Core Case Study

Hi-tech in the outback: Background

This case study operates across all nine modules. This particular section provides the context and background relating to the case. It will provide the necessary guidance for any new reader coming into one of the modules.

Bill Stephens was satisfied with the results of the Executive Planning Committee. As General Manager, Community Relations at Cozinca, he had the sometimes conflicting responsibility of ensuring that the company's duty to shareholders was matched with its duties to the communities in which it operated. Bill had developed a financial methodology to justify the investments necessary to demonstrate the company's social responsibilities. He had learned that in order to win the finance experts over, he needed to speak their language – the language of numbers. His methodology captured the costs associated with investments in community health, education and development, and compared those costs with the productivity and reputational costs associated with doing nothing and the costs associated with doing what was minimally acceptable . In the case of Illijamburu, the numbers had come down on his side; they normally did for major projects. It was company policy to be a leader in community development, and Bill knew that if he could convince his General Manager, Finance of the numbers he would get the investment he needed.

Until 2004 Illijamburu was little known to the rest of Australia. With an indigenous population of close to 1,000 and several cattle stations nearby, it had been strongly protected from many of the challenges that had impacted on other rural communities across the country. That had all changed with the discovery of a large uranium deposit on two of the nearby stations. The community had suddenly experienced a massive expansion of people, traffic and influences as the previous journey to the region was reduced from 1.5 days by plane and car to six hours by plane. The teenagers and young people in the community were particularly fascinated by the activities that were being undertaken as the mining giant Cozinca commenced its operations. Within a short space of time a booming township had begun to emerge, along with basic shops, an outdoor cinema, an air strip and a doctor's surgery. Of concern to the Illijamburu community was the ready presence of alcohol in a community that had traditionally been relatively protected. The elders decided that they would be proactive in building a future for their young. They met with officials from Cozinca and commenced discussions as to how old and new could work together to achieve a constructive and productive community for all concerned.

Cozinca was very amenable to the discussions – partly because of Bill Stephen's preparatory work and the company's own prior experience in building strong community engagement through socially responsible practices. The organisation could see considerable benefits in creating a symbiotic community that would finally place Australia at the forefront of rural community development. It was keen to support the indigenous community in its efforts to protect and develop its young members. It was also anxious to work in an environmentally responsible manner to ensure the beautiful rugged northwest setting remained sustainable. It saw many potential projects that could be undertaken, and was open to further projects being developed as opportunities emerged. As a basis for initial consideration, the company was particularly interested in designing this greenfield site to draw on best practice concerning isolated regional community development. It was very keen to create a rich and vibrant local community that enticed workers to settle rather than fly-in and fly-out. Many possible areas of research were identified in a corporate think-tank.

• Every residence (both indigenous and newcomer) would integrate high level technology so that all members of the community have access to broadband, satellite TV, digitally enhanced services and any other conceivable conveniences. The stated intention of this technological blueprint was to reduce the sense of isolation by increasing the linkages to other community residents and to the world at large.
• Designing an educational strategy that would ensure the new K – 12 college would be a leading educational force in the region was another goal. In particular, the company wished to ensure that it provided a quality education to all members of the community. While the college would need to encourage successful completion of year 12, there was also a strong focus on including vocational and apprenticeship training as an alternative educational path. However, the company had a broader vision than schooling for children. It also wanted to provide ongoing adult education to assist its workers and the members of the indigenous community.
• Providing small business incubation support to any member of the community was another possibility. The company saw great benefit in building business capability in the young members and in those dwelling in the township. Tourism, publishing and artistic endeavours were three areas already identified as high potential avenues for support.
• The environmental sustainability agenda was also identified as being of considerable importance if Cozinca was to maintain its reputation for responsible mining. It was keen to trial and lead new methods of mining to reduce environmental impact, increase productivity and encourage higher quality ore retrieval.
• Revegetation was another area of research that Cozinca was keen to support. In keeping with its focus on social responsibility it wished to leave a minimal footprint on the terrain following its mining operations.
• The health and well-being of the community was also of considerable importance to Cozinca. It recognised the challenges associated with small social communities in isolated regions. The dangers of alcoholism, social dysfunction and mental illness were but a few of the potential hazards that needed to be monitored as the two civilisations intersect and the new township settled in.
• From another perspective, the Illijamburu community offered some valuable insights into traditional medical practices. In particular, one of the plants discovered in the initial assay of the vegetation was shown to have major possibilities for cancer research. This would be a major coup for Cozinca if the potential proved to be well-founded.
• While there was much excitement at documenting traditional practices there was also considerable concern that the community be insulated from the presence of many different researchers and investigators. The company felt that anthropologists should be asked to manage this aspect of the project.
• Recreation in the community is a further strand identified as critically important. The challenges of keeping single workers engaged and physically and intellectually active during the time at Illijamburu has also received considerable focus.

These few examples illustrate the exciting research opportunities that the Illijamburu community development project offered. Cozinca was aware that it needed to be quite strategic in identifying a suitable research partnership that would support its goals and also enable best practice to be identified and pursued. It was keen to build a cohesive program of research that supported the initial development of the community and monitored the long-term impacts of the various initiatives. It also strongly desired the publication of any results of those investigations, as it believed the company's dedication and commitment would be a shining commendation to the world.

With this in mind, Cozinca determined that it wished to build a partnership with your university. It chose a Go8 for many reasons. First, it believed that a comprehensive research-intensive university would have the expertise and know-how to support the various projects. Second, it was keen to draw on Federal Government funding to assist its development agenda, and believed a Go8 university would have the best know-how to gain this support. Third, it had a long history of collaborative projects with various researchers in the university and they had been well managed and successfully concluded. Finally, the university had maintained strong links with various senior members of the company, and so this extended that partnership yet again.

Professor Stupendous, an expert in regional community development was contacted by Jim Shepherd, the Executive Director of Cozinca Australia. Jim had met Professor Stupendous several times and was impressed with the professor's breadth and depth of knowledge. They met several times to discuss the projects and their likely focus. The professor had pulled together a wide-ranging team of researchers and research support staff to review the proposed project. The initial group of researchers included representatives from the environmental sciences, health sciences, medicine, information technology, indigenous studies, anthropology, education, engineering, business, social work, and many others. Professor Stupendous recognised the challenges associated with such a massive project. He also acknowledged that it would be necessary to draw in others to assist with the leadership of the project. He was delighted when Professor Prolific agreed to be the second Principal Investigator and co-director of the project. She had directed many complex collaborative research projects with significant national recognition for the outcomes.

As word of the project spread, other companies started to come forward as possible collaborators. After careful consultation with Jim Shepherd, collaborations were agreed with Knowledge Now, an innovative network community agency, Future Ed, an educational community development agency and Medicus, a pharmaceutical firm. Two government arms had also expressed an interest in working with Cozinca to ensure that the rights and well-being of the indigenous members of Illijamburu were protected.

Given the highly controversial nature of the mining project, the Federal Government has also insisted on additional security clearances for all researchers. It has required involvement of the Department of Defence in the research planning to ensure the nation's interests remain protected. Some elements of the research may also require clearance prior to publishing. This has been an area of considerable discussion with the partner agencies and is an area the university is very keen to manage carefully.

The two directors recognised the complexity of the project. They would be drawing together a range of leading researchers, with some having far less experience in cross-disciplinary collaboration. They also noted the need to identify and draw in some international experts who would either provide guidance or work collaboratively on the project. The research team itself was likely to be quite diverse, both in discipline background and in experience. Already the directors could count at least fifty key researchers, ranging from honours and postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows and various academics from the different disciplines, including a number of very senior researchers with national profiles. Further, the isolation and need to coordinate from a distance was recognised as another source of complexity.

Stupendous and Prolific spent many days discussing the practicalities of the research program with the Executive Director, Projects, Maxine Sampson. She was keen to build some protocols and accountabilities into the project as rapidly as possible. Her experience in other greenfield projects indicated that good project management would save considerable angst later on. This was a more formal arrangement that the researchers were used to, but they could see the benefits. In fact, they welcomed them, given the challenges of coordinating so many groups and agencies. With the initial memorandum of understanding signed, the exciting work could now begin ...