The Malta Sociological Association, responding to the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), has called 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 the Malta Sociological Association has proposed that the Environment Impact Assessment includes a Social Impact Assessment as an ongoing process.

It noted that 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.”

The Association pointed out that 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, it said.

The Malta Sociological Association concluded that in this regard, they should refer to international SIA standards, for example those set by the International Association for Impact Assessment.

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