Session Description
Governments in numerous countries are pressing forward with initiatives to “streamline” IA processes for projects, particularly (but not only) projects considered to be clean, green, or nationally important for other geopolitical or economic reasons. While industry often applauds these initiatives, other parties, notably Indigenous groups and environmental organizations, are raising concerns about how they think streamlining will undermine IA effectiveness. Can streamlined IA still fulfil the original purpose of IA? If so, how?
This session aims to better understand how we got here – how IA at the project level has evolved to the point that streamlining is considered necessary – and what steps might be taken to ensure that IA, when streamlined, retains its usefulness and relevance in policy and decision-making.
To that end, this session will explore these questions: How and why has the purpose, scope, and practice of IA changed? What is driving initiatives to streamline IA? What does that tell us about how and why perceptions of IA have shifted from it being helpful to being a hindrance? How can we reconcile seemingly opposing views on streamlining to ensure project-specific IA remains useful and relevant in policy and decision-making?
Panelists will be sought from all sides of the debate, including governments that are advancing streamlining, industry that is advocating for it, and Indigenous groups and environmental organizations who have raised concerns about the consequences. Panelists will be asked to briefly share perspectives on streamlining and then engage in dialogue about finding common ground and purpose, framed by the questions above.
Session Summary
What’s driving initiatives to streamline IA? How has project-level IA evolved from a helpful tool to a perceived hindrance? Can we reconcile different views on streamlining to ensure IA remains useful for decision-making? Panelists will share perspectives on streamlining and engage in dialogue about finding common purpose.
Additional Information
The session will be moderated by an experienced IA practitioner who has been deeply involved in critical analysis of streamlining initiatives and has been supporting the IAIA Governance and Implementations Section on its work documenting IA reform.
Session Chair
Celesa Horvath
Ventus Development Services Inc.
Canada