REVENUE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATIONAND MINING SECTOR GOVERNANCE

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The Revenue Development Foundation (RDF) is a non-profit con-sultancy supporting governments to efficiently manage and increase their domestic revenues. RDF provides advisory services and technical solutions, specifically IT systems, to governments in low-income countries focused on improving revenues from natural resources and property taxes.

We currently have ongoing implementations in Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali and Zambia.

Our funding partners are the German International Cooperation (GIZ), the Norwegian Ministry of For-eign Affairs, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the European Commission and the World Bank.

Who We Are

RDF is a leader in implementing mining governance improvement projects by providing an advanced

mining cadastre system and promoting efficiency, transparency and accountability in public

administration.

The overall objectives of RDF’s engagement with the mining sector are to secure mandated revenue from mining for national development, increase investor confidence, and promote efficiency in gov-ernment management of the sector.

The RDF mineral rights program enables governments to administer mining licenses and manage the associated revenue streams and fees from mineral resources in an accountable and transparent manner, which in turn helps generate an environment for investment incentives.

Our Expertise in the Mining Sector

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Our projects aim to improve government administrative processes that increase accountability and efficiency. We focus on increasing institutional capacity to enforce existing laws and regulations, to reduce discretionary powers of civil servants, and to generate auditable information for better over-sight. This helps attract investment and supports mining companies to comply with regulations.

How We Work

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RDF always aims for long-term presence in country. Full-time implementation specialists are deployed to work alongside government staff in our partner institutions. Our projects are normally two years, with an emphasis on sustainable results. We do not charge for our software, and all resources are spent on working directly with our clients. This creates impact and ensures steady incremental and tangible improvements.

RDF has a broad range of experience in interpreting a country’s mining act and regulations. This ensures that the regulations are embedded in the government’s operating procedures, as well as in technical systems.

The Online Repository is a webpage allowing the public and stakeholders read-only access to mineral rights information exported directly from MCAS. It is a key element of transparency as well as a powerful investment promotion tool.

To view the Government of Sierra Leone’s Online Reposi-tory, visit: http://sierraleone.revenuesystems.org/

Our program also supports several international initiatives focused on raising international standards of transparency in natural resource management, including the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

In Sierra Leone, RDF initiated the Extractives Industries Revenue Task Force (EIRTF) comprising the Ministry of Finance, National Revenue Authority and Ministry of Mineral Resources. The Task Force coordinates government efforts to improve compliance.

RDF develops software solutions that are instruments for change within the institutions we support. The systems we provide are:

•The Mining Cadastre Administration System (MCAS), a web-based software application that manages all aspects of a country’s mineral rights.

•The Non-Tax Revenue Payment System (NTRS), a web-based integrated software with MCAS, which allows revenue authorities to record payments either as a stand-alone system or integrated with MCAS, receiving orders to pay electronically.

•The Repository Portal, an online public plat-form to publish the mining license registry directly from MCAS.

• RDx Data Services, to integrate with any third party systems.

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The MCAS user interface showing exploration mining licenses

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In Sierra Leone, over USD 135 million of accountable revenues have been recorded in the MCAS system, which manages over 7,000 mining licenses across five office locations. The Online Repository portal was made public in 2011 and has over 2,000 registered users.

In Mali, RDF supported the Ministry of Mines in implementing MCAS, which is now used to manage the mining licensing process in real-time, allowing for efficient processing of payments, renewals and transfers. To date, more than 600 licenses are managed through the MCAS system, which is now being extended to the oil and gas sector. The Online Repository in Mali was release to the public in November 2015.

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Extractive Industries Revenue Task Force, coordinating governmententities to improvedata sharing and compliance work, Sierra Leone

Project Methodology

1. Technical assessment and process review and improvement

2. Installation of cadastre system MCAS and digitization of existing

database

3. Evaluation whether to use Non-Tax Revenue Payment System

(NTRS)

Preparation:

Implementation:

4. Training and

capacity building

6. Compliance,

intergovernmental collaboration and

revenue data integration

5. Publication off the data on the Online

Repository

7.Sustainability

Support

RDF and GIZ staff at the launch of Government of Mali’s Online Repository

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The MCAS system facilitates every stage of a Ministry’s workflow in both central and regional offices for large-scale, small-scale and artisanal licenses, as well as dealers/ex-porters licenses. The implementation of MCAS follows a proven process starting with a technical assessment to ensure configuration and customization according to regulations.

In Liberia, the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy (MLME), the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) have signed an inter-governmental data sharing agreement, which will be the basis for RDF data integration support, aiming to improve compliance in the mining sector.

As the systems are installed, a team is trained to digitize existing records, before full training and certification of users are completed. As the system usage matures, the government may decide to launch the online repository portal to stakeholders and the public. The advanced part of the project aims to improve collaboration and data sharing with other relevant institutions, in order to improve compliance.

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GIS map module on MCAS

Screenshot of MCAS showing the financial payment schedule for a license.

In Zambia, RDF is supporting the government with system integration for the monitoring of the country’s mineral production.

In Ghana, RDF provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to devel-op a computerized administration system designed to make the processing, issuing and monitoring of mining licenses more efficient.

The German Ambassador to Liberia, Ralph Timmermann, speaks at the launch of the Government of Liberia’s Online Repository portal

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● TECHNOLOGY: The system uses latest web-based technology and has all the required features of a modern cadastre system, including GIS capability, workflow support, and sophisticated revenue management. We continuously develop our software systems on the basis of government require-ments.

● APPROACH: Long-term engagement in country by providing government institutions with experienced specialists seconded for two years.

● TRACK RECORD: We have active systems deployed in several countries. The majority of systems are owned by partner governments with limited need for technical support from RDF. RDF continues to expand its solutions and engage in international initiatives.

● CAPACITY BUILDING: We train users in several different areas. Front office: basic users, super users (team leads), and administrative users. Back office: support staff, RDF system server adminis-trators, and basic system server maintenance. We provide comprehensive manuals for all products and help the governments align the SOPs with the workflow in the cadaster systems.

● DELIVERY APPROACH: Our implementation method involves a revenue specialist on the ground during the entire project duration (2 years).

● SUSTAINABILITY: An integral part of a government’s success is its ability to take full owner-ship of the system and related processes. RDF’s mining program defines clear handover milestones. RDF does not pin success primarily on its ability to build capacity alone but in making sure that reve-nues generated are budgeted accordingly. It is key that resource budgets are aligned with future operational sustainability.

● SUPPORTS EITI: Our systems help governments implement the Extractive Industries Transpar-ency Initiative (EITI) process through public disclosure of data on the Online Repository.

Why Work with Us?

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MCAS user managing dealers licenses, NMA Sierra Leone

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● NO SOFTWARE LICENSE COSTS: Our systems are free for governments to use and are free of any software license costs.

● FUNCTIONALITY: User-friendly workflow design, navigation functions, and a GIS interface that facilitate every stage of the Ministry’s workflow, in both central and regional offices.

● MOBILE ACCESS: RD Quantum is an android app displaying the data downloaded from the Mining Cadaster Administration System (MCAS) on a handheld device. It is useful for field monitoring.

● INTEGRATED SOLUTION: RDF has an integrated suite of solutions from the operational level (MCAS, NTR) to the publically accessible (Repository, RDx). We also provide interfaces that will allow third parties to request data from our systems in the RDx format. This service allows RDF to integrate its solutions with a wide range of existing government systems and tools.

Why choose our solutions?

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A screenshot of MCAS showing a map view for managing the tender of mining and oil and gas blocks.

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For more information, please contact:info@revenuedevelopment.org