Beyond compliance: Community development committees and the transformation of resource governance in Tanzania

Resource-rich countries worldwide often face persistent imbalances in the redistribution of resource wealth. Although mineral extraction generates substantial revenues, these funds are typically centrally managed and redistributed, leaving host communities, who bear the social and environmental burdens of extraction, impoverished and marginalized. In Tanzania, despite provisions allowing Local Government Authorities to levy a 0.3% service charge on mining revenues and receive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions intended to support local development, means of engaging host communities remain a challenge. Community Development Agreements (CDAs) have been identified as potential instruments to safeguard the interests of host communities. However, despite their widespread promotion, a critical gap remains in understanding how communities can effectively engage in, negotiate, and implement CDAs, particularly in contexts marked by power asymmetries. Communities are often poor, with limited knowledge of mining and the broader extractive industry, and with no access to decision-making power. This study addresses the gap by examining Community Development Committees (CDCs) as an inclusive, participatory institutional mechanism through which communities can effectively articulate their development priorities. Using semi‑structured interviews with 36 key informants across the mining value chain, including central government officials, mining representatives, and local communities, the study finds the CDC model as an effective approach for strengthening community voice, enhancing transparency, improving negotiations, and monitoring project implementations. Although grounded in Tanzania’s mining sector, the study offers insights relevant to other resource dependent economies seeking to foster more equitable social contracts.