The Geological Society of South Africa Professional Affairs Committee

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The Geological Society of South
AfricaProfessional Affairs Committee
Results of a recent GSSA Professional Affairs
Committee survey Views of the membership (and
some feedback about recent progress) 23 June
2005 Presented by Gavin Hall Matt
Mullins Egoli Branch
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• The Professional Affairs Committee of the
  Geological Society of South Africa

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Professional Affairs Committee Mandate

• To advance, promote and protect the professional
  status of members by
• Identifying professional needs of members.
• Representing members actively on the appropriate
  National and International statutory and
  professional bodies. These are inclusive of, but
  not limited to, SAMREC, SAMVAL, SETAG, and
  SACNASP.
• Ensuring that appropriate educational,
  registration, professional indemnity insurance
  and reciprocity needs are investigated and
  addressed.
• Addressing other issues as requested from time to
  time by Members, Council or Manco.

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Needs Analysis Feedback 23 June 2005Aims and
Objectives

• To bench-mark current activities against needs
• Identify strategic objectives
• Identify future activities

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• Questionnaire
• Gavin Hall

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Summary of Respondents

• 125 responses received by deadline of 15 January
  2005
• Responses categorised
• 97 from industry (77)
• 15 from academia (12)
• 6 retired members (5)
• 4 from parastatals (3)
• 3 from post graduate students (3)

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Summary of Respondents

• Geographic details of respondents
• 111 from South Africa
• 4 from Namibia
• 2 each from Australia and the UK
• 1 each from Zambia, Tanzania, Sweden, Canada,
  Colombia and Algeria
• Academic responses
• 4 from Wits
• 4 from University of Johannesburg
• 1 each from Gothenburg, Pretoria, UPE, Durham, SA
  Museum, University of North West, Australian
  National University

Rating Scheme 1 strongly disagree/poor 5
strongly agree/excellent
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Summary of Respondents

• Industry responses
• 17 from Gold Fields (14)
• 8 from De Beers (6)
• 6 freelance geologists (5)
• 5 from Kumba (4)
• 3 each from RBM, AAC, AngloPlatinum, Anglogold,
  Impala, Snowden
• 2 each from Anglocoal, Lonmin, The Mineral
  Corporation, RSG Global

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Questionnaire BackgroundQuestions - Paraphrased

• GSSA addresses the professional needs of members
  satisfactorily?
• Agree with the PAC mandate?
• More GSSA involvement in SACNASP?
• More GSSA involvement in SAMREC?
• GSSA to comment publicly on issues that affect
  members?
• GSSA to be more active in transformation?
• GSSA to organise an Annual Salary Survey?
• Closer synergy/cooperation between the SAIMM and
  the GSSA?
• More GSSA involvement in Government forums (e.g.
  NSTF)?
• GSSA to assist in Professional Indemnity
  Insurance for members?
• GSSA to be more proactive in education, training
  and mentoring?
• List the three most important issues facing
  professional geologists in the next 3 years
• Any further comments?

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Answers per Question
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Questions yes versus no
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Respondents Answers Ranked
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Analysis of Comments

• Comments from 125 responses were analysed by GH
  and JS, and grouped as follows
• Training and development
• The profession
• Transformation
• Employment
• The GSSA

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Training and Development

• New graduates lack skills to operate in industry
  (51 comments)
• New graduates are not mentored correctly or at
  all (10 comments)
• There is a shortage of good graduates (11)
• Retention within the profession is problematic
  (10)

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The Profession

• Respondents worry about upholding professional
  standards (39 comments)
• 45 respondents desire accreditation and
  recognition

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Transformation

• general unease
• 32 respondents agree that the GSSA must transform
• Transformation should happen on its own (8
  respondents)
• Respondents unsure if the PAC refers to broad
  transformation of the society or if
  transformation is related to membership (HDSAs)
• There are very few prominent HDSAs in academia,
  therefore no role models for aspirant geology
  students

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Employment

• Reservations about employment prospects (21
  respondents)
• 16 are worried about the decline of the SA mining
  industry
• 8 respondents comment on poor job prospects for
  white geologists
• 11 are concerned about financial recognition for
  geologists

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The GSSA

• Members want and expect regular professional
  updates (28 comments)
• Members want and expect updates related to
  technology and software used in industry (14
  comments)
• Geologists professional profile must be enhanced
  (5)
• The GSSA must get more exposure / visibility

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The GSSA (continued)

• GSSA does not inform membership enough about
  SACNASP, GSSA, SAIMM, SAMREC, NSTF, and
  sub-committee matters (19)
• GSSA favours industry geologists (7)
• GSSA does not sufficiently address needs of mine
  / industry geologists (5)
• SACNASP does not serve geologists (7)
• SACNASP to be part of GSSA (1)

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The GSSA (continued)

• SAMREC should be part of / managed by GSSA (5
  comments)
• 4 comments in favour of Chartered Professional
  Status
• 4 comments that environmental geology receives
  little attention from GSSA
• 1 respondent guesses that many geologists in
  industry would not be GSSA members if they did
  not receive company sponsorship

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Other Comments

• Geologists neglect the basics (data collection)
• Degeneration of standards at SA university
  departments
• Industry does not attract graduates, reluctant to
  work on mines
• Alternatives to SACNASP? Internationally?
• Members are ill-informed w.r.t. GSSA strategy and
  leadership (mission and vision)
• Policing function of GSSA? W.r.t. reporting,
  professionalism
• Lack of skills
• Proliferation of consultants who maintains
  their standards?
• Recognition equivalence with e.g.
  metallurgists, engineers
• Pursue NEPAD initiatives

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• Discussion

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Needs Analysis Feedback Education, Mentoring and
Training
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Needs Analysis Feedback Comment Publicly
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Needs Analysis Feedback Interaction with
Government
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Needs Analysis Feedback SAMREC, SACNASP, SAMVAL,
SAIMM etc.
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Needs Analysis Feedback Transformation
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GSSA/SAIMM Synergy

• Yes, there are definite benefits/synergies that
  can be extracted. However, beware of being
  swamped and losing control of matters
  Geological.

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Professional Needs

• The GSSA is moving more and more towards the
  industry needs and ignoring academic needs

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Positives

• The GSSA has made extremely good progress in
  professional affairs over the last 10 years
  keep up the momentum
• I think the GSSA is doing a very good job
• The GSSA has grown in membership by 22 in the
  past year

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Conclusions

• The GSSA has rapidly transformed from a Learned
  Society to both a Learned and Professional
  Society
• This is reflected in increasing membership, and
  more positive attitudes towards the GSSA
• This Needs Analysis has identified the key areas
  for future implementation

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