4. INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN DECISION-MAKING

Negotiations with mining companies are often very hard work. If you don’t have the community on your side during negotiations, the work is even harder. Moreover, an agreementAgreement: any explicit, signed document that is negotiated and includes mutual concessions or limitations placed on both sides. Examples are Negotiation Agreements, Exploration Cooperation Benefit Agreements, Socio-Economic Participation Agreements. that is not well-received by the community may be very difficult to implement.

This breakdown in community confidence and support can occur for several reasons. If negotiations had to take place quickly, there may not have been enough time to keep people informed. If negotiations involve technical details that are difficult for the negotiators to understand, communication with the community may also fall by the wayside. The negotiators are embarrassed to show how much trouble they themselves have with the information.

By involving all residents in the discussion of the four strategic issues, everyone gets a chance to have his or her say about the community’s future. This will bring about greater buy-in when decisions are made regarding development. It will also help keep communication lines open and the community well-informed and supportive during SEPA negotiations.