Case Study 1

Revamping Social and Labour Plans (SLPs)

Project Overview:

A prominent mining company operating in South Africa was facing increasing tensions with the local community. Despite having Social and Labour Plans (SLPs) in place, the company found that these initiatives were not achieving the intended outcomes. The community remained dissatisfied, protests were escalating, and the relationship between the mining operation and the local population was deteriorating. Recognizing the need for a new approach, the company turned to Vhathu Centric for help.

Team Lead

Avhurengwi Nengovhela

Understanding the Problem

Initial Assessment: The first step was to conduct a thorough assessment of the situation. Vhathu Centric’s team began by reviewing the existing SLPs and the company’s engagement strategies. We discovered that while the plans complied with regulatory requirements, they lacked a true understanding of the community’s specific needs. The projects were designed from a top-down perspective, without meaningful input from the community members who were supposed to benefit from them.

Building Understanding

In this initial phase, we engaged with over 100 community members, conducted in-depth research, and quickly assessed existing plans. This groundwork allowed us to identify key needs and set the stage for impactful, sustainable solutions.

Community Consultations

Conducted 15 town hall meetings and focus groups within 3 weeks to gather diverse community input.

User Testing

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Research Team

Involved 8 experts in performance, healthcare, and education to analyse the community’s needs.

Team Management

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Community Consultation:

Understanding that successful outcomes begin with the people, we initiated a series of community consultations. These consultations included town hall meetings, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews with a diverse cross-section of the community, including local leaders, business owners, educators, and ordinary residents. Our goal was to listen, observe, and empathize—to truly understand the community’s concerns, aspirations, and unmet needs.

Through this process, we identified key areas where the community felt neglected: access to quality healthcare, educational opportunities for their children, and sustainable economic development. The consultations revealed a deep-seated frustration with previous projects that were perceived as token efforts rather than genuine attempts to improve the community’s quality of life.

Phase 2:

Redefining the SLPs

Empathy Mapping and Problem Definition: With the insights gathered from the consultations, Vhathu Centric conducted empathy mapping sessions to identify the underlying emotions, fears, and hopes of the community members. This process allowed us to distill the community’s needs into clear, actionable problems that the SLPs needed to address.

We redefined the problems as follows:

Healthcare: Lack of accessible, reliable healthcare services.
Education: Insufficient educational infrastructure and resources.
Economic Development: Limited opportunities for sustainable economic growth beyond the mining industry.

Ideation Workshops:

Next, we organized ideation workshops involving stakeholders from the mining company, community representatives, and external experts in healthcare, education, and economic development. These workshops were designed to generate a wide range of potential solutions, encourage creative thinking, and foster collaboration.

Some of the ideas that emerged included:

Building a community health centre with telemedicine capabilities to provide access to specialist care.
Establishing a local school with a focus on vocational training to prepare students for employment both within and beyond the mining sector.
Creating a microenterprise fund to support local entrepreneurs in diversifying the community’s economy.

Prototyping and Pilot Projects

From these ideas, we developed prototypes for each solution. For the healthcare initiative, a small clinic was set up in a temporary facility to test the demand for services and the feasibility of telemedicine. A pilot education program was launched in partnership with a local NGO, offering after-school vocational training in trades such as welding and carpentry. For economic development, we started with a small fund to support a few promising local businesses, offering them both financial support and mentorship.

Healthcare Initiative Success Rate: 85% of community members reported improved access to healthcare through the pilot clinic.
Education Program Expansion: 70% increase in student enrollment after the first month of the vocational training pilot.
Economic Development Impact: 60% of participating microenterprises reported increased revenue within the first quarter of the pilot program.

Community Ideas Generated

Pilot Projects Launched

Stakeholder Workshops

Community Feedback Sessions

Phase 3:

Community
Empowerment:

The revamped SLPs not only addressed the immediate needs of the community but also empowered them to take charge of their future. The health centre became a hub for community wellness, reducing the need for long-distance travel to access medical care. The vocational school not only provided skills training but also inspired a new generation of entrepreneurs and skilled workers. The microenterprise fund helped local businesses grow and diversify, reducing the community’s economic dependence on the mine.

Phase 4:

Key Takeaways:

Regular review meetings, community feedback sessions, and adjustments to the programs help maintain their relevance and effectiveness. This ongoing collaboration ensures that the SLPs evolve with the community’s changing needs, securing a sustainable future for all involved.

Human-Centric Approach: The success of this project underscores the importance of placing people at the centre of community engagement strategies.
Iterative Development: Prototyping and feedback were crucial in refining the solutions to meet the community’s real needs.
Sustainable Impact: By focusing on healthcare, education, and economic development, the revamped SLPs created a foundation for long-term community prosperity.