Brisco, Creighton Dawson "Managing Social Impacts: The Venture Case"

An examination of the developing impact management function in social impact assessment is provided as background to a case study of the Venture Development Project SIA in which both the necessity and opportunity for community based impact management is evaluated. Three options to improve the linkage between SIA prediction and monitoring -management activities are discussed.

Based on a review of the literature it is apparent that the difference between SIA and the traditional field of applied sociology has been largely defined on the basis of context, with SIA presented as a tool for improved decision making versus an academic orientation for applied sociology. Within the context of developing 'use knowledge' SIA was initially conceived as an instrument for ensuring that decision makers were forewarned of potential social costs prior to granting project/programme approval. However, as noted by Testor (1980) social impact assessment has come under considerable pressure to shift from a strict anticipatory posture to a response mode in which impacts are monitored and managed. Factors contributing to this shift in focus include: (i) increased acceptance of SIA as a process for fostering participatory decision making and community building, (ii) recognition that SIA is frequently initiated after the decision to proceed with a development proposal has been taken and (iii) uncertainty over social impact predictions.

A case study of the Venture Development Project has served to suggest that in light of major changes to the project development plan presented in the EIS, a monitoring /management focus was particularly appropriate for the Venture SIA. Notwithstanding this needed emphasis, the process largely failed to define either a management framework or responsibility for ensuring that unanticipated consequences were identified, or recommended follow up action implemented. The important consequence of this failure is that any impact management will likely be conducted through the normal permitting and regulatory processes of provincial agencies with limited, if any, opportunity for community or locally based input into management decisions. To the extent that action by regulatory agencies is dictated by departmental/provincial objectives, the goals and priorities of impacted communities may be ignored.

Three options for change to the SIA process conducted for the. Venture Development Project are considered: incorporation into development planning initiatives, community based monitoring committees and impact contract negotiation of the type instituted by Ontario Hydro. Given the opportunity for direct community participation in both identifying and,mitigating impacts and the assured level of financial responsibility on the part of the project proponent that impact contracts provide, this particular option is considered to merit further investigation.

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This document was last modified on January 31, 2001.