Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Establishment of SIA framework well underway |05 December 2019

PS Bonne addressing delegates at the opening of the workshop (Photos: Joena Meme)

The numerous Social Impact Assessment (SIA) indicators and guidelines to be included in the national SIA framework were yesterday finalised in a workshop hosted by the Family Affairs department at the STC conference centre.

The workshop, which brought together numerous participants from the identified partner organisations, aimed to finalise the indicators, present the proposed guidelines to the participants for further consultations and to introduce the SIA concept to the new stakeholders.

In her opening remarks, principal secretary for Family Affairs, Marie-Josée Bonne, spoke of the importance of the indicators and guidelines as they will later be applied to both government and private bodies for processing and vetting the social impact of different projects, especially Class One projects.

“Our country is in a strong economic position that promises much to the population but there is real risk and the signs are there showing that social problems are undermining the economic gains and progress made,” she said.

“In order to sustain development, it is imperative that social considerations are given a greater role in national planning processes so that the social issues are fully understood and addressed in a more comprehensive manner thus mitigating the more negative impacts of future development on Seychellois society,” she noted.

PS Bonne continued to note SIA aims not only to safeguard our population including the most vulnerable and the marginalised ones in our society; but it intends to ameliorate the living conditions of the entire population in a sustainable manner.

“It is obvious that the ongoing developments and the increasing pressure from both environmental and social perspectives require the clear guideline and indicators that will act as a compass when we find ourselves in between the crossroad – when we consider needs such as housing which is never enough, tourism and its impact on our environment, agriculture and the need to have nutritious food, fisheries and so forth. Therefore, your views and other constructive ideas during this workshop are crucial,” PS Bonne stated, urging the participants to engage with the ministry towards ensuring that the governance mechanism at both strategic and policy levels will be introduced for the operationalisation and implementation of SIA in Seychelles.

Facilitator Diana Renaud commenced the workshop by outlining the basics of SIA, a process 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 these interventions.

Outlining the objectives of such assessments, Ms Renaud noted that they serve to identify and evaluate social risks while mitigating impacts of the projects, plans, programmes or policies submitted from any government offices and to adopt a mitigation procedure so as to anticipate and avoid, or where avoidance is not possible, minimise, and, where residual impacts remain, compensate or offset for risks and impacts to workers, affected communities, and the environment.

She further presented the participants with the detailed SIA process detailing the phases and components of the SIA report, before participants were grouped into teams to discuss the indicators and proposed guidelines.

Information discussed and collected from participants will contribute towards long-term mechanism for the operationalisation of SIA in different areas and perspectives.

Since January 2015, the Ministry of Family Affairs have conducted a series of activities as part of the establishment of the national SIA framework. Both local and international consultants have been involved in the preliminary works for the development of a SIA framework for the Seychelles. In addition, different stakeholders and groups from Mahé, Praslin and La Digue have participated in the training and awareness workshops or meetings for the past four years.

Laura Pillay