Local Conflict Management

Local Conflict Mitigation Tools in Community Development

This tool is in draft format and under review. It is intended to provide guidance to practitioners to understand and navigate conflict in community development in the context of the extractive industries sector (e.g., oil, gas and mining). The primary intended audience for the guidance is personnel at extractive companies – including project managers and community relations/sustainable development managers in the field and in headquarters.

The objectives of this report are to: (i) develop a better understanding of the potential contributions of civil society to peacebuilding; (ii) analyze comparative advantages, limitations, risks, and critical factors; and (iii) provide guidance to external actors supporting civil society initiatives for peacebuilding.

This study draws on 13 case studies of conflict-affected countries that specifically have incorporated community-driven development (CDD) initiatives in their development effort. Through semi-structured interviews with the managers of these CDD programs, the report analyzes the impact of CDD as a development option. It also extends current knowledge of the application of CDD approaches in conflict-affected environments by identifying common challenges and opportunities, drawing lessons learned from these operations, and disseminating the findings among donors and client governments.

This paper attempts to explain the determinants of the propensity to armed struggle and the probability of participation by individuals in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria using primary (micro) data. While grievance appears to be pervasive among individuals and communities in the region and can be systematically explained, neither the grievance level nor its commonly-cited causal factors appear to be strong enough to create a disposition towards armed rebellion. Rather, factors that reduce the opportunity cost and risk of participation or increase the perceived benefits appear to be more important. The study identifies three of these factors that are amenable to policy makers’ control as income level, educational attainment, and government presence.

This model MOU has been prepared to help facilitate the development of a partnership agreement between partners. The text is based on external studies and examples of ‘best practice’ in formulating agreements within CRS. The intention is to help formulate agreements that reflect the CRS Partnership Principles and the mutual understanding of the parties. It should be considered a model and therefore adapted and changed to accurately apply to each unique partnership.

This report reviews some of the main legal instruments used to date to combat natural resource corruption—as well as new, untested legal remedies that appear promising. Focusing on resource spoliation in Africa, it provides case studies to demonstrate what has and has not worked. The report treats the "home countries" of resource extraction companies separately from the "host countries" where they operate. It looks at both criminal and civil means of redress. Although corruption in transnational resource extraction is generally subject to inadequate legal safeguards, the report identifies opportunities for civil society action.

This report, Enduring Partnerships: Resilience, Innovation, Success, focuses on understanding the processes, structures, and other mechanisms for creating and sustaining momentum and committhe parties navigated difficult circumstances, the expected and unforeseen outcomes of these partnerships, and the positive and negative consequences of these joint ventures.

This reference guide on Corporate Crisis Management Planning is intended to assist companies in developing and improving plans for communicating effectively with all stakeholders during a crisis. The planning guide deals specifically with communications issues, and not operational issues, related to crisis management.

This Manual is intended to serve as a guide for the trainer(s) leading a Basic Training in Mediation for participants with no prior mediation experience. It reflects the style of mediation and the style of teaching used at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

These guiding principles are backed by specific which member companies began reporting against in 2004. These indicators are designed to identify the industry’s current performance in key performance areas, and point to actions that could be taken to improve it. Areas for which performance indicators have been developed include tailings management, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management, external outreach and crisis management planning.

This report seeks to build the "business case" for sponsors of large-scale, high-impact projects to treat the consent of the host community as a requirement of project development.

The Tool  aims to help companies that invest in countries where governments are unwilling or unable to assume their responsibilities. It addresses risks and ethical dilemmas that companies are likely to face in such weak governance zones, including obeying the law and observing international instruments, heightened care in managing investments, knowing business partners and clients and dealing with public sector officials, and speaking out about wrongdoing.