Expert Topic
Social Performance Management
Social performance involves how companies manage their projects and their social impacts, such as working conditions and community health and safety.
It enables companies to identify potential sources of conflict with local communities at the outset, and to mitigate those risks. International project funders now include social performance standards in their loan requirements.
In a global economy, it is crucial that a company's relationships with the community in which it operates are based on trust and understanding, to avoid conflicts that can become serious enough to delay or derail multi-billion-dollar projects.
It enables companies to identify potential sources of conflict with local communities at the outset, and to mitigate those risks. International project funders now include social performance standards in their loan requirements.
In a global economy, it is crucial that a company's relationships with the community in which it operates are based on trust and understanding, to avoid conflicts that can become serious enough to delay or derail multi-billion-dollar projects.
Meet the
Expert
Gary MacDonald
Principal, Senior Consultant, Monkey Forest Consulting Ltd.
Montpelier, Languedoc-Roussillon
- English
- French: Français
Expert Topic:
About Gary
- 20 years working with communities undergoing complex social change on four continents, and nine years as a social assessor of extractive and agroforestry projects. Has helped dozens of extractive companies manage company/community dynamics and build strong relationships with their communities.
- Combines line management experience on billion-dollar mega projects with multinational director-level experience; guides investors and managers through international social performance standards.
- Projects in both Congos, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Turkey, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Madagascar, Peru, Chile, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Canada, the United States, Sweden and New Caledonia.
- Experience resolving community-project conflict prompted his involvement in groundbreaking UN Global Compact work on conflict and revenue transparency.
Experience
Principal, Senior Consultant
•
Monkey Forest Consulting Ltd
2002
—
Present
- Led reviews of industrial agriculture and natural resource projects, including hydro, in Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi and Senegal. Assessed conformance with IFC Standards for Social and Environmental performance, AfDB standards, Equator Principles and other international standards.
- Led policy review on implications of free prior and informed consent for a North American association of resource extraction companies. Focus on North America and the rest of the world.
- Led environmental and social due diligence reviews for: a megaproject under construction in Madagascar; a mega-scale mining project straddling the borders of Chile and Argentina; cocoa, coffee and cotton plantations in the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Vietnam, Tajikstan and Papua New Guinea; a mining project in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
- Led social management systems implementation for large early-stage natural resource project involving seven sites in two countries over the Guinea and Liberia borders.
- Implemented social management system teams for four US$2 billion-plus projects, including resettlement and economic displacement.
- Led policy development on JV mega-extractive project in Panama, including government relations, resettlement, local hiring, community development, human rights
- Directed social issues and political risk analysis for due diligence assessments and IFC PS-based bank reviews, including resettlement and economic displacement.
Director of Social Development
•
Newmont Mining Corporation
1988
—
2002
- From 2000-02, was first director of social development for Newmont Mining Corporation; was instrumental in developing the company's global policies in human rights and community engagement. Represented Newmont in international initiatives focused on human rights and building transparency.
- Created Newmont Mining corporate policies on community engagement and consultation, living wage, conflict management. Developed and implemented original external affairs department for Batu Hijau mine.
- In 1999, faced with growing local community concern, created and led an initiative for Newmont Mining to start publishing all royalty and tax payments made to the government of Indonesia by the Batu Hijau Project.
- The initiative, considered controversial at the time, was successful and was later adopted at other Newmont projects and operations.
Partner
•
Verus Group International
1992
—
1998
- Created programs responding to community conflict and in-migration issues for various projects, including a significant resettlement involving a traditional graveyard in North Kalimantan, Indonesia.
- Led policy and team development for plantation forestry project, and assessment and conflict recovery programs for post-spill extractive project.
- In 1997, facilitated the first workshop in Jakarta, chaired by Dr Emil Salim, on transparency issues as they related to government and business in Indonesia.
Education
Langara College
Post-graduate certificate in journalism, Journalism, Management Accounting, 1997
St. Francis Xavier
BA, English, Music, 1977
Panels
- Member of advisory panel for creation of International Alert’s groundbreaking Conflict Sensitive Business Practices (CSBP) initiative.
Packages with Gary starting from $400
Your Expert Package Includes:
Best Practices
Access to ALL Best Practices authored by TrustedPeer
Expert Gary MacDonald on this topic.
Pre-Meeting Discovery Process
Review and analysis of your issue with pre-meeting discovery questions by Gary, followed by
a 30- or 60-minute one-on-one call.
Sample
One+-on-One Call
Your (+colleagues) meeting is directed and focused from the first minute.
Meeting Summary Report
After your call, Gary completes a Meeting Summary Report to provide you with the
session’s discussion topics, analysis, assessment and recommendations for next steps.
Sample
Post-Meeting Engagement
After your meeting, continue your relationship with Gary
on your own, or with TrustedPeer’s support.