IMDG is growing its capacity to produce independently confirmed Bankable Feasibility Studies (BFSs) to the high standard required by those who invest hundreds of millions to billions of US$ in mining and minerals processing projects. This capacity will be IMDG’s Strategic Strength.
IMDG’s multidisciplinary core team of eight industry veterans will direct the sequential series of studies. To be able to produce multiple BFSs in parallel ‘production lines’ IMDG must also have on call hundreds of professionals with the diversity of specialisations required. These self-employed professionals with credentials that have been screened by IMDG will be ready to be contracted as required, on a when available/non-exclusive basis. Those who enlist in IMDG’s Extended Team will always be free to accept assignments from others – or fulltime employment.
Special designated roles
IMDG will compile from extended team members two select panels: one of geologists and one of mining engineers. These professionals tend to be specialised in terms of geologies, geographies and minerals. From those on the panel of geologists available at the time, IMDG will contract the geologist best suited to a project to advise the core team and to lead the exploration sub-project. A suitably specialised mining engineer may also be contracted to advise and assist the core team on a particular project.
Members of the core team will select and contract extended team members to be their professional assistants and share the workload when multiple projects are being developed. It is likely that ‘the next in line’ successors to core team members will be identified from these professional assistants and select panels.
Core team members are veterans aged from the mid-sixties to late seventies. Given their age, it is incumbent on IMDG to do robust succession planning for when these veterans choose to finally retire, or become too incapacitated to work, or pass.
Core team members will have key responsibilities and the founding team members will have committed much of their time at risk. For this they will be well rewarded. They will be able to invoice substantial amounts for doing satisfying work. They or their estates will also receive significant dividends for five years after he or she retires or passes. So, being invited to be a core team member – or to be the designated successor – should become an aspiration for some extended team members.
Growing the Extended Team
IMDG plans to ramp up its production capacity continuously. It must also plan for double redundancy in the extended team – for when more than one of a specialisation is required and for when some of those with that specialisation are not available.
There are three sources for enlisting new extended team members:
- The core team members will use their individual networks to refer ex-colleagues who they know well and trust. Later on, those contracted by IMDG will tell their peers of the high-end work opportunities available to IMDG’s extended team members.
- IMDG can call on EVR (Enshrine Virtual Resources) with its extensive database of engineering and other technical professionals to refer specifically required professionals. This database includes South African mining professionals who are living and working abroad. Some work can be done remotely, but many would happily return if there is ample high-end work available.
- IMDG anticipates that this website will help enlist a steady stream of extended team members who will know well the many ways in which they could contribute, particularly if they have experience of working on project studies.