Community development needs clearly defined roles and responsibilities of government, companies, NGOs/community-based organizations (CBOs), and communities (table), and shared commitment from all levels within an organization.

The precise roles of the various participants depend on local circumstances and change during the course of both the mine and the community development process. However, some broad principles are clear:

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The mining industry can play a central role in community development by acting as a catalyst for positive change in areas that may otherwise have little if any opportunities for economic and social development. This is especially true in situations where mining can be a catalyst to help to build up other (non-mining) sustainable income sources in the areas where the mines are located so that communities are able to develop independently of the mine and are thus able to survive the exhaustion of the ore reserves and the departure of the mining operation. An important means of achieving this is to foster dynamic linkages between communities and external support agencies.

During the mine life, there can be tensions involving the distribution of mining revenues in a country, between local and national levels. This is because mineral wealth is usually vested in national governments rather than owned by people living in the mining area, and national governments may have priorities for development that differ from those of the communities neighboring the mine.

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• Adopt a strategic approach: Development activities at the operational level are linked to long-term strategic objectives for the company and are also aligned with existing and future community and/or regional and national development plans.
• Ensure consultation and participation: Local communities are actively involved in all stages of project conception, design, and implementation, including closure and post-closure.
• Work in partnership: Private, governmental, NGO, and community organizations bringing different skills and resources – but shared interests and objectives – can achieve more through working together than individually. Formal or informal partnerships can also reduce costs, avoid duplication of existing initiatives, and reduce community dependency on the mining operation.
• Strengthen capacity: Programs that emphasize strengthening of local community, NGO, and government capacity are more sustainable in the long-term than the supply of cash, materials, or infrastructure without a properly designed forward-looking participatory framework. While infrastructure is often essential for the development of remote communities, it will only be sustained if there is an adequate maintenance program supported by a well designed participatory process including local communities and governments.