Adverse impacts on indigenous groups should be avoided where possible. The primary purpose of the Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) is to outline culturally appropriate impact prevention and, where impacts on Indigenous Peoples are unavoidable, mitigation measures, as well as identify opportunities to maximise sustainable benefits to the indigenous community beyond the life of the mine.

An IPP is a mutually agreed plan that is shared between the site and the affected indigenous groups. An IPP is a collaborative process as much as a document. It is underpinned by engagement conducted according to the FPIC principles. The site should use an indigenous adviser to support the development of the IPP. Sites should also consider whether indigenous communities may need external assistance or capacity building to support and guide them in the process of developing the IPP.

In some cases, national legislation or legal precedent requires a site to develop a specific type of plan or negotiated agreement (such as an Impact and Benefit Agreement in Canada) to provide a legally binding mechanism for impact management and benefit sharing. These national requirements take precedence over, and may replace the IPP as long as they satisfy the principles and requirements of this section and any internal or external reporting requirements. If the scope of an agreement does not meet all of these requirements, sites can incorporate any necessary additional activities into a simplified IPP, or into the SMP or Community Engagement Plan. The important thing is that the scope and objectives of these plans are agreed and understood by the site and affected indigenous groups.

Sites can integrate the IPP into the SMP or, if that is not done, the SMP should reference the IPP. The IPP does not replace the SMP. The SMP is a more elaborate, internal document that also provides an overview of the baseline and impacts pertaining to non-indigenous peoples and other stakeholders, as well as business risks to the site. Equally, the Stakeholder Accountability Report (see Section 2) provides information to non-indigenous peoples that may be impacted and is not replaced by the IPP. The potential impacts and controls identified in the IPP should be included in the Social and Human Right Impact and Risk Analysis (see Section 3C) and the site’s baseline workplace risk assessment and control register.

The exact scope and structure of the IPP may vary depending on the specific context, but should include the following components, discussed, developed and agreed between the indigenous community and the site:

• Baseline information: A summary of the socio-economic, health, education and environmental profile of the indigenous community, their circumstances, livelihoods, capacities, natural resources, social norms, tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The summary should also include natural features or objects that embody cultural values, social and economic structures, mechanisms and institutions, political and/or administrative structures and procedures, the position of the indigenous community within society, its relations with government and with other communities in the area, and national laws relating to Indigenous Peoples.
• Impacts and opportunities: An overview of potential impacts and opportunities and agreed culturally appropriate measures to mitigate adverse impacts and enhance opportunities and benefits, such as jobs, business opportunities, infrastructure development, and environmental protection and conservation. This should include targets with interim milestones and an agreed schedule and responsibilities for implementation.
• Result of community consultation: Description of all engagement to date, including FPIC process(es) where appropriate. An overview of issues raised by the indigenous groups, and how they have been addressed.
• Natural-resource management: Where applicable, this component sets out how the natural resources upon which the affected indigenous groups depend, and the geographically distinct areas and habitats in which they are located, will be conserved, managed and utilised.
• Cultural heritage management: Where cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples is impacted, the Cultural Heritage Management Plan becomes part of the IPP. The IPP can also include actions around the enhancement of cultural heritage.
• Costs, timeline, responsibilities: A summary of costs of implementation of the IPP including administrative costs and required project-specific budgets, timing of expenditures, responsibilities (between the site and the community) for implementing and monitoring the IPP.
• Monitoring, evaluation: An overview of how the effectiveness of the IPP will be monitored and evaluated. This should include participatory monitoring (see Task 7). Regular reporting on the implementation of commitments made in the IPP and progress towards achieving the agreed objectives of the IPP may be made through the CEF or equivalent, as agreed with the affected community.
• Review: Frequency and timing of the review of the IPP, as well as agreement on triggers for changing and improving the IPP as needed outside the planned review timeline.