A lack of transparency and accountability in the awarding of mining sector licences, permits and contracts – the first stage in the mining value chain – is a root cause of corruption in the mining sector.

Yet many initiatives to improve governance and prevent corruption in the oil, gas and mining industries do not focus fully or exclusively on the mining sector, or this stage of the value chain.

The MACRA Tool fills this gap by helping users to identify and assess the underlying causes of corruption in mining sector awards – the risks that create opportunities for corruption, and undermine the lawful, compliant and ethical awarding of mining sector licences, permits and contracts.

The Tool’s focus on ‘mining awards’ spans from the award of rights for exploration, extraction and mine expansion, to community consultation and consent requirements, and environmental licences and related permits. 

The MACRA Tool has been used across 23 mining jurisdictions, and identifies more than 80 common corruption risks. It has proved to be a highly effective method for identifying and assessing the risk factors that create vulnerabilities to corruption at this critical stage.

Learn about the Abridged MACRA Tool.

introduction to the Third edition

In this third edition, we have added guidance on incorporating gender-related issues to make the corruption risk assessment gender sensitive.

This includes instructions in each step on how to collect and use gender-related data as well as a dedicated annex with supplementary guidance. We have also added three new gendered corruption risks to the list of common corruption risks.

Strategies to tackle corruption will only be truly effective if they address the barriers created by gender inequality that hinder women’s participation in decision-making and accountability efforts. This third edition of the tool guides users to collect information that will help identify, understand and address these barriers as well as to identify and mitigate the specific gendered impacts of corruption on women.