security training can be an essential part of community development. A Code
of Conduct for construction and mine workers, together with a well-designed construction
camp system and layout of facilities will help to minimize security issues. The workforce
Code of Conduct should be designed to establish a good worker-community interface and
thereby minimize the potential for conl ict. The construction camp system and the mine
layout should be designed to minimize security disturbances or issues arising between local
people and project work force by minimizing access to the camp and mine site. Safety haz-
ards are present at any construction site and during mobilization of equipment and materials.
Security measures can reduce these hazards by limiting outside exposure. Consultation with
affected communities minimizes transportation hazards whenever unusual trafi c is expected.
Generally, it is preferable to adopt a community-based security strategy, which relies
on a positive perception of local communities. The communities themselves provide the
best defence and protection against robbery, unrest, or crime. Nevertheless, professional

Generally, it is preferable to
adopt a community-based
security strategy.