International Development Grant

Enhancing Oversight of the Extractives Industry in Francophone Africa

Project Number: CA-3-D001596001

Status: Operational

Country/Region:

Burkina Faso 25.00%
Madagascar 25.00%
Mali 25.00%
Cameroon 25.00%

Maximum Contribution: $17,993,368.00

Start Date: March 03, 2016

End Date: January 31, 2023

Duration: 6.9 years

Project Description

This project aims to enhance transparency and accountability of national revenue collection related to natural resources in Burkina Faso Cameroon Madagascar and Mali and in francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. Building the capacity of national Supreme Audit Institutions and other oversight bodies to audit and monitor the extractives industry is expected to help maximize government revenues to improve the delivery of services to citizens and help reduce poverty. Project activities include: (1) developing regional and country-specific extractive industry audit guidelines training curricula and other technical resources aligned with international best practices including gender and environment-specific tools; (2) completing extractive industry pilot audits in target countries to test guidelines and technical resources; (3) delivering extractive industry audit training and on-the-job coaching to Supreme Audit Institutions and other national oversight bodies; and (4) developing guidelines and processes for systematically engaging stakeholders including citizens women’s groups civil society organizations media and industry in extractive industry auditing processes.

Expected Results

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved national oversight of extractive industries in Burkina Faso Cameroon Madagascar and Mali; and (2) improved regional support by the Conseil régional de formation des institutions supérieures de contrôle des finances publiques d'Afrique francophone subsaharienne (CREFIAF) for the oversight of the extractive industries in its 23 member countries in francophone Sub-Saharan Africa.

Progress & Results Achieved

Results as March 2018 include: (1) 5 training sessions on extractive industries (EI) audit and other themes integrating gender and environment were delivered to 20 CREFIAF experts; (2) 2 audit guides that include conducting a compliance and performance audit in the EI and integrating gender and environmental criteria were developed; (3) 80% of the experts of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) participated in 5 CREFIAF workshops to improve their skills on the themes of gender and EI (4) 146 SAI auditors (40% women) including 64 auditors of Cameroonian and Malian SAIs aware of the mining sector were trained on extractive industries (EI) audit and linkages with gender and environment aspects; (5) The Forum on fraud and corruption registered 140 participants including 49 delegates from SAIs in 20 countries which allowed to identify and analyze the issues of fraud and corruption in the EI and hence to recommend solutions for its prevention and mitigation (6)17 CREFIAF experts were trained on gender issues related to EI which ensured appropriate knowledge transfer to auditors of SAIs; (7) 73 staff members of EI sector stakeholders and 35 civil society organizations were trained on EI industry transparency and accountability principles.

Key Information

Executing Agency:
Cowater International Inc.

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
WGM Africa

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Public finance management 10.84%
Domestic Revenue Mobilisation 69.16%
Democratic participation and civil society 20%

Aid Type: Project-type interventions

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Unsolicited Proposal

Policy Markers
Level 1 Gender equality
Level 1 Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting)
Level 2 Participatory development and good governance
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2015-04-01 to 2016-03-31 $17,993,368 CAD
Geographic Information
059
Reference ID: 106