This section provides guidance on Conflict Management. A conflict management approach is required when other stakeholder engagement approaches have been unable to resolve an ongoing disagreement between the site and external stakeholders, and/or between external stakeholders (on an issue triggered by or relating to the site); and/or the disagreement has or could result in open expressions of hostility, aggression or withdrawal from engagement by external stakeholders.
Through the screening undertaken in Review and Planning (see section 2) sites are required to assess whether conflict issues require active management. Sites that “screen-in” the presence of or potential for conflict should then undertake further analysis, planning and monitoring of the issues.
Specifically, this section provides guidance on:
- conducting a detailed conflict analysis, notably the context for conflict, its root causes and contributing factors, the characteristics of the parties to a conflict, and the dynamics of conflict
- skills and organisational capabilities required to manage conflict
- approaches and methods to respond to conflict
- monitoring, evaluating and reporting on conflict
- internal management and resourcing for conflict management.
This section does not provide advice on security management to ensure the safety and security of employees, contractors or others for whom Anglo American has a duty of care. The requirements for security management are set out in Section 4E. Security Management and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. The section also does not provide advice on operating in conflict zones marked by armed conflict and war.
Intended users
The intended users of this section are primarily the site’s Social Performance team, which typically has the lead responsibility for engaging with stakeholders who may be in a conflictual relationship with the site or who may be part of an external conflict triggered or exacerbated by the site’s presence or activities.
It should be recognised, however, that stakeholder engagement and the identification of conflict-related social and human rights impacts and risks are collaborative processes. Therefore, other functions, such as Government Relations, Human Resources, Security, Supply Chain, Legal, and Safety and Sustainable Development (S&SD), may also find this section useful.
Relevance to other sections
Conflict management is interconnected with and supported by other components and sections of the Social Way Toolkit:
- Governance (Section 1)
- This section provides guidance on the leadership, accountability, systems and structures to manage social performance in a cross-functional manner, including relevant team structures, skills and responsibilities (conflict-related specifics included in Task 2). It also includes a summary of the required monitoring and evaluation framework (conflict-related specifics included in 4J Guidance, Task 6). Actions developed as part of conflict management may have implications for the social performance staffing and budgeting (defined in Governance). Conflict management may require input from multiple functions and the Social Performance Management Committee (SPMC) should contribute in this respect.
- Review and Planning (Section 2)
- an overview of conflict should be included in the site’s external-context review.
- Engagement and Analysis (Section 3)
- A. Stakeholder Engagement – regular engagement and consultations with external stakeholders are crucial in conflict management and should be conducted in a manner that considers the context of the conflict so as not to exacerbate or contribute to it.
- B. Social Incident and Grievance Management – the grievance management process provides a tool for identifying and tracking issues that could present a risk of conflict with or between external stakeholders.
- C. Social and Human Rights Impact and Risk Analysis – potential conflict-related impacts and risks should be assessed as part of .