In the extractive industries, business growth is increasingly towards counties with higher levels of political and social risk. As companies turn to development banks for risk finance, meeting the social and economic performance requirements of these institutions is becoming business critical. But satisfying the social and local economic performance requirements of institutions such as the International Finance Corporation, European Bank for Reconstruction and some commercial banks is not straightforward. These institutions often rely on an interpretation of their environmental standards or procedures, or on good practices that lie outside the institution’s minimum requirements. This report offers guidance to companies and institutions to jointly navigate their way to a financial agreement that delivers sound social performance.