ABSTRACT
Ensuring a proper appreciation for detailed planning of land access and resettlement projects among internal stakeholders in a company or government is a key issue for project planners. This can be achieved by putting a business case forward in a detailed and proper manner with adequate time, budget and resources. Social impacts and particularly land access are a key risk to projects. Overall, the International Finance Corporation reports that the Financial Valuation Tool has shown that investments in land access activities can account for the majority share of value protection. The business case can demonstrate that the cost of getting social right is dwarfed by the cost of getting it wrong. Effectively channelling development benefits to local communities can generate a wide range of direct and indirect business benefits. The pursuit of these benefits, or 'business drivers', is what can help motivate companies to support properly undertaken resettlement and community investment approaches.
