Indigenous Peoples Issues - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 675

Consistency from the Chief
Executive Offi cer to the job
foreman will improve the
likelihood of success.

should be contractually committed to meeting corporate goals for indigenous relations.
Consistency from the Chief Executive Ofi cer to the job foreman will improve the
likelihood of success.

●

Staged progression - like other employees, many Indigenous Peoples aspire for man-
agement responsibility, economic independence, and self-employment. A staged
recruitment and training process which clearly outlines roles and responsibilities as
well as rewards, contributes to the long-term realization of goals. Again, contractors
and major suppliers should also adopt this staged approach.

●

Mentors - initially, indigenous employees are likely to constitute a minority of the site
workforce, and the presence of indigenous mentors to support indigenous employees,
will enhance the retention rate and personal development of indigenous employees.

Many, if not all, potential workforce recruits from indigenous communities will lack
the immediate skills required to undertake most tasks. As a result, it is common to see
Indigenous Peoples restricted in their employment opportunities to jobs such as garden-
ing, cleaning, labouring, and survey assistant. This causes resentment, as the higher status,
better paying jobs go to non-indigenous employees. This situation can be avoided, albeit
at a signii cant cost to the company, by implementing job readiness programmes whereby
selected individuals are trained to undertake various occupations well before these opera-
tions commence. Larger mining companies with multiple mine sites are able to organize
on-the-job-training at existing operations. However, small companies may not be able to
organize such training and therefore will depend on either bringing in instructors or send-
ing recruits to existing training facilities.

As a result, it is common to see
Indigenous Peoples restricted in
their employment opportunities
to jobs such as gardening,
cleaning, labouring, and survey
assistant.

16.9 PROJECT PREPARATION

Anthropological Surveys

Anthropological surveys can be carried out at any stage of a project. However, in general,
the earlier a survey is undertaken, the better, as the results will provide valuable insights
which should lead to improved communications. As baseline data are established, bet-
ter social planning is possible and the data can serve as a future reference for measuring
change. Anthropological surveys are a form of social research and an important means of
gathering information about people. The results of these surveys contribute to understand-
ing aspects of a society, whether these are general aspects or specii c characteristics. Some
variables include a community's previous experience with change, the beliefs and customs
which prevail, specii c expectations, and responses to current or past projects.
There are various components to anthropological surveying. Generally, these are simple ques-
tionnaires, observations, guided or in-depth interviews, and focused group discussions. These
are all methods for obtaining data about a community or group in society. Anthropological sur-
veys are often coordinated with other related studies such as socio-economics and archaeology.
The information from these disciplines usually complements and completes the community
proi le obtained through anthropological surveying. Survey methodology is more than 'where',
'when', and 'how many people'. Sampling frameworks plan and account for differences in con-
ditions and responses between groups within a community. Anthropological surveys must be
representative. A full description of the survey technique as well as the data is important, as
design and methodology will affect the survey's quality and usefulness.
It should be recognized that anthropological surveying has an element of public involve-
ment. Because surveying makes the community directly aware of a project, the way in

Because surveying makes the
community directly aware of a
project, the way in which the
survey is delivered is of special
importance.