Consultant – Review of financial benefit-sharing rules and practices for mineral value addition

About

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 200 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

Scope

We are conducting forward-looking research on emerging issues affecting mining taxation. One of these issues concerns countries rich in critical minerals increasing their financial benefits from these minerals by building or enhancing their downstream processing capacity. Specifically, we will review the financial benefit-sharing rules and practices for mineral value addition, focusing on a selection of energy and digital transition minerals.

Objectives

We are seeking the services of a Research Assistant to help us analyze existing legislative and regulatory frameworks designed to optimize financial benefits from domestic mineral processing. This research and analysis will inform our broader work on critical minerals, including work on downstream diversification in mineral-rich countries, and help identify opportunities for reforming existing regulatory frameworks to help increase financial benefits from domestic mineral processing.

Contractual Arrangement

We expect the Consultant to carry out the work from March 25 to May 20, 2024. The Consultant will be contracted and paid according to IISD’s consultancy policies.

The Consultant will work remotely during this period, reporting to Ekpen Omonbude, Senior Policy Advisor, Tax and Extractives at IISD. They can be located anywhere with a suitable internet connection.

Tasks

Deliverables

• Country Selection

• Identify six countries at various stages of development and approaches to mineral processing regulation, focusing on Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

• Prioritize countries with significant energy transition minerals.

• Deliverable: table with countries identified and focus minerals, including supporting material

• Literature Survey

• Review existing literature on regulatory incentives and barriers or disincentives to value addition (such as administrative hurdles, licensing procedures, and restrictive export/import policies)

• Deliverable: 5–10-page summary of findings.

• Regulatory Framework Analysis

• For each selected country, research and analyze its current legislative and regulatory frameworks governing the mining and minerals sector, with a specific focus on :

• laws and policies aimed at promoting in-country mineral processing (such as fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, trade policies, investment incentives, infrastructure development, and special investment funds) and

• environmental regulations and social standards governing mineral processing facilities.

• Compare and contrast regulatory approaches across different countries, identifying best practices and potential shortcomings.

• Deliverable: table summarizing findings (Word or Excel; Excel preferred).

• Financial benefit-sharing analysis

• Analyze the existing (and, where possible, proposed) incentives for in-country mineral processing under different policy targets. This would include, but not be limited to

• increased government revenue through taxes and royalties;

• job creation and economic diversification opportunities (focusing on both the mining life cycle and other aspects of the value chain, such as refining, processing, and manufacturing of related products);

• knowledge transfer and technological advancement within the country;

• investment in infrastructure along the mineral value chain; and

• special funds for infrastructure development.

• Deliverable: table summarizing findings (Word or Excel; Excel preferred)

• Final Report

• Draft report and submit for internal review (the form of the report can include tables either in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, or PowerPoint).

• Integrate comments and suggestions for changes from review and submit the final report

Ideal Candidate Profile

Required Skills and Qualifications

The Research Assistant is expected to possess the following:

• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the mining and metals industry, trade and investment policy, with a post-graduate degree and an economics, commercial, public policy, or legal background.
• An understanding of infrastructure investments, particularly about options available to governments.
• Knowledge of fiscal policies for the extractives sector.
• An understanding of economic development, industrial policies, international trade, and policy analysis.
• The ability to access and interpret legal and regulatory instruments.
• Excellent written communication skills.

For more details on what we are looking for in our candidates, please refer to the IISD competencies on our website.

Location: Global

Remuneration: Remuneration commensurate with experience

Consultancy Type: Full-Time

Start Date:  March 20, 2024

Closing Date:  The candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will be closed once filled.

Candidates must submit a cover note (one-page maximum) outlining their interest in the consultancy and why they are suitable. They will be required to provide references and a piece of written work on request. This written work should be on a topic relating to tax and investment, e.g., a research report or policy brief.

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English.

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR.

• A CV (no longer than two pages)
• A cover letter (one page)

We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+, to apply for this position. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs.

IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

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