2010
AMBATOVY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
12
B3. Organizational Approach to Sustainability
B3.3 Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder Identification
Ambatovy identifies stakeholders based on multiple criteria,
but the following three factors are the most significant:
Geographic Zone
Those stakeholders who are geographically close to the
Project sites are often automatically affected and thereby
become stakeholders. Examples include local businesses that
see changing economic conditions as a result of the influx of
workers and workers themselves who will see the job market
change as a result of the Project.
Area of Expertise
Certain stakeholders have expertise in our areas of
impact. For example, we have identified local, national and
international NGOs, which can offer technical knowledge in
areas, such as rice field rehabilitation, HIV/AIDS awareness
and prevention, and water and sanitation projects.
Level of Impact
Certain stakeholders experience or exert significant impact as
a result of construction and operations. These stakeholders
are identified and prioritized based on the level of impact.
An example is the resettled communities that were originally
located on the tailings and plant sites. The impact of
resettlement was high and these groups have therefore had a
correspondingly high level of engagement.
Stakeholder Groups
In 2010, Ambatovy conducted an inter-departmental
stakeholder identification process. By the end of the year,
the Project was conducting stakeholder mapping, an in-
depth process that will continue into 2011. The resulting
maps are issue-based, rather than Project-wide, so that
we can be specific in identifying and engaging the right
stakeholder at the right time. This exercise gives a clear
picture of our stakeholders who are in a given region and
which stakeholders should be engaged on a particular topic.
Stakeholders so far identified fall within seven groups:
3
Business community
3
Civil society
3
Financial community
3
Government and regulatory bodies
3
Local communities
3
The media
3
Workforce and contractors
For a detailed explanation of each of these groups and how
we engage them, refer to Annex 1: Major Stakeholders by
Group.
Approach to Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder engagement allows affected stakeholders
the opportunity to review and influence Project activities,
with a view to developing community support. Stakeholder
engagement activities range from the provision of information
to involvement in joint decision-making. Ambatovy is currently
formulating a comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement Plan,
modelled on the approach designed by the International
Association for Public Participation.
4
Our approach is founded
on the recognition that the more a stakeholder is impacted by
us, the greater our engagement with them should be.
Engagement Frequency
Our engagement is both pro-active and responsive. At a
minimum, we initiate weekly, monthly or quarterly meetings
with stakeholders who fall within our current scope of
engagement. For example, we consult the
tangalamena
(local elders) on a quarterly basis and meet regularly with
government ministries and agencies, such as the National
Environment Office (
Office National pour l’Environnement,
ONE
) and the Ministry of Mines. There is also ad hoc
engagement, of which the HIV/AIDS awareness and
prevention program is a good example. The Project engaged
community and employee stakeholders through regular
education sessions and also decided to do a mass campaign
that coincided with World AIDS Day in December 2010.
4
Adapted from the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum. For more information see
.
