The IQA’s Strategic Plan for the next five years – 2020 to 2025 – is designed to transform the Institute for the next decade. IQA President Shane Braddy discusses the Institute’s future goals and objectives.
The IQA’s Strategic Plan for 2020 to 2025 embodies the following vision and values:
Vision: Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries.
Values:
- A safe and sustainable environment.
- Diversity and inclusion.
- Workforce development skills, careers and life-long learning
- Networking, connection, trust and communication.
The IQA has already commenced a number of projects aligned to its three strategic priorities:
- Maximise outcomes for industry through education and sustainable practice.
- Increase its relevance.
- Operate as a high performing and sustainable organisation.
In an interview for Quarry, IQA President Shane Braddy said it was, to say the least, a unique and uncertain time for the IQA to be setting out a long-term strategic plan. When the board convened on 25 February for discussion, the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Australia was small and there was little inkling that within a month the whole country – and indeed most of the world – would go into lockdown.
Nonetheless, he said COVID-19 didn’t greatly alter the IQA’s “burning platform issues” for the next five years.
“We have an entirely different environment in which to work now,” Braddy said. “Some of it is not so good, some of it is good too because it builds a platform, a sense of urgency to get things done, not to take things for granted. That’s how we have approached the strategic plan from the beginning.
“It’s been agreed we cannot keep doing the same things because in 10 years’ time it will be difficult to see how we remain relevant to the industry. That’s not to be critical of the past, it’s just to say how fast things move, in terms of modernisation, technology, interaction. The world has changed and the IQA has to work progressively and aggressively to ensure we are near the forefront of that changed world.”
EDUCATION, SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
In elaborating on the first priority – to maximise outcomes for industry through education and sustainable practice – Braddy said that while the IQA remains reliant on memberships, the engagement process with individuals across both quarrying and associated industries is broader and the alignment of education to their needs is integral.
“We need to understand what companies require in an educational context,” he explained. “All our members exist within companies, and if we don’t understand what those companies’ educational requirements are, we won’t be able to develop the material to support them achieve their goals. We are very member-focused but to broaden our line of sight – and understand where companies sit and what their constraints are – it’s about helping to develop the educational materials to support our members to participate and contribute in that world.
“Going forward, we want our Pledge Partners, our valued suppliers and other stakeholders to recommend the IQA as the first port of call for their education needs.”
In turn, the delivery of education will incorporate the traditional face-to-face and networking models plus online delivery. “It demonstrates we are adapting to what the market wants,” Braddy said. “The life-long learning concept is not just about formal training. It’s about all aspects of learning that we can enable our members to be exposed to. And how we enable individuals to continue that life-long learning through modern media, like IQ Connect,” he added, referring to the global Institute of Quarrying network’s online education program for extractive industry workers all over the world.
“To be part of the IQA means that you can continue to update your knowledge and skills because you have access to information,” Braddy said. “We are thinking of modern ways to keep engaging with this incredible network of suppliers and quarry professionals, and bring network learning to the members in the easiest, most effective ways, so they have it at their fingertips and can access it when they need to.”
INCREASED RELEVANCE
The second priority ties into the first – broadening the IQA’s educational offering so that it retains its relevance in the marketplace. “In terms of increasing our relevance, I’ve touched on this in terms of maximising our outcomes, but it’s about making sure we have an engagement process with all state and territory regulators and stakeholders,” Braddy said.
“The key priority of our Horizon 1 platforms is we want to support other organisations like the CCAA in educating the community and the various stakeholders,” he explained. “Communities and stakeholders may not have a full understanding of what we do, the value that the quarrying industry creates and how important we are for modern communities and our lifestyle. We need to be able to tell that story in a consistent fashion through support of other organisations, and we need to be a key provider in that dissemination of information. That helps and supports our members in the field, and supports their future employment by having community and the stakeholders supportive of the industry.”
HIGH PERFORMANCE, SUSTAINABILITY
Braddy said the third priority of the strategic plan – being a high performing, sustainable organisation – is all about “our effectiveness, and building an organisation that will survive into the future. It’s not just about protecting and retaining our membership, it’s about creating increased value for our suppliers/partners and ensuring our activities contribute financially for long-term sustainability. We will look at a variety of projects that broadens what education we are offering and how we can work with our suppliers to support their programs and innovations..
“By 2025, we want to be recognised as a high performing, sustainable and relevant organisation. To increase our relevance we will be working with the industry, regulators, government planners, and communities to support the industry to achieve its outcomes.
To that end, the IQA is already exploring relationships with other likeminded organisations and also registered training organisations with a view to increase the educational opportunities available to its members and in turn provide a service for other parts of the extractive industry that have educational needs, such as small mines.
UNWAVERING DISCIPLINE
Braddy said the development of the strategic plan is a credit to the IQA board and administration in unprecedented and challenging times.
“We had identified the burning platform issues that were upon us as an Institute and then COVID-19 came along,” Braddy said. “Through this period, the whole strategic planning process, we have not wavered. The national administration have worked hard to advance programs during the restrictions.
“Given the focus on COVID-19 across the industry, the national administration has made solid progress. We’re really moving through this period of time with a lot of activity, which is encouraging and inspiring. It’s remarkable to see the engagement, to see how positive people are in advancing the cause of the Institute.”
Braddy also thanked the contribution of consultant Peter Berry, who has extensive experience in strategic plan development in a number of businesses over 25 years. “Peter has supported the IQA and helped us with the facilitation of the strategic planning workshop and the subsequent meetings,” Braddy said. “He also critiqued the end result and he was very impressed with the strategy.”
A copy of the IQA’s Strategic Plan is available for all members to view on the IQA website. Visit: quarry.com.au