Mining community development agreements source book

The aim of this source book is to support strategic and collaborative community development planning by governments, companies, civil society, and communities by presenting a basic framework for CDAs in the context of the mining industry. As stated, this guidance is not intended to be prescriptive, as the development of any CDA should consider the local context, including the applicable regulatory structure(s) and specific community/stakeholder interests and capacity. This document also does not speak to the question of whether CDAs should be mandatory or voluntary. Instead, it recognises that they are becoming a key component of good practice (especially with respect to mining development in emerging markets); that they can be mutually beneficial to communities, governments, and developers; and that the key parameters of CDAs should be agreed upon to both manage expectation and measure adherence to best practice. This document provides a tool for governments and policymakers at all levels, as they strive to support their communities—economically and socially—through the sustainable development of mineral resources. It should inform policymakers of the process and content of best-practice CDAs, allowing improved results from CDA development.