Social complications in technical projects

Technically unproblematic infrastructure and other construction projects implemented in South Africa often run into unexpected social and political problems.  Project managers increasingly report that they face project obstacles that seem vague and intractable, while local governance structures appear to be either unable or unwilling to deal with these.  Results include expensive delays and contractual problems, and the rethink or even abandonment of projects.
Example: the construction of a facility in a township, which is suddenly opposed or even sabotaged by community members or inchoate community groups.

What to do?

For one, project managers could rely on the kind of social scans and impact risk assessments typically conducted for large capital-intensive projects.  However, these are usually implemented as part of EIAs. This may be a legal requirement of a project and their overly technical nature frequently leave important stakeholders feeling dissatisfied and more prone to causing problems at a later date.  Further, as any sociologist or anthropologist would tell you, the social dynamics of any particular area are exactly that – dynamic.  They may change over time and to the detriment of a project in spite of whatever preceding work had been done.

Project managers may then well consider using social consultants to conduct an appraisal or conflict analysis.  The consultants would typically reassess stakeholder dynamics, people’s perceived interests and relations to one another, and the way in which they relate to the governance structures in the community concerned. Such an exercise can be implemented in a fairly informal manner and aim at developing a way forward that resolves the difficulties experienced.

The Scimitar Social consultants have done considerable work of this nature over the last twenty years.  Please feel free to contact Unjinee or Conrad should you have any questions about social appraisals, or questions relating to any project with which you may be involved.

Building CSR influence in the organisation

Corporate Social Investment projects, as a subset of Corporate Social Responsibility, use company resources to develop or uplift communities or special stakeholder groups.  They fall outside of the normal operations of companies and present CSR practitioners with special challenges. How might a CSR practitioners deal with these and enhance their influence within the organisation?

Two basic issues that generate challenges for CSR practitioners include the following:

1. SCI projects, marketing and PR: Companies tend to feel uncomfortable about the links between their CSI projects and corporate marketing and PR. However, the reality is that CSI projects help to make the company “look good” – while achieving benefits for the general community. It is not inappropriate for companies to benefit from CSI projects, however this vested interest has implications regarding the type of projects preferred. The best way of dealing with these is to be explicit about the company’s interests in CSI projects and the impact that this might have on projects.
2. Gaps between the logic of business and the logic of CSI projects: Companies tend to emphasise short-term outcomes, while effective CSI tend to require a long-term approach.  Also, the systematic and quick decision-making in companies tends to contrast with the often drawn-out, convoluted and complex community-level processes. This can become a difficult gap to bridge and puts the CSR practitioner in a position where they have to negotiate between two worlds.

These two basic characteristics often create pressure to deliver “successful” community projects.  They may also lead to an overemphasis of projects that deliver tangible short-term results (e.g. infrastructure projects).  Sometimes this comes at the cost of projects that generate more substantial longer-term, or at the cost of longer-term sustainability and missed opportunities for meaningful community benefit.  Project evaluation often becomes become problematic or controversial in this context.

CSR practitioners have to be aware that they straddle two very different worlds, possibly more so than anybody else within the organisation.  Also, they are generally in a relatively weak position within the company.  Even so, nothing prevents them from following a “bargaining approach” to CSI, in which they use their understanding of both worlds as currency. This amounts to negotiating to stakeholders on the inside as well as the outside of the organisation, aiming to bridge the gaps between technical company perspectives and the often rough realities of community investments and projects.

The challenge, often, is to ensure that important internal stakeholders understand the constraints and opportunities on the ground and the implication is that this has for corporate social investment. Some companies have highly advanced CSI policies.  Nonetheless, CSR practitioners should ensure that such policy reflects a frank understanding of the realities of social investment. Be alert, therefore, for projects that would promote open-minded policy discussions inside the organisation.

To do this with credibility, CSR practitioners need an excellent understanding of the corporate business process and principles. They also have to be aware of the expressed needs and underlying interests of both internal and external stakeholders, and have the ability to chart or facilitate a course between these. This can only enhance the influence of the CSR practitioner in the organisation.

Scimitar Social Consultants would be interested in hearing about your experiences with CSI, what issues you find important, and how you have dealt with challenges faced. Please do not hesitate to write to us about your thoughts by writing to us at scimitarsocial@gmail.com.

IPIECA’s Guide for Implementing Human Rights into ESHIA’s

Integrating human rights into environmental, social and health impact assessments. A practical guide for the oil and gas industry.

The IPIECA‘s guide describes how human rights can be integrated into environmental, social and health impact assessments (ESHIAs), which the oil and gas industry routinely uses to evaluate projects and activities. It provides an introduction to human rights and their relevance to the activities of the oil and gas industry, and briefly describes why it is important for the oil and gas industry to consider the impact that its projects and activities have on human rights.

It is the product of collaboration between impact assessment practitioners from IPIECA members and human rights practitioners from the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR).

South Africa’s EIA Legislative Framework

by Allen Tshautshau, Environmental Control Officer and SANAP’s Deputy Team Leader at Marion Island

Environmental Impact Assessment is a universally accepted management tool, which seeks to address the potential harm that can be caused by industrial development to the socioeconomic state of the communities. The process of EIA involves some systematic stages such as screening, scoping, assessing and evaluating environmental impacts, suggesting mitigation measures, reporting, reviewing, decision-making, and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). It must be mentioned with approval that South Africa’s EIA legislative frameworks are of international standards … read more

Launch of ‘The Practitioners Platform’

The Practitioner’s Platform are a group of independent social performance practitioners who work closely with resource development organizations to manage the social impacts and risks associated with their projects and to realize the social opportunities and benefits they can bring. A landmark document produced by the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) was released in 2002. Ten years later, the time is right to reflect on what has been achieved in our emerging discipline, to look forward to what is yet to be done, and to define a long-term vision to guide our efforts … read more

Working for Wetlands

by SAPA, Thursday 24th October 2013

Environmental organisation Working for Wetlands has improved South Africa through enhancing biodiversity and creating jobs, Deputy Water Affairs Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said in Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday.

“Since 2002, Working for Wetlands has invested R530 million in the rehabilitation of 906 wetlands, thereby improving or securing the health of more than 70,000 hectares of wetland area,” she said in a speech prepared for delivery. The rehabilitation projects ranged from stabilising already degraded wetlands to restoring wetlands”, she said at the National Wetlands Indaba held in the Eastern Cape.

The projects created 12,848 job opportunities and 2.2 million “person days” worked, Mabudafhasi said. “[Wetlands] are natural assets able to provide a range of products, functions and services, such as gathering, processing, purifying and delivering water for human use free of charge.” … read more

The Seven Myths of Sustainability

Common myths have grown up around sustainability, and if left unchecked they will stand in the way of real progress, writes Kenneth Amaeshi

Of the business leaders surveyed in the UN Global Compact CEO Study on Sustainability, 76% said they “…believe that embedding sustainability into core business will drive revenue growth and new opportunities”, albeit with “…a sense of frustrated ambition”. As realistic as these findings may be, they tend to reinforce some of the myths that have grown up around the sustainable business agenda. From experience in the field, there are a set of common myths often taken for granted … read more