Field Program Leadership

This 11-day in-person and online intensive modular course prepares students for leadership positions with responsibility for exploration field programs. Students will complete lab exercises, evaluate case histories, and collaborate in groups to develop an exploration project proposal as a final project. 

• Location: On campus at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada and online. 

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Apply principles of project management to exploration programs, design effective exploration surveys, and outline legal requirements and best practices for safety, environment, and community and Indigenous consultation.
2. Develop multi-disciplinary data collection and work programs that are appropriate to the level of project maturity and that are tailored to project-specific financial, geological and geographical constraints.
3. Work collaboratively to design and construct an accurate, detailed field program project plan using the terminology and processes of modern project management and industry-standard project management templates
4. Assess and justify the selection of appropriate parameters for the design and implementation of geological, geophysical and geochemical surveys that will meet program objectives and respect program budgets and timelines.
5. Develop an exploration project proposal that addresses compliance and social responsibility by integrating legal requirements and industry best practices for safety management, environmental control, and Indigenous and community consultation.
6. Assess and propose strategic choices for management techniques to plan, organize, lead, track, and adjust the work of a project team.
7. Evaluate and communicate the significance of exploration results to a variety of audiences.

What to expect:

The course will include lectures from the instructor and subject matter experts on the following topics:

• Project management essentials.
• Requirements for multi-disciplinary data to advance projects through the project pipeline.
• Planning and ensuring quality of early-stage and late-stage surveys.
• Health, safety and environment best practices.
• Community consultation, including Indigenous relationship building.
• Leadership and communication strategies.