The principal tasks of CASM are to:

• Provide a forum that will facilitate better coordination and networking between stakeholders;
• Facilitate the availability of information on projects, contacts, publications and other activities on small scale and artisanal mining;
• Distill, extract and disseminate good practice and lessons learned on a hands on basis from selected projects and develop tools and principles that can be replicated in other projects;
• Act as a mechanism to facilitate matching projects and proposals with funding sources

Interested parties can participate in CASM in a variety of ways:

1. CASM Community: This is a loose structure, which basically enables all interested parties or individuals to register their interest with the CASM secretariat, to participate in all ongoing discussions, as well as in the development, use and expansion of the knowledge center. Community members will make up the CASM mailing list, and be invited to participate in annual and regional events, meetings, and programs organized by CASM.
   
   1. Sponsoring Group: The Sponsoring Group is made up of institutions, and potentially individuals, making some type of contribution to CASM (cash, kind, project). There is no lower limit to the contribution. The Sponsoring Group serves as a governing group for CASM. It is currently chaired by the UK's Department for International Development, London.