ID: 1582
Presenting Author: Steve Bonnell
Session: 529 - Strategic, Not Generic: The Next Generation of Regional Assessments
Status: pending
Presents the findings of a recent study that has gathered the views of Canadian IA practitioners on the key goals and potential outcomes of regional assessments.
Experience to date with the planning, conduct and use of regional assessments (RAs) in Canada suggests numerous potential objectives, approaches, outcomes and uses for these assessments, as well as diverse perspectives amongst participants around what an RA can be and should deliver. Much of the focus so far has been on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of subsequent project impact assessments (IAs), but there is growing recognition that RAs can and should have larger goals - and that they hold far greater power - than simply as contributors of generic information, analysis and mitigation for use in later project IAs. This can include helping create a vision for, and influencing the nature and pace of, future development, or otherwise dealing more proactively and effectively with complex issues that are difficult to address at the individual project-level.
This presentation will briefly discuss some examples of recent and on-going RAs that illustrate the various potential goals and uses of these assessments, including several that have aimed for these larger effect management and planning outcomes. It will also present the findings of a recent study that has gathered the views of Canadian IA practitioners on these matters, which finds that there is keen interest within the IA community on larger RA outcomes and uses beyond just their direct contributions to later project IAs.
Dr. Steve Bonnell is an experienced IA practitioner, researcher and teacher with over 25 years experience working in industry, government and academia.