Liberia Compact Development – Senior Mining Legal and Policy Reform Adviser and Senior Mining Social Governance Technical Expert

Overview

Overview

Banyan Global is supporting the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)'s Social Analysis Practice Group (SA) to contribute to MCC and the Government of Liberia’s development and implementation of a mining governance strengthening project in Liberia. Aims include strengthening community participation in mining governance; improving transparency, accountable benefit sharing, and oversight of mining operations and related social risks; establishing workable compliance mechanisms; and reducing mining revenue losses. These reforms are expected to reduce investment risk while strengthening community influence, local economic participation and livelihoods, public revenue capture and allocation, and confidence in the sector.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government agency that contributes to the safety, strength, and prosperity of the American people through time-limited investments that promote business growth and stability around the world. MCC works with partner governments to address binding constraints to economic growth through policy and institutional reform and infrastructure investments, with an emphasis on rigorous analysis and evaluation, country ownership, and durable results.

Assignment Structure

Banyan Global seeks two (2) mid- to senior experts who will work as an integrated team with MCC staff, other consultants, and senior Government of Liberia counterparts. The roles are complementary but distinct: Role 1 owns the legal form, drafting process, and senior reform engagement; Role 2 owns the social-governance substance, evidence base, implementation rationale, and operational guidance.

 

ROLE 1: LEGAL AND POLICY REFORM LEAD

Leads comparative legislative review, legal gap analysis, statutory and contractual drafting, model MDA development, and high-level engagement and negotiation. Converts SA priorities into precise, enforceable legal provisions and advances them with decision makers in the crafting of the new legislation and the MDA.

 

ROLE 2: SOCIAL GOVERNANCE TECHNICAL LEAD

Develops the technical content that Role 1 must carry into the law and model MDA. Provides evidence, policy options, implementation lessons, political-economy analysis, and operational guidance on community rights, benefit sharing, local content, ASM, social performance, and accountability. Ensures that Role 1 is technically prepared for legislative engagement and negotiation.

 

Coordination requirement. In addition to regular and ongoing communication and coordination, the experts will maintain a joint issue and drafting matrix document. The Social Governance Technical Lead will identify what should be included, why it matters, and what is feasible in practice. The Legal and Policy Reform Lead will determine how to express those priorities in law and contract, test them against the wider legal framework, and lead their presentation and negotiation. Each expert will review the other's core outputs to ensure legal precision, technical integrity, and implementability.

Overall Objective

The overall objective is to support MCC and the Government of Liberia in developing a coherent, enforceable, and operationally realistic mining-governance framework that reflects important social components. The assignment will contribute to the new mining law, Liberia's model mining development agreement (MDA), and related regulations, guidelines, and public-facing materials, with particular attention to community consultation and participation, benefit sharing and mining-revenue allocation, local content, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), social performance, disclosure, compliance, grievance management, and remedy.

Recommendations should draw on relevant comparative experience without mechanically importing foreign models. They should be calibrated to Liberia's institutional capacity and political economy, preserve Government of Liberia ownership, support responsible investment, and clearly connect legal and institutional reforms to improved outcomes for mining communities, Liberian businesses, and public institutions.

Shared Operating Requirements

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team under the direction of MCC/SA, and in collaboration with the broader MCC country team, other consultants, and Government of Liberia counterparts;
• Attend MCC meetings, Government of Liberia engagement sessions, drafting meetings, and other relevant calls, and provide concise readouts, talking points, decision notes, or follow-up analysis as requested;
• Support the preparation and review of MCC concept notes, investment memoranda, briefers, and other internal materials related to mining governance;
• Be available, if requested,