Transformation in Practice
Transforming Contractor Management to Support Zero Harm
Operating model | Organisation design | Capability | Ways of working
The challenge
A global mining organisation needed to improve contractor safety performance, which was falling behind industry peers. With large contractor workforces of over 50,000 and operating across 38 mining sites, the ambition was clear: zero harm for everyone working on site, whether employee or contractor.
Achieving that required more than new procedures. It meant changing how the organisation managed contractors and their equipment end-to-end, and ensuring the people accountable for contractor performance had the right structure, capability and tools to do it effectively.
The transformation
I joined as the people lead, partnering with the business to translate the new Contractor Performance Management approach into something that could work on the ground. This included designing the organisational model for mining sites, defining critical roles and capabilities, and establishing a more consistent way of working with contractors.
A significant part of my role was turning that operating model into practical capability. I designed and delivered the learning needed to embed the change, combining digital learning, in-person cohorts, and critically train-the-trainer programmes, supported by practical tools and templates that could be adapted for individual sites.
The impact
Operating mines in South Africa, Chile, Brazil and Australia were equipped with the structure, roles, capability and learning infrastructure needed to manage contractor performance more consistently and effectively. Rather than treating contractor safety as simply a compliance or training issue, the work addressed the organisational conditions behind it: clear accountability, capable people and a consistent way of managing contractors throughout the lifecycle.
This was about more than changing a contractor management process. It was about changing how the organisation worked with its contractor workforce and building the capability to make safer contractor management part of everyday operations, in support of the ultimate goal: zero harm.
Procurement transformation | Organisation design | Capability | Change
The challenge
A major diversified African group wanted to transform Procurement across five divisions.
Procurement maturity was low and the divisions did not have established Strategic Procurement functions. The ambition was not simply to improve processes, but to build the organisation, capability and ways of working needed for Procurement to become a strategic contributor to the business.
The transformation
I joined to lead the organisation, capability and change elements of the transformation and helped translate the transformation ambition into an operating model that connected organisation, roles, capability, process and change.
My work has included:
- Designing the framework for five new strategic procurement functions
- Defining roles, skills and competency expectations
- Shaping recruitment and assessment
- Designing and delivering the capability programme
- Establishing the Procurement Academy and Procurement Excellence framework
- Building change-management capability within each division
Alongside this, I work with senior leadership on communications, governance, planning and problem solving, and coach Procurement professionals as they put new capabilities into practice.
The impact
The organisation has moved from low Procurement maturity without established Strategic Procurement functions to five implemented Strategic Procurement structures with defined roles, common capability expectations and a structured approach to developing people.
Importantly, the transformation is building internal capability rather than dependency: Procurement professionals are developing the skills to deliver greater value, local Change Managers can lead change within their divisions, and the Procurement Academy provides a foundation for capability development to continue.
The work continues on this project as we continue to embed the new ways of working.
Client perspective
"This wasn't about implementing a new Procurement process. It was about building the organisation and capability needed to make Strategic Procurement work in practice, and creating the internal ownership to sustain it. We would not be able to do this without Julie's expertise and continued delivery."
