Community Development - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 622

essential characteristics of maintaining and strengthening the partnership, which consti-
tutes the third phase of partnership development.
While not mandatory, mining companies and communities often choose to formalize
their partnership in a jointly developed written agreement. Names of partnership agree-
ments vary, but common themes exist ( Table 15.3 ). Especially in the early phase of com-
munity interaction, a formal partnership agreement increases the level of coni dence in
the success of partnering. The joint development of the partnership agreement also helps
each participant to understand the other's positions and interests, and provides a common
platform for future actions. Addressing the elements of a partnership agreement one by
one is also a helpful educational tool: it raises awareness of the many facets of a long-term
partnership relationship, and forces everybody involved to agree on some key points. As
such, the joint formulation of the agreement helps build trust, and the process becomes as
important as the outcome.

Mining companies and
communities often choose to
formalize their partnership in
a jointly developed written
agreement.

Planning Methods

There is no shortage of participatory planning methods (Rietbergen-McCracken and
Narayan 1998). There are workshop-based methods, e.g. Appreciation Inl uence Control

TABLE 15.3
Common Ingredients of a Partnering Agreement (such as Letter of Intent, Memorandum
of Understanding, Memorandum of Agreement, Charter, or Code of Conduct) (World Bank
2004) - Names of partnership agreements may vary, but common themes exist

Assumptions

Representatives of each partner organization and their status

Geographic boundaries and/or target population of the partnership

A (common) vision statement

The objectives of the partnership: shared by all parties; specifi c to each organization

Joint work plan, encompassing: activities, schedules and performance indicators; resource commitments; and
responsibilities

Funding arrangements/contracts

Decision-making principles

Grievance mechanism to resolve differences

Procedures for transparency and on-going communications between partners

Measures to strengthen the capacity of partners to implement their commitments

Measures to mitigate external risks and threats to the partnership

A protocol for communicating with constituents and other parties

Procedures for monitoring and measuring the performance of the partnership against both the business and wider
social objectives

Rules for individual partners to leave or join the partnership, and an exit strategy for the partnership as a whole