Governance & Policy
Social Impact Assessment (SIA)
Definition
Social impact assessment is the systematic process of analysing, monitoring and managing the social consequences — positive and negative, intended and unintended — of planned interventions such as infrastructure, mining, policies and land-use change. It covers effects on livelihoods, health, culture, community structure, displacement, rights and equity, conducted before decisions and managed through project life, following principles codified by the International Association for Impact Assessment.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Social Impact Assessment (SIA)” is defined and used.
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Overview
How it is used
The discipline structures project permitting, IFC PS and World Bank ESF compliance, human rights impact assessment, and corporate community-relations planning.
Why it matters
SIA institutionalises the question "what happens to the people?" — the difference between projects that communities host and projects that happen to communities.