Evaluating Interagency Collaboration for Environmental Compliance: A Case Study of Tanzania’s Mining Regulations

Abstract

This study evaluated the collaborative efforts among Tanzania’s key regulatory agencies overseeing Tanzania’s mining sector, specifically the Tanzania Mining Commission (TMC), the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) and, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OSHA). The study focuses on how the actors from these institutions interact in fulfilling their regulatory roles. It seeks to address the tendency to overemphasise the institutional dimension of environmental regulation, leaving behind the relational approach. This was planned to answer two fundamental questions: i) how environmental regulators interact in fulfilling their shared responsibilities and, ii) what challenges they encounter at an interpersonal level. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining qualitative interviews, field observations and, statistical evaluations of compliance data. The findings indicate that regulators engaged in various forms of joint and independent activities to enforce compliance. They worked together through joint inspections, audits, and compliance monitoring. However, the degree of cooperation varied significantly across different locations and, low trust deterred cooperation. Some areas, like Geita and North Mara, exhibited strong interagency collaboration due to, relatively high trust among regulators. In contrast, those in other areas experienced fragmented regulatory oversight due to inconsistent cooperation and trust deficits. This underlines the recommendation for proactive measures to foster open communication and strengthen interpersonal relationships among regulators, which are requisites of trust building.