Setting the scene for good social impact assessment and management

Social impact assessment (SIA) includes the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programmes, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions. SIA is a field of research and practice, and is a discourse and paradigm. Over 50 years, a strong understanding of good practice has developed: explicit recognition of the underlying complexity of the issues SIA deals with; competent practitioners; competent, socially aware project staff and companies; empowered communities; and good governance and regulatory oversight. SIA practitioners ensure that the concerns of affected communities are considered by projects and that there are fair, human rights compatible outcomes from projects. Many specialisations exist within the social performance/SIA field, and social practitioners are expected to be proficient at a wide range of competencies, including empathy, coping with complexity, and accountability.