Community Development - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 610

FIGURE 15.1
Main Components of a Flexible Community Development Framework

Build
Support

Make a
Plan

As community development is dynamic, a static or rigid approach to com-
munity development is likely to fail.

Implement
and Adjust
the Plan

Maintain
Momentum

capacity. Community capacity is much broader than simply people or money; it includes
leadership, commitment, resources, planning skills, and experience in community affairs.
Community development may well begin with building capacity within the mining com-
pany itself, since companies may be constrained by the lack of skills available internally.
Social development staff may be hired to provide the necessary knowledge, but such
skills are not easily transferred to mine management and mine personnel. Similarly, not
all social development experts, either employed directly by the mining project or retained
as advisors, have an appropriate mind-set or relevant experience. Inexperienced or biased
advisers may, (1) push the mining company to assume a role which properly belongs to
government, or (2) over-commit resources, or both.
Contrary to general belief, responsible national or government owned mining compa-
nies often excel in community development initiatives. National staff are, in many cases,
knowledgeable of the local context and committed to the local community, while for many
public company personnel this may be 'just another project'. International expertise is gen-
erally best used to develop a company's internal capacity. The mining company's local staff
can then successfully engage in local community activities.
There is ample literature on community development, including the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) good practice manuals and reports such as 'Doing Better Business Through
Effective Public Consultation and Disclosure' (1998), 'Investing in People: Sustaining
Communities through Improved Business Practice' (2000), 'Developing Value: The Business
Case for Sustainability in Emerging Markets' (SustainAbility and IFC 2002), and 'Breaking
New Ground' (MMSD 2002). The Community Development Toolkit (World Bank and
ICMM 2005) is designed to create community development plans that help reduce conl ict,
promote co-operation, and enhance the contribution of private investments, such as mining,
to sustainable development. Most international donor agencies provide good practice guidance
(e.g. ADB 1999). Relevant reading includes UNDP (1998), USEPA (1999), Creighton and
Creighton (1999), EC (2000), Wates (2000), Bruch and Filbey (2002), and Coyle et al . (2002).

National staff are knowledgeable
of the local context and
committed to the local
community.

15.1 WHAT DEFINES A COMMUNITY?

There is a tendency to dei ne a community solely in geographic terms. However, a com-
munity can also be dei ned as a group of people with a common interest or a common
origin. A community may consist of Indigenous Peoples (IP), or a blend of people from
different origins, religions, and cultures, including IP. People may belong to more than one
community. They may for example be part of a neighbourhood community, a religious