Rebuilding an economy : modeling Zimbabwe’s mining sector with scenario planning

Abstract

Zimbabwe is a country known for political and economic instability, yet it has great potential for economic growth and development, particularly in the mining sector. A new strategy for effectively managing the uncertainty inherent in the mining industry is required. This paper uses Scenario Planning, which is an Operations Research and Business Engineering technique, and engineering economics to analyse Zimbabwe’s mining sector. Four scenarios and two strategies have been developed to analyse the Zimbabwean mining sector’s future and its contribution to economic growth. A questionnaire was sent to industry experts to determine which strategy is more robust. These results were then analysed using AHP and a robust strategy selection method.