Internal lines of accountability
Stakeholder engagement is a specialist role that requires systematic management, dedicated resources and active support from all levels and functions of the company.
Table 3A.13 lays out internal roles and responsibilities in relation to stakeholder engagement. In building and growing Social Performance teams, managers should bear in mind the following common mistakes:
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Having the same staff person implement both engagement and benefit-sharing roles ( projects, compensation)
These are separate roles requiring different skills that are best managed by separate people. The stakeholder engagement person within a site Social Performance team needs to focus on building relationships and collecting information from the community. If stakeholders see this person as the 'doorway' to accessing money or other privileges, relationships and dialogue, quality may be compromised.
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Focusing on staff numbers rather than skills
Quality of engagement processes matters more than quantity of engagement. Teams require multiple skills (e.g. database management capacity as well as facilitation capacity) that may be difficult to find in one person. Be realistic about competency and the point at which a separate role/person/resource may be required.
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Staff fatigue or complacency
One of the risks of dealing with communities is that staff can become complacent and fail to take stakeholder concerns as seriously as they should. Fatigue management and peer-to-peer triangulation of information can help.
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Stakeholder engagement is misunderstood
Other departments may not fully understand the Social Performance team's role. It may be assumed that stakeholder engagement is the sole responsibility of the Social Performance team, and the team's main purpose is to 'put out fires' and facilitate other department activities. The Social Performance team will need to raise awareness internally of the role each department needs to play for everyone's collective success.
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Insufficient team co-ordination
Don't assume that because team members work in close physical proximity to each other they are sufficiently aware of each other's activities. Formal and systematic co-ordination mechanisms, such as weekly meetings, daily field reports, or activity calendars posted on the office wall, are critical.
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Limited training
Training on engagement should not be restricted to Social Performance staff. Consider a standard 'social induction' or presentation of that nature for all workers and partners who interact with local communities.
Table 3A.15 Roles and responsibilities in stakeholder engagement
| COMPANY LEVEL |
PERSON
|
ROLE |
|
GROUP
|
Group Social Performance Principal
|
- Provides advice and input on how to meet Anglo American requirements and international standards and best practice
|
|
BUSINESS UNIT
|
Head of Corporate Affairs
|
- Provides input on stakeholder relations to support plan development
- Ensures alignment on implementation
- Receives regular updates through quarterly reports
- Engages with some stakeholders
|
|
SITE SOCIAL TEAM
|
Social Performance Manager
Community Relations Manager
|
Data collection
- Collects inputs from other plans (, , etc.)
- Gains understanding of intended engagement by other site teams
Mapping and analysis
- Identifies, maps and analyses stakeholders, with input from other teams and management
- Analyses and prioritises engagement topics and issues
Planning
- Develops/updates sections of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan
- Co-ordinates/supports the development of components relating to other teams/functions
- Defines actions together with , if required
Implementation
- Oversees implementation of the
Reporting
- Provides quarterly analytical reports of engagement activities and social and human rights risks to , and
- Provides quarterly monitoring reports on community perceptions to and as required
- Provides feedback to external stakeholders as required
|
|
SITE MANAGEMENT
|
General Manager
|
- Accountable for the development of the
- Input into stakeholder analysis, development, reporting, and receiving/reviewing progress reports
- Engagement with some stakeholders, depending on the topic and stakeholder level
|
|
Heads of Departments
|
- Engagement with stakeholders relevant to their department's activities and risk-management planning
- Input into stakeholder analysis, development, and reporting
|