Acorn International, LLC delivers environmental and social risk management consulting services to international industries and investors. We do so through a distinctive process of partnering with, directing, and building capacity of local expert teams in more than 50 countries worldwide to promote local content and world-class quality assurance. With this tested cost-efficient model, we also deliver advisory services to our energy and mining clients on their local content strategy, design, and implementation.

LOCAL CONTENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING SERVICES

ACORN INTERNATIONAL AND OUR LOCAL PARTNERS CAN ASSIST WITH: •Detailed national, regional, and site-specific reviews of local content regulations and expectations

•Gap/opportunity assessments that match capital project requirements (demand-side) with local capabilities and training alternatives (supply-side) •Small and medium size enterprise (SME) mapping focused on stimulating sustainable local economic development and growth •Baseline business performance assessments of local supplier companies and SMEs •Local content strategy, design, and execution, including application of best practice

•Training, SME, institutional capacity building, and on-the-ground program implementation and monitoring

•Guidance on integration of local content approaches with social investment strategies

•Analytical and practical support for commercial negotiations involving local content as a value lever

LOCAL CONTENT SUPPORT DELIVEREDLocal content expectations among natural resource producing countries not only continue to expand, but are increasingly tied to regulation, commercial contracts, and social license to operate.

Local content skills and needs assessment — French Guiana A major energy company with offshore activities engaged Acorn International to evaluate local conditions and provide recommendations for the development of a strategic local content program. The study involved:

•Building on existing government studies and using in-country stakeholder interviews to evaluate demographic trends, educational attainment, and socioeconomic conditions•Recommending projects and investments in support of local content

Local content and capability assessment — Papua New GuineaAn Acorn International staff member led a team to identify local workforce, supplier, and civil society capacities and needs. The study involved:

•Developing a local supplier database and reviewing supplier development infrastructure by engaging with more than 100 representatives from vocational and training institutes, local businesses, and non-government organizations (NGOs) focused on education, health, and infrastructure needs•Assessing locally-owned supplier companies against specific business criteria to provide a third-party perspective on supplier safety and business performance, training requirements, and initial eligibility for supporting large scale oil and gas projects •Providing recommendations on next steps including establishment of an enterprise center and a shortlist of implementation partners

Development of local content strategy and plans — The Philippines and IndonesiaAn Acorn International staff member developed detailed local content plans for large capital projects in mining (the Philippines) and oil and gas (Indonesia). The plans addressed local workforce and supplier capabilities, as well as options for building local capacity through procurement and social investment activities.

Sustainability planning and training design — Global Mining Company Our team assisted a global mining company with research and design of a set of sustainability case studies for use in training senior management to anticipate and proactively manage non-technical risk. The training focused on indigenous community relations, local content development, land access, natural resource management, resettlement, and stakeholder engagement in the context of greenfield and operating mines in Canada, Peru, Australia, and Liberia.

Acorn International provides social and environmental risk management services through its unique local content and global assurance model. Examples of engagements focused exclusively on capacity building activities include:

Gap assessment and development program — Mexico Providing support in identifying and mitigating HSE risks in deep-water exploration and

production activities, performed in partnership with an international service company and in close coordination with PEMEX HSE and exploration teams under direction of the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH).

IFC Performance Standards and ESHIA training — Thailand, Malaysia, Kuwait, Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire

Delivering training to in-country teams of engineers, scientists, and other future service providers on implementation of environmental, social, and health performance to leading international standards, as

well as raising participants’ level of competence to apply the IFC performance standards to routine developments. In Thailand and Nigeria, we were engaged to help train specialists from throughout each region, to perform competency

evaluations for each participant, and to define development plans.

Webinars on air dispersion modeling and oil spill dispersion modeling — Worldwide Enhancing our local partners’ knowledge of why and how the modeling is performed, how results can be applied to predict and manage potential impacts, and how the use of modeling can be explained during public meetings in remote areas that may be affected by development projects.

Support in developing an in-country waste management business — Côte d’Ivoire Facilitating meetings with US-based clients and technology providers and reviewing and supporting business plans for developing a world-class oil field waste management facility in Côte d’Ivoire.

Business expansion support — Colombia Working with local consultants to enhance business administration tools and practices, identify and attract new talent, and manage cash and workflow (including financing growth to meet pending demand).

Social baseline study and GIS capability development — The PhilippinesTraining local experts in performing social baseline survey and integrating geographic information systems to meet good international practices, as well as helping groups of specialists form an integrated business model to offer consulting services.

Acorn International, LLCIAH | BOS | SFO | Worldwide

701 N. Post Oak Road, Suite 300 | Houston, TX 77024localcontent-globalassurance.com | acornintl.net

For more information, contact Michael Oxman at moxman@acornintl.net