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Drilling Down: EITI Audit and Accounting Guide for Civil Society

In early 2007, RWI began working with industry expert David Goldwyn to create an extractive industries accounting and audit guide for civil society, entitled "Drilling Down," to be published in early 2008. The guide presents an overview of critical industry and financial concepts and issues, such as the different types of contracts used in the extractive sector, the types of government accounts and accounting systems, and the structure and flow of funds to and from government, all presented for a non-expert civil society audience.

The guide walks readers through the basic stages of the EITI process, and explains how to interpret, understand, and communicate about the results of the audit and then move beyond basic EITI implementation to more advanced forms of extractive revenue audit, disclosure and revenue and expenditure tracking. The guide will be accompanied by a training manual for activists. It will be available for free in print and online, and will be initially translated into Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia.

ISSUES

Revenue Transparency
The linkages between resource wealth, poverty, conflict and corruption–the so-called "resource curse"–are well documented. Public information and public accountability are the best guarantee that a country's resource wealth will translate into lasting benefits for its citizens over time.
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Expenditure Transparency
It is impossible to ensure proper management of natural resource wealth by looking exclusively at revenues. Transparent and accountable management and expenditure of public funds is essential to addressing the poverty, corruption and autocracy that too often plague resource rich countries.
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COUNTRIES

Gabon
With the recent death of President Omar Bongo, Gabon faces a stark choice between a legacy of corruption and a new chance to give citizens a role in the management of its natural resources. The need for change is especially urgent because Gabon's oil reserves are finite. Oil production has dropped 30% since 2000, while leaders have allowed the non-oil industries to remain underdeveloped.
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Ecuador
Since the inauguration of President Rafael Correa in January 2007, Ecuador has undergone momentous political change. In prior governments, confrontation between the executive and legislative branches bred intense political instability. Despite these tensions, Ecuador was able to establish a sound legal framework for transparency. However, a public perception of poor transparency persists.
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Contracts Confidential: Ending Secret Deals in the Extractive Industries

Contract transparency is sorely needed to improve the management of natural resource wealth. In a new report from RWI, authors Peter Rosenblum and Susan Maples delve into government and private sector objections to contract disclosure and make conclusions about what information may legitimately and reasonably be kept confidential, and how civil society institutions can better confront the challenge of secret deals.
Learn more about the report ...