The literature offers a number of recommendations on community engagement in the extractives sector. The following are particularly relevant to fragile and conflict-affected contexts:
- Engage with local communities as partners in preventing and managing conflict, rather than approaching them as a threat or risk.
- Distribute any benefits from the project (including jobs, development assistance, etc.) widely and fairly across communities.
- Apply principles of transparency and accountability.
- Recognise legacies of violent conflict
- Understand that there are set boundaries for what is possible when it comes to community development.
- Give a voice to the marginalised when designing community development, whilst recognising that this can also change power dynamics and relationships.
- Ensure that those engaging with the community are as representative as possible of the community itself and have in-depth knowledge of local culture, customs, leadership, and communications.
- Take a tri-sector partnership approach (between the private sector, government and civil society) to help ensure greater legitimacy and build social capital within the community.
- Work proactively to prevent conflict and to build sustainable relations with communities and governments rather than trying to defuse discontent and outrage once they have emerged.
- Apply conflict-sensitive business practices, including early, consistent, meaningful and empowering stakeholder engagement.
- Create effective channels through which stakeholders can raise and address problems.
