Kindly find below feedback of the Malta Sociological Association to the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), calling for an ongoing Social Impact Assessment in response to the call for consultation regarding the construction of St Albert the Great Community College.
With reference to the consultation PA 01123/20 (EA 00021/20), and which may be accessed through this link, the Malta Sociological Association (registered VO 1323) proposes that the Environment Impact Assessment includes a Social Impact Assessment as an ongoing process.
The International Principles for Social Impact Assessment defines SIA as being “the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions”.
An SIA is an interdisciplinary process, and should employ various methods, both quantitative and qualitative. Social impact assessments should not be one-off exercises: To the contrary, they should be ongoing processes which engage with various stakeholders and which report back so as to ensure effective policy processes.
In this regard, you may refer to international SIA standards, for example those set by the International Association for Impact Assessment, which is accessible from this link:
Reference: Frank Vanclay (2003) International Principles For Social Impact Assessment, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 21:1, 5-a12, DOI: 1