Desmond M. Connor
Introduction
An opportunity to test the ability of communities to understand and apply the standard SIA process (Profiling, Projecting, Assessing, Evaluating and Mitigating) was provided to me in early 1978 by the Labrador Resources Advisory Council. It gathered 20 leaders of outport and inland communities for a two-day workshop in North West River to review the SIA process and apply it in small group work to several proposed projects: an off-shore oil development, a uranium mine and a regional fishery. This was done with evident success, though one-third of the participants were illiterate; group members later applied the process to a controversial bridge proposal. (See #1 for details.) In the `70s, the community was typically treated in most SIA programs as a passive patient or an adversary. A co-operative or joint venture model, in which the community would be an active partner in the process, was proposed at the first Canadian symposium on SIA held in Banff, AB, in late 1978. (See #2) An independent review of half a dozen northern development projects led Dennis Paproski to formulate a series of propositions which included: "the genuine opinions and concerns of the indigenous peoples related to possible environmental damage should be weighed as expert opinion." (See #3) I developed a Participative Approach to Social Impact Assessment and Management in 1980 and applied it first to a controversial proposed molybdenum mine in Atlin, a tiny community in northern B.C. The four-phase process was Profiling, Projecting, Assessing and Managing. The principal effects of the proposed mine on seven segments of the community were identified; a substantial majority of those responding to the process supported the proposal, as did the Atlin Advisory Planning Commission. The provincial government later waived the need for an environmental hearing. Unfortunately, the molybdenum market collapsed and the company gave up its rights to the site. (See #4) To review the state of the art in the early `80s see #5. The model was adapted and applied during 1988 - 1990 for the renovation and expansion of a major pulp mill near Gibsons, not far from Vancouver, B.C. This $1 billion project affected 7,500 residents and involved a peak workforce of 1600, most of whom were housed in camps at the site. In this case, the four principal phases were: Scoping & Profiling, Projecting, Assessing & Managing, Monitoring & Liaison. After the PASIAM program was completed, monthly reports from 8 - 10 strategically placed observers enabled realtime adjustments to be made as needed. e.g. additional ferry sailings funded by the company. (See #6) Last year, a Canadian mining company which I had worked with on other projects for nearly 20 years invited me to apply this process to a mine development project in Costa Rica. A description of the basic model and its cross-cultural adaptation in Costa Rica follow.
The PASIAM Model
1. Profiling
2. Projecting
3. Assessing
4. Managing Note Where a proposal involves the introduction of an entirely new industry and technology, some recognition of the classic diffusion of innovations process is necessary. e.g. awareness of need; realization that change is possible; interest in exploring alternatives; evaluation of alternatives, including "do nothing"; decision by the relevant organizations; action. (For an overview, see #9.)
Cross-Cultural Application - Costa RicaSituationCosta Rica is known for its law-abiding citizens who have a great regard for its democracy. However, the government is distrusted, corruption occurs and the regulations to implement laws are often not well-developed. Globalization is affecting the country, leading to the threat of significant unemployment. The area of Costa Rica involved is different from much of the rest of the country; many residents have come from Nicaragua. There are five communities near the site, 20 more somewhat distant and a regional town of 30,000 some distance away. There is a strong network of community organizations; women are active in community life. The church is a powerful influence, although attendance at Sunday Mass is about 15%. From the outset, the bishop (born in Spain, lived in Mexico 8 years) and most of the priests were against the proposed mine, fearing the impacts of an industrial operation on the rural lifestyle and the rise of alcoholism, prostitution, etc. Although land reform decades ago enabled many campesinos to have their own small holdings, many have sold their land or rented it to others and migrated to the cities. With the collapse of agricultural prices, e.g. cattle and beans, many new crops have been tried. E.g. roses, ferns, but bad seeds and a lack of expertise have brought disappointing results. Most of the woods have been logged.
Mining Prospect and Early Contact By providing some local employment, repairing local roads and bridges and funding a social service women's group, the company over the last five years has countered much of the initial hostility. It also hired a community relations person to develop and maintain contact with key people in the nearby villages. In 1995, interviews were carried out in the area for a socio-economic study needed for the Environmental Impact Study. In 1996, the company supported the Health Ministry's anti-malarial program by hiring a technician to serve eight communities. It also supported a water pipeline for one community, school materials for another, maintained local roads, etc. Meetings were held with numerous local organizations. The Bishop visited a mining community in Mexico where he saw that net benefits could be obtained by residents.
Program Development On Day Three, I met with the five members of the project team and worked through a matrix (see Appendix A ) of the major phases of the PASIAM process for the eight identified publics: five primary communities, 20 secondary communities, regional town (30,000), 20 San Jose stakeholders, the Catholic church, media in San Jose and the region, and the government - Congressmen and senior officials. For each box, we identified the tasks to be completed, the estimated completion date, the staff requirements and an estimated budget. On my return I wrote up this information as a detailed work plan.
Adaptions of PASIAM ProcessProfiling PhaseThere was considerable company pressure to complete this program quickly. In addition, there was a strong need to develop trust with community leaders and other residents. Instead of preparing a social profile through 10 days of work by a social researcher, half-day workshops with 6 - 12 community leaders and influentials were proposed, following personal visits a week before to recruit the participants and provide them with an outline of the social profile subjects and questions (see #1). It was recognized that some screening of sensitive information may occur in the workshop setting, but participants would be encouraged to share divergent views, and some might contact the facilitator later with additional information. In any case, the trust-building function and the reduced time required recommended this approach to the social profile. After the workshop, a 6 - 8 page point form report was to be prepared. A week later, to check on the validity and reliability of the data collected, an open house or drop-in experience in a convenient village location was provided with the theme: "Here are some key points which the company has learned about your community - do you agree, or are there some other things we should pay attention to?" The key points were listed on flipchart sheets. Six working days per village were allocated to this social profile task - 2 days for recruitment, 0.5 day for the workshop, 2 days for the report and one day for the feedback activity. While it was planned that the Profiling Phase would be completed by July 31 (two months later), the process took longer than anticipated, partly because many more secondary villages were identified - 40 rather than 20. In addition, further drilling was required on the site. A report in September of 1996 from a sociologist, who is part of the project team, indicates that a field team leader and seven people from the communities are holding workshops on Saturdays in the communities to prepare the social profiles. Open houses have also been held, with company geologists, environmental specialists etc. using pictures, videos and slides to explain the mine development process. These activities seem to be going very well, partly because the sociologist holds regular evaluation meetings with the field team to improve the process. A chart in her report shows the dates when social profile workshops were held and, a few weeks later, informative open houses; by mid-September, 20 villages had been visited for both events and 20 more communities, including those which are larger and more distant, were scheduled for similar two-part visits.
Projecting Phase The task of estimating the condition of the various communities 10 years ahead requires extrapolating from national data files which, for the Region Huetar Norte, may be somewhat sketchy. Initially, the next task was estimating the impact of up to 1,000 construction workers for two years and then the continuing impact of 500 operating employees for about 10 years. However, these figures may now change. The basic methodology is to prepare a simple statement summarizing the expected developments in the communities, with and without the mine, and distribute these to previous profile workshop members Another workshop will then be organized to obtain their views, revise the initial statements as needed and then provide another open house-type opportunity for a review of the main projections by other residents of the community.
Assessing and Managing Phase
Current Situation
Conclusion
References
Acknowledgements This paper was prepared for the annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Seattle, WA, March 4 - 8, 1997 and printed in Impact Assesment and Project Appraisal, March 1998, reprinted with permission.
Appendix A - La ________ MineParticipative Approach to Social Impact Assessment and Management
June 2, l996
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