SHORT COURSES

Level: Introductory

Facilitators: Karen Chovan, Enviro Integration Strategies Inc., Alistair Kent, Merit Consulting and Lynnel Reinson, Lynnel Reinson Communications Ltd.

Engagement is a multi-faceted challenge for mining companies that must engage with community members and other stakeholders about very specific technical content related to their projects. For engineers and technicians deeply immersed in their specialities, it can be difficult to translate that technical expertise into non-technical conversations to make the ideas accessible to non-technical audiences; and engagement and communication practitioners are challenged to present these highly technical concepts accurately, yet accessibly.

This full day workshop will be to explore the intersection of project-related technical issues and communications, including:

• Fundamentals: reviewing technical acumen and risk practices for ‘non-technical’ practitioners & social acumen, and communications practices for ‘technical’ practitioners
• Planning: exploring successful processes for integrating engagement activities with technical project development
• Critical elements: exploring the principles and relevant information that multi-disciplinary design and operations teams need to share with communications teams, and in what form, to enhance interdisciplinary, executive, and external understanding and engagement at various lifecycle stages of a mine development
• Decision-making: exploring how project decisions and designs can be enhanced with critical information from engagement rounds, to integrate, adapt, and address the concerns and requests of various stakeholders
• Case examples: presenting successful engagement cases where operators have openly communicated about impacts and risks, touching on themes such as site and technology selection, credible failure modes, dam breach analyses and inundation zones, ALARP and the safety case, emergency planning, and more

Using multiple approaches, participants will gain additional methods to utilize in their technical, engagement, and community work. Through interactive roundtables followed by presentations and analysis, the session will demonstrate ways to develop a common understanding around risk and mine waste management, as well as demonstrating how well-timed, planned, and informed engagement practices and collaboration with stakeholders and rightsholders can build trust while reducing common fears associated with tailings facilities.

08:30 Doors open, Coffee & Mingling
08:50 Welcome & Procedural Announcements
09:00 Engagement – Why, Building Trust, Relationships
09:45 Ice-Breaker Activity
10:00 Coffee BREAK
10:15 Planning for Engagement Guidance & Exercise
11:10 Body BREAK
11:15 Decision-Making Overview/Criteria & Case Study Intros
12:00 LUNCH
1:00 Engagement Exercise using Case Studies
1:45 Debrief, Analysis, & Reflections on Learning and Differences in Perspectives & Knowledge
2:00 Coffee BREAK
2:15 Case Studies Engagement - Explore/Do-Over Exercise
2:45 Keynote / Lessons Sharing Panel
3:15 Pass the Mic
4:15 Maintaining Traction, Wrap-up & Close
4:30 Go for BEERS & Attend Opening!

Short Course Objectives:

Participants will be introduced to concepts of engagement and communications, frameworks to engage and listen for different lifecycle stages, and generally learn to better understand how and when they can engage to inform company decisions, and to be assured that companies are doing the right things through current leading practices.

Target Audience:

Engineers, operational and environmental practitioners, social and communications SMEs, as well as executives, managers, and others who may need to understand and engage around tailings and risk. We invite both experienced and new professionals in the tailings and risk management space.

About the instructors:
Members of CIM’s Environment and Social Responsibility Society)

Karen Chovan, Enviro Integration Strategies, ESRS Tailings Working Group Co-Lead

Alistair Kent, Merit Consulting, ESRS Tailings Working Group Co-Lead

Lynnel Reinson, Lynnel Reinson Communications

Ljiljana Josic, Atkins Realis and qualified TSM auditor

Michelle Tanguay, 2Tango Environmental Services

Dave Corriveau, Kinross Gold Corporation

David Clarry, recently of Hudbay Minerals

Charles Dumaresq, Mining Association of Canada