New Directions In Social Impact Assessment

Conceptual and Methodological Advances

Frank Vanclay , Ana Maria Esteves

Edited by Frank Vanclay, Professor of Cultural Geography, University of Groningen, The Netherlands and Ana Maria Esteves, Director, Community Insights, The Netherlands

2011, 416 pp Hb 978 1 84980 117 1

Hardback £105.00 on-line discount £94.50

Series:

Description
‘This book should be read by anyone commissioning impact assessments who wants to build their understanding of the more progressive and innovative end of the topic. A job well done in the eyes of stakeholders and regulators requires proper social analysis.’
– Jon Samuel, Head of Social Performance, Anglo American

Contents
Contributors: N. Ahmad, I.C. Aucamp, S.-M. Aucamp, J.T. Baines, M.-A. Barclay, S. Beddies, S. Bice, D. Brereton, A. Bron, S. Coakes, A. Cottrell, A.A. Dani, A.M. Esteves, R. Evans, D.M. Franks, J. Hartz-Karp, B. Harvey, R. Howitt, P. Hunt, P. Kapelus, T. Kauppinen, D. Kemp, D. King, K. Lahiri-Dutt, G. MacNaughton, C.J. Moran, S. Nish, C. O’Faircheallaigh, J.J. Perold, J. Pope, E. Richards, A. Sadler, R. Sairinen, D. Samson, J. Schirmer, T. Scudder, H. Sherwin, C.N. Taylor, F. Vanclay, S. Woodborne

Futher information

‘I read this book as a social impact assessment (SIA) practitioner and teacher and as such I found it informative, provocative and inspiring as well as being highly readable. . . a valuable book. . . The book presents a strong case for the place of SIA in the project decision-making, monitoring and management process, and it provides excellent material for practitioners to use in arguing for the resources, organisational approach and attitudes needed to produce quality work. At the same time it provides some excellent new ideas, a timely reminder of the principles and values behind best practice SIA, and a range of tools to use to improve performance. As such it is a book that I will use in future training courses and that I will recommend to my students.’
– Dianne Buchan, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal

‘This book should be read by anyone commissioning impact assessments who wants to build their understanding of the more progressive and innovative end of the topic. A job well done in the eyes of stakeholders and regulators requires proper social analysis.’
– Jon Samuel, Head of Social Performance, Anglo American

‘The list of authors reads like a who’s who in SIA. Academics and practitioners are equally represented among the authors. The book provides a good mix of broad theoretical concepts and specific practical topics.’
– Martin Haefele, Manager, Environmental Impact Assessment at Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

‘This book gives a very broad overview of where Social Impact Assessment is coming from, where it is now and where it could go: from an impact assessment tool to an impact management tool. It provides a realistic insight in both the achievements and the struggles of Social Impact Assessment. A recommended read for both those interested in Social Impact Assessment and those in related domains where social issues are gaining increasing importance, such as Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal.’
– Rob Verheem, Deputy Director, Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment

This important new book outlines current developments in thinking in the field of Social Impact Assessment (SIA). It advances the theory and practice of SIA, and argues that a dramatic shift is required in the way socioeconomic studies and community participation is undertaken. The book emphasizes that, much more than the act of predicting impacts in a regulatory context, SIA needs to be the process of managing the social aspects of development and that there needs to be a holistic and integrated approach to impact assessment. It stresses that greater attention needs to be given to ensuring that the goals of development are attained and enhanced.

This significant addition to the literature will be an invaluable reference for academics, consultants and practitioners.

Full table of contents

Contents:

Foreword
Bruce Harvey

PART I: NEW APPROACHES IN THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
1. Current Issues and Trends in Social Impact Assessment
Frank Vanclay and Ana Maria Esteves

2. Understanding the Organizational Context
Deanna Kemp

3. Looking Beyond Impact Assessment to Social Sustainability
Ilse C. Aucamp, Stephan Woodborne, Jan J. Perold, Anita Bron and San-Marié Aucamp

4. Community-based Agreement Making with Land-connected Peoples
Simon Nish and Sara Bice

5. Theoretical Foundations
Richard Howitt

6. Ethical Issues and Dilemmas
James T. Baines and C. Nicholas Taylor

PART II: NEW ISSUES TO CONSIDER (OR OLD ISSUES TO CONSIDER BETTER)
7. Considering Gender in Social Impact Assessment
Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt and Nesar Ahmad

8. Social Impact Assessment and Indigenous Social Development
Ciaran O’Faircheallaigh

9. Disasters and Climate Change
Alison Cottrell and David King

10. Land Use Change
Jacki Schirmer

11. Development-induced Community Resettlement
Thayer Scudder

12. Cumulative Social Impacts
Daniel M. Franks, David Brereton and Chris J. Moran

13. Closure Planning
Robin Evans

14. Enhancing the Benefits of Projects through Local Procurement
Ana Maria Esteves, Mary-Anne Barclay, David Brereton and Daniel Samson

PART III: NEW METHODS AND TECHNIQUES
15. Enhancing Effectiveness through Deliberative Democracy
Janette Hartz-Karp and Jenny Pope

16. Environmental Conflict Mediation
Rauno Sairinen

17. Conflict-sensitive Impact Assessment
Paul Kapelus, Emily Richards and Hope Sherwin

18. The World Bank’s Poverty and Social Impact Analysis
Anis A. Dani and Sabine Beddies

19. Utilizing a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach to Inform Social Impact Assessment Practice
Sheridan Coakes and Andreas Sadler

20. Human Impact Assessment as a Framework for Integration
Tapani Kauppinen

21. A Human Rights-based Approach to Social Impact Assessment
Gillian MacNaughton and Paul Hunt

Index

Author's links