ABSTRACT
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) journey has perhaps been a narrow experience of how governance can operate beyond the usual boundaries of state institutions. Collective governance, such as the EITI, requires patience and enterprise, and an acceptance of an incremental and adaptive process. There are few areas of governance in which collective governance can work and in which its benefits justify the efforts. The consensus among the vastly different stakeholders evolves, and so too must the aims and activities of the collective governance. Sustaining that initial momentum has required strong leadership by all actors—government leaders willing to embrace reform and tackle inherent vested interests; company representatives willing to look beyond narrow self-interest to establish long-term licences to operate. Nonetheless, even though collective governance is tough and certainly not a simple solution, with some deep problems, it might be better than the alternatives.
