CEnvP Scheme Certifies First Social Impact Assessment Specialist.

MAY 2023.
In a global first, the Certified Environmental Practitioner (CEnvP) Scheme this month certified its first specialist in Social Impact Assessment (SIA).

The CEnvP Scheme and its Specialist Environmental Advisory Committee (SEAC) for SIA is delighted to announce that Dr. Richard Parsons has been awarded the title of Certified Environmental Practitioner – Social Impact Assessment Specialist. Richard currently leads the Social Value and Engagement team at SMEC, and previously led the technical development and implementation of the SIA guidelines with NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

See Media Release here: First CEnvP Social Impact Assessment specialist certification awarded.

Congratulations Richard, CEnvP-SIA #001!

LAUNCHED NOVEMBER 2022

 

A Specialist Certification for Social Impact Assessment Practitioners

The Certified Environmental Practitioners (CEnvP) Scheme ensures talented, skilled, and ethical environmental and social professionals are given due recognition through a robust certification process.

Since August 2021, the CEnvP Scheme has been developing a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) specialist certification. SIA specialist certification aims to bolster the recognition of SIA/ social practitioners across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand as valued and effective experts in development, planning and decision-making processes.

For our purposes, the definition of SIA comes from the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) Social Impact Assessment: Guidance for assessing and managing impacts of projects:

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is now conceived as being the process of identifying and managing the social issues of project development and includes the effective engagement of affected communities in participatory processes of identification, assessment and management of social impacts.

Although SIA is still used as an impact prediction mechanism and decision-making tool in regulatory processes to consider the social impacts in advance of a permitting or licensing decision, equally important is the role of SIA in contributing to the ongoing management of social issues throughout the whole project development cycle, from conception to post-closure.

The CEnvP-SIA specialist certification once launched, will be the first SIA certification of its kind globally.

 

Developing a SIA Specialist Certification

At the outset, a Specialist Environmental Advisory Committee (SIA-SEAC) was established to guide and shape the certification. The SIA-SEAC’s diverse membership holds a wealth of experience of SIA practitioners from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Europe, with expertise across government, industry, consultancy, academia and professional services. The current SIA-SEAC are:

• Dr Sara Bice, ACT
• Julie Boucher, NZ (Chair)
• Dr Sheridan Coakes, NSW
• Dr Ana Maria Esteves, The Netherlands
• Dr Piers Gillespie, SA
• Rachel Maas, QLD
• Dr Richard Parsons, NSW
• Rebekah Pokura-Ward, NZ

 

Components of a SIA Specialist Certification

A sizable survey of SIA practitioners was helpful in informing the committee and identifying the qualifications, experience and proficiencies required for specialist certification.

Outcomes of the survey clearly articulated the importance of SIA practitioners requiring sound social science research methods skills (including quantitative and qualitative analysis), competencies in community engagement and participation, and a strong understanding and respect for the objectives, values, and principles that guide SIA, and its key phases.

The SIA-SEAC has developed proficiencies across the following three categories:
1. Application of SIA
2. Social Research Methods
3. Interpersonal and Engagement Skills

Other components under development include: qualifications, years of experience, referees, submission of reports, sitting an interview with an experienced panel, hold minimum requirements for all CEnvP specialist certifications as laid out in the EIANZ By-law 16.

 

Benefits of SIA specialist certification

“Certification can be widely beneficial.
For the certified professional, there are real benefits in the acknowledgement of specific professional proficiencies, demonstrating a commitment to the profession and its future development, and facilitating further job advancement and career pathways.
For employers, it may assist in marketing a company’s services, and motivating employees to enhance their skills and knowledge.
For proponents and government, such a scheme provides greater confidence that practitioners that may author or sign off on SIA work, are both competent and experienced in their practice” (IAIA 2019).

“The reason why certification have found their way into almost every industry, is that it helps advance the profession. It is therefore anticipated that such a scheme will assist in raising the profile of SIA practice and will further acknowledge and substantiate the work undertaken by social practitioners, across both public and private sectors. Such practitioners, through their efforts, strive to deliver an effective voice to community stakeholders in decision-making processes that affect them, improved project design, effective management of social impacts, and enhanced social and community outcomes” (Maas and Coakes, in publication).

 

SIA Guidance Notes

Please click on the button below for more information on the SIA certification, including eligibility and documentary evidence required.

Last update: 25 May 2023.