[PDF] Community Development Toolkit - CommDev

Social Impact andOpportunities Assessment12 continuedASSESSMENT TOOLSWhen to use this toolIdeally, an SIOA should be conducted assoon as possible after the social baselinestudy (see tool 11). Indeed, they usually formpart of the same large exercise, although,in some cases, a baseline study may beconducted as a separate undertaking. It ispossible, but unwise, to conduct an impactassessment without a baseline study.Without the broad-based knowledge of thecommunity’s social and economic status andstructure that is provided in a baseline study,an SIOA may draw incorrect conclusions. Inaddition, without baseline data, managingand monitoring mitigation measures isdifficult, as there will be no initial data withwhich to compare change over time.Some leading companies are alreadyincluding a less complex assessment of thelikely costs of programs to mitigate potentialsocial problems in their due diligenceprocess (i.e. not a full SIOA, but a scopingstudy). Conceivably, if the costs of mitigatingsocial impacts and implementing adequatesocial programs will outweigh the potentialprofits of a mine, as assessed at a high levelat this early stage, then it may be prudentto walk away from the project. It may alsobe the case that it is not clear how certainpre-existing social impacts (such as ahistory of human rights abuses by a previousowner) can be mitigated or managed, whichagain may make it wise not to make theproject acquisition.Assessments should be made of the impactslikely at each stage of the project, fromfeasibility through to relinquishment, includingtransitory phases like construction, when alarge, temporary workforce may be present.It is particularly important that the socialimpacts of a project at closure and beyondare taken into account when assessing thefeasibility of a proposed project. As a siteapproaches closure, a specific SIOA on theimpacts of closure should be conductedand closure mitigation and opportunitiesprograms should be developed accordingly.The cost of exit strategies should be factoredinto the financial modelling when examiningthe feasibility of a project.Module 5 of ICMM’s Mining Partnerships forDevelopment Toolkit 37 may also be helpfulwhen applying this tool. Module 5 can assistin the measurement of the positive andnegative contributions of mining to localcommunities.37 Available at: www.icmm.com/mpdtoolkit134 Community Development Toolkit