Our experience indicates that the viability of a mining project begins with good social management starting from exploration, focused on:

• Initial contact: clear communication, internal alignment and expectations management
• Viable initial land use agreements
• Prior consultation with indigenous peoples
• Management of available benefits: employment, local purchases, among others
• Building a climate of trust and support for the future development of the project, avoiding liabilities

• Communication and relationship strategy with an expanding area of influence:
  • Relationship with local governments and other political actors
  • Management of concerns for impacts on water resources
  • Management of expectations in the area of indirect influence
• Land acquisition and resettlement
• Impact studies, stakeholder participation and management plans
• Prior consultation with indigenous peoples
• Negotiation of benefit agreements related to construction and operation
• Informal or illegal mining management

• Management of benefits: employment and supply chain
• Complaint management, engagement and conflict prevention
• Management of complaints, commitments and conflict prevention
• Report effectively on project progress, socio-environmental performance and compliance with commitments
• Social strategy of transition to operations: decrease in employment and changes in the supply chain

During the operation, the implementation of the Social Management System is consolidated, to:

• Consolidate community relations, establishing spaces for long-term multi-stakeholder dialogue
• Monitoring and management of commitments and complaints and conflict prevention
• Management of available local benefits managing expectations
• Strategic management of social investment
• Management of social information to generate performance indicators and accountability to management, shareholders, investors, authorities and stakeholders

A good closure plan starts from project design and should consider and update key social aspects such as:

• Assess and manage post-closure social risks, including potential land invasions or illegal mining
• Define with local stakeholders viable post-closure land use alternatives that complement and support environmental measures.
• Management of the end of employment and local supply chain, through early reconversion programs
• Focus the social investment strategy to promote resilience and avoid dependency
• Build alignment and understanding on the closure process with authorities, regulatory bodies and the local population