Foreword: SIA from a resource developer's perspective

Abstract

Social impact assessment (SIA) was born when the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of the USA was signed into law by President Nixon in 1970, requiring US Federal agencies to make integrated use of the natural and social sciences in decision making relating to government actions which may have an impact on the environment. Initially, SIA was not required to support a policy maker in coming up with the ‘best’ or the ‘right’ decision. Nor was there a requirement to stop projects with negative consequences. The emphasis was on public disclosure and frank discussion of the likely impacts or effects. As it expanded around the world, the traditional model of SIA was developed to identify and address the ‘unintended consequences’ of developments that are initiated by private, profit-oriented companies as well as by governments. It usually involved the social mapping of distinct populations in affected areas, baseline surveying of socioeconomic conditions, predicting and evaluating change, and proposing project changes designed to mitigate the negative effects. Widespread public discussion was considered to be important and, although interdisciplinary social scientists were involved, priority was given to technical judgements. Much has changed since the inception of SIA. Political and economic developments have dramatically changed the world and the resources industry. For resource companies especially, changed public expectations of corporate environmental and social performance have driven the industry to reassess what it takes to be competitive. This shift is attributable to the intersection of a number of factors, including heightened stakeholder and community expectations, the glare of global scrutiny, and the growing influence of concepts such as ‘corporate social responsibility’, ‘social licence’, ‘sustainable development’ and ‘triple bottom line’. Whereas central governments previously regulated the resources industry with little direct community involvement, communities