Developing social impact assessment guidelines in a pre-existing policy context

Few jurisdictions have translated internationally agreed social impact assessment (SIA) principles into statutory provisions. Governments and regulatory bodies tend to provide developers with high-level frameworks, or require that social impacts be ‘considered’, without specifying how this is to be done. In Australia, this lack of clarity leaves all parties uncertain about requirements for SIA. The New South Wales (NSW) Government’s 2017 release of the SIA guideline for State-significant mining, petroleum and extractive industry development represents an attempt to clarify requirements and provide guidance. In this paper, we describe the process of bringing this guideline to fruition from the perspective of being directly involved in its development, and highlight the challenges involved in integrating leading-practice principles into the state’s pre-existing policy framework. While the guideline represents a significant advance in policy-based SIA guidance, some aspects leave room for improvement. The real test of the guideline’s impact will lie in its influence on SIA practice in NSW, and ultimately in social outcomes for communities affected by resources projects.     

Transboundary impact assessment: frameworks,experiences and challenges

Transboundary impact assessment has been carried out for many years but only now is it becomingnormal practice in Europe at the project level. This is occurring because of clear legal frameworks, including bilateral and multilateral agreements, and long experience in finding solutions to the many practical problems. However, many challenges remain, especially (a) in regions with unclear or weak provisions for transboundary impact assessment; and (b) for more strategic decisions for which we have little experience in transboundary impact assessment, notably for policies, plans and programmes likely to have significant transboundary effects and for transboundary activities.     

Participative social impact assessment and management cross-cultural application

The participative approach to social impact assessment and management recognizes that the input from the local community and their participation in a project assessment are essential for the success of a project. Using the example of a mining development, the process of involving the local people is illustrated. The work to date augurs well for its usefulness in the mine development process.     

Effect characterization in social impact assessment: a scan of current practice

Good-practice guidance for impact assessment (IA) consistently recommends that IA practitioners characterize impacts using parameters such as magnitude, likelihood and geographic extent. In practice, however, this guidance is not always followed. In order to identify the extent to which impacts are characterized for social topics, this paper reviewed of the social assessment sections of 57 environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports from 12 countries. The review found that 61% attempted to characterize impacts for social topics, while 39% did not. Of the 61% that characterized impacts, just over half (54%) provided transparent definitions for effect levels (e.g. low, medium and high). The research results shine a light on the lack of consistency in thoroughly, appropriately and transparently characterizing social effects. Advancing this discussion amongst SIA professionals is important, as it will benefit the quality of SIAs and mitigation approaches in the future. Finally, this paper puts forward a proposed model for social effect characterization parameters that can be used and adapted for future assessments.

Abbreviation: EIA: environmental impact assessment; IA: impact assessment; SIA: socio-economic impact assessment.     

Sustainability impact assessment of trade policy and its application in the context of Latin America

This paper gives a panoramic view of the state of the art of sustainability impact assessment (SIA) of trade policy in Latin American countries. Whereas in developed countries, such as the USA, Canada and the European Union, SIA is quite consolidated, in Latin America the practice is in its infancy, and it has mainly been driven by non-governmental and international organisations. Its value is indisputable, particularly in terms of the insights into the trade-development relationship, the opportunities for defining relevant monitoring processes, and the participation process it encompasses. The paper argues for the prompt implementation of specific, and regionally relevant, SIA processes in Latin America.     

Environmental impact assessment process substitution: experiences of public participants

This paper explores policy action taken by the federal government in Canada to test the potential for substitution of the federal process to regulatory bodies as a means of encouraging environmental impact assessment (EIA) efficiency. Our purpose is to present the experiences of people who participated in the EIA of the Emera Brunswick Pipeline in order to gauge the impact of such process substitutions on meaningful public participation. Our approach included document reviews and a focus group session with some of the public participants in the Emera Pipeline hearings. We find that the National Energy Board hearing process substituted in the case did not meet many of the key requirements of meaningful participation and left some public participants feeling disrespected and marginalized.     

Perceptions of public participation in impact assessment: a study of offshore oil exploration in Greenland

Oil exploration presently takes place offshore NW of Greenland. The recent entry of the oil industry in this sparsely populated area carries the potential for radical and unpredictable societal change. To ensure local adaptation, Public participation (PP) is implemented as a legal requirement in environmental impact assessment of offshore oil exploration. However, NGOs and associations, industry and individuals in Greenland express general frustration of how PP is conducted. This paper presents an analysis of stakeholders' PP perceptions and their implications in Greenland. It is found that differences in PP purpose perceptions among stakeholders cause disagreement on what is considered good performance. Furthermore, the stakeholders disagree on the desired level of engagement. While NGOs emphasise a need for PP to influence decision-making, the public seems to accept a role as passive recipients of information about decisions already made. This leads to a discussion about the need for a more specific PP guideline based on dialogue among stakeholders, with emphasis on the cultural barriers related to power structures and communication.     

The mediating role of problematic social media use in the relationship between social avoidance/distress and self-esteem

The number of social media users in Bangladesh is increasing in every year. Young people – mainly college and university students – are the heavy users of it. Problematic social media use (PSMU) has received increasing research attention over the past decade. However, there are very few studies concerning PSMU in Bangladesh. The present study examined the role of PSMU in the relationship between social avoidance/distress and self-esteem. The study comprised a sample of 370 university students from the University of Chittagong (Bangladesh). Participants were administered a survey including questions regarding socio-demographics, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS). Results showed that PSMU partially mediated the relationship between social avoidance/distress and self-esteem, while social avoidance/distress predicted the level of self-esteem. However, PSMU had a non-significant influence on the relationship between these two variables while self-esteem predicted social avoidance/distress.     

Public hearings in environmental and social impact assessment for energy sector projects in Cameroon

In Cameroon, like in other countries, public hearings are the most common method of citizen involvement mentioned in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). To elicit various attributes of current practice and characteristics of these public hearings in Cameroon, with focus on access, process and outcomes, we used an interpretive approach. This research unveiled an array of problems, including shortcomings in public hearing practice, law and regulatory framework, limited access to information, and inconvenient location of reading rooms (depositories). Public hearings do take place in depositories but they do not provide participants with the opportunity for direct debate and consensus-building. This research demonstrated that, local economic stakes tend to take precedence over critical questioning during public hearing events. However, public hearings in Cameroon attest to the growing willingness to challenge ESIA reports that may be fully backed by the government. In order for public hearings to be worthwhile events in Cameroon, there is need to build credibility and mutual trust among stakeholders.     

Establishing political impact assessment: revisiting contemporary approaches with Bangladesh cases

Abstract

Despite the enormous significance of differentiated interests and power relations among the stakeholders in development interventions, political impact does not receive adequate attention and space in existing environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment frameworks. The goal of political impact assessment is to ensure democratization, participation, equity; human rights and understand the marginalization process, conflict and cooperation. Inadequate focus on political impacts like participation, marginalization and democratization could have severe impacts like increasing vulnerability and inequality. Using qualitative approaches, this study demonstrates that political impacts like lack of participation, democratization, access to service delivery and violation of human rights created and is predicted to create marginalization in case of Jamuna Bridge and Padma Bridge in Bangladesh. The paper argues that political impacts needs to be emphasized and assessed separately for facilitating more equitable distribution of benefits of infrastructure project and mitigating marginalization of individuals and communities.     

The practice of social impact assessment background

The goal of social impact assessment is to help individuals and communities, as well as government and private-sector organizations, understand and better anticipate the possible social consequences for human populations and communities of planned and unplanned social change resulting from proposed policies, plans, programmes and projects. Like all assessments, the SIA model is comparative. We look to similar settings for direction as to what will happen in the future. Based on decades of research, we have organized SIA indicators under the general headings of population characteristics, community and institutional structures, political and social resources, individual and family changes, and community resources. The SIA process identifies alternatives to a proposed action as well as guidelines for enhancement and mitigation.     

Environmental assessments in the Internet age: the role of e-governance and social media in creating platforms for meaningful participation

Critical to impact assessments (IA) evolution has been the advent of more meaningful processes for participation. The use of the Internet as a tool of participation, as well as the scope and ambition of IA, has been growing since their inception. This work explores e-governance and social media in IA and the potential contribution these may make to meaningful public participation. Research is informed by literature and case studies in Hong Kong and Canada. The cases and literature revealed that e-governance in IA is used predominantly for sharing information and not for generating dialogue. Social media is used primarily by participants to share information, but is also to organize themselves and their input to IA cases. In addition, we found the innovative use of virtual cloud environments for collaboration and the establishment of one of the first websites for starting, signing and submitting public petitions with a focus on the local environment. Suggestions are made regarding how to better connect the rise in e-participation and conventional IA public participation.     

Evaluating the use of social impact assessment in Northeast US federal fisheries management

This analysis of Northeast US federal fisheries management focused on how social data have been collected and incorporated. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 45 primary informants was augmented with secondary data. Results showed that the social factors of Northeast US federal fisheries are considered important, and that participation in and processes involved with collecting and incorporating social data have improved over time. Nonetheless, progress is still necessary to ensure that managers have the information necessary to understand how fishermen and fishing communities might be impacted by decisions. Managers tend rely on perception and public comment, rather than social impact assessment (SIA) documents. A number of steps are being taken to improve data collection, analysis, and use. Similar challenges exist nation-wide, but dialogue among providers of SIAs is elevating the quality and consistency of products. Where social scientists are engaged early and consistently, fostering the consideration of human dimensions in the design of measures in a participatory and iterative manner, both the SIA process and product are most valuable.     

Trends in consultation and public participation within environmental impact assessment in Kenya

The objective of this study was to document trends in public participation within environmental impact assessment (EIA) in Kenya, using a Consultation and Public Participation Index (CPPI) developed for the analysis of EIA Study Reports submitted to the Environment Authority between 2002 and 2010. Results indicated that public participation remained relatively low, with the highest score of 1.65 in 2010, out of a possible score of 5. Scores for individual dimensions within the index fluctuated during the study period, with participation methods and type of participants scoring the highest, following increased emphasis by the Environment Authority on the conducting and reporting of public participation. This was followed by venue, notification and language used, in that order, which were often not reported, and, when reported, choices per dimension were limited. This is the first time this index has been used, yet it serves as a good starting point to evaluate public participation within EIA.     

The social impacts of products: a review

Many agree that every product has economic, environmental, and social impacts on those who use and produce them. While environmental and economic impacts are well known and measures have been developed, our understanding of social impacts is still developing. While efforts have been made to identify social impacts, academics, and practitioners still disagree on which phenomena should be included, and few have focused on the impacts of products specifically compared with programs, policies, or other projects. The primary contribution of this review essay is to integrate scholarship from a wide array of social science and engineering disciplines that categorizes the social phenomena that are affected by products. Specifically, we identify social impacts and processes including population change, family, gender, education, stratification, employment, health and well-being, human rights, networks and communication, conflict and crime, and cultural identity/heritage. These categories are important because they can be used to inform academics and practitioners alike who are interested in creating products that generate positive social benefits for users.     

Effectiveness in social impact assessment: Aboriginal peoples and resource development in Australia

Definitions of and judgments regarding effectiveness in social impact assessment (SIA) depend on how the purposes of SIA are understood. They are defined differently by various interests that participate in, or are affected by, impact assessment processes, and the concept of ‘effectiveness’ and the issue of what is required to achieve it are both contested and contextual. This article reviews a number of different approaches to SIA and outlines what effectiveness might mean for each. It then considers, at two levels, what ‘effective SIA’ involves in the context of large-scale resource development on Aboriginal land in Australia. The first level involves control of SIA. For indigenous peoples who have historically been excluded from and ignored by SIAs undertaken as part of government approval processes, Aboriginal control is an essential prerequisite for ‘effective SIA’. However, control only creates the potential for effectiveness. The second level of analysis involves the practical activities that must be undertaken, and issues that must be addressed, to realize this potential. The author develops a matrix designed to help identify and manage these activities and issues in a systematic way.     

Designing and validating the Social Media Political Participation Scale: An instrument to measure political participation on social media

Social media have expanded citizens’ political repertoires with new modes of action. To measure these changing political practices, a new instrument, called the Social Media Political Participation Scale was developed and psychometrically tested. The instrument aims to capture both active, expressive forms of political action through social media as well as cognitive political social media use (e.g., sharing posts versus information seeking and acquiring). Based on a literature review and the recommendations of an expert panel, an item pool was generated. The second phase consisted of a questionnaire completed by 595 teenagers. The construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), as well as convergent validity and internal consistency. The analyses revealed four theoretically grounded constructs measured with 21 items: latent engagement, follower engagement, expressive engagement and counter engagement. As a validated instrument, the Social Media Political Participation Scale allows future research to gain a more profound insight into who is politically engaged and why, as well as how digital technologies are embedded in diverse forms of political action.     

A scheme to develop national qualification items for environmental impact assessment in Korea

Korea has experienced high demand for environment-friendly land management and improved quality of life. So it is necessary to ensure both the scientific and expert assessment of environmental impact and systematic post-assessment management. The objective of this study was to develop environmental impact assessment qualifications to reduce detrimental impacts by increasing the quality of impact assessments for development plans and projects and by generating alternative project approaches and damagereduction plans. A DACUM (Development A curriculum) job analysis was used to determine task range, grades or ranks, eligibility, examination standards, selection criteria of examination questions, examination methods, and so on. The job analysis was conducted by a committee of ten specialists from industry and academia.     

Capacity building for trade impact assessment: lessons from the development of environmental impact assessment

This paper examines difficulties in creating capacity to undertake impact assessments of trade policy and possible approaches to overcoming them, particularly in developing countries. The assessment of trade agreements and related policies can be a highly complex task, involving many different specialist disciplines. Also, many hurdles have to be overcome to integrate an effective impact assessment process into policy- formulation and decision-making mechanisms. Difficulties in some ways similar, in other ways different, have been encountered in developing effective environmental impact assessment (EIA) systems. This paper reviews experience with EIA capacity-building, and considers how the lessons learned might be applied to initiatives to build capacity for the impact assessment of trade policy.     

The changes in the effects of social media use of Cypriots due to COVID-19 pandemic

Social media is the leading medium which is used for communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research conducted aims to fill the gap of literature related to social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aims at uncovering the influences of social media use in several dimensions during lockdown(s). The study aims to answer the research question of: Are the influences of social media use different from normal times? The online questionnaire has been completed by six hundred and sixty-eight users within the period of lockdown. The author prepared the questionnaire, which is composed of 22 positive statements in order to evaluate the effects of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 5 point Likert scale was used, where reliability and validity were calculated by the Cronbach's alpha value, which was 0.751. Findings highlight that users have more information about COVID-19, and they follow recent information via social media, which shows the shift towards digital medium. Findings also indicate that users are aware of fake news, and they follow official sources. Social media is powerful to affect decision-makers, and respondents' social media use did not create any panic or anxiety amongst them. This research indicates that respondents' social media use during COVID-19 is different from normal times as a common purpose triggers this, survival. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most of social media shares were like a dream or a strong desire that may cause anxiety in others. During the pandemic, people are in lockdown and share similar feelings and follow similar behavioural patterns. As there is a common purpose and struggle via users, psychological well-being is not affected negatively.