Research project CP/46 (Research action CP)
Context
Policy is developed in a complex and uncertain societal environment, where an increasing number of concerns has to be taken into account. Configuring sustainability policies is confronted with evaluation problems and the demand for an early indication of whether criteria for sustainable development are met. Generating, integrating and communicating information for decision-making is an important need for policy strategies aiming at sustainable development.
Apart from the ongoing refinement of specific assessment tools, worldwide different scientists are developing ‘Sustainability Impact Assessment’ (SIA). SIA can be considered as an integrated instrument which combines interdisciplinary evaluations with processes of multi-stakeholder policy-making.
Description of the project
Objectives
More specifically, SIA can be described as “a systematic and iterative process for the ex-ante assessment of the likely economic, social and environmental impacts of policies, plans, programmes and strategic projects, which is undertaken during the preparation of them and where the stakeholders concerned participate pro-actively. The main aim is to improve the performance of the strategies (…)” (Arbter, 2003).
The project wants to study the development of SIA for strategic decisions. The research will be based upon adaptation of different existing methodologies towards an iterative policy process with several stakeholders. This SIA instrument can be integrated into existing decision-making on two different levels:
A. procedural or institutional integration of existing economic, social and environmental (ex ante) appraisals in the policy-making process;
B. knowledge or technical integration of social, economic and environmental appraisals into an overall ‘sustainability appraisal’.
The project has also two broader objectives:
(1) Exploratory research of the limits and potentials of ex ante evaluation methodologies in order to develop their integration into a consistent policy-aiding process
and
(2) Defining the needs and supporting the capacities of policy-makers and stakeholders in using SIA.
As an important step towards the development of a regulatory SIA for strategic decisions, the project outcome will be focused on determining the feasibility and the value-added of SIA.
Methodology
Disregarding the fact that the learning process of the project – which will take place with researchers and stakeholders – will necessitate the abandonment of a linear step-by-step outline in favour of a more adapted iterative structure (characteristic of Development Research), the researchers want to present the project structure as simple as possible. The project has three phases, each with different components (see figure):
(1) The exploration phase: gathering knowledge and unifying existing expertise both on the demand and the supply-side of SIA.
(2) The integration and testing phase: integrating methodologies and processes into a coherent SIA scheme. Testing the feasibility on contents and procedural level.
(3) The enhancement phase: using experience gained in the test cases of the project phases to facilitate the applicability of a specific form of SIA.
Interaction between the different partners
Five partners are part of the network (see further). The partner ‘Law-UGent’ is responsible for EX4. The other four partners work together on EX1 during the exploration phase; EX2 is developed by CDO-UG. EX3 is taken up by ULB-IGEAT-CEDD, EX5 is the task of CDO-UG and ULB-IGEAT-CEDD, EX6 is taken on by IDD. During the integration and testing phase, the four partners work together on IT1 and IT2. Keeping in mind the different specialisations, further arrangements will be made for the case studies. IDD will refine and finalise the SIA process and method in IT3. During the enhancement phase, all four partners will work together for tasks EN1 and EN2.
Expected results
One of the expected results – keeping in mind the use of the SIA instrument in decision making processes – is the drawing up of a first set of guidelines. These should enable decision makers to start the necessary internal learning processes in their departments. The report will pay attention to the following points:
• Advice on the necessities for the use of SIA (e.g. keeping in mind institutional characteristics of organisational structure and culture);
• Examples of SIA’s (on different levels and scales).
Furthermore, the research results as presented in the report, will be related to all parts of the project: SIA experiences, perceptions and interpretations of users and stakeholders, the ‘evaluability assessment’ tool, the juridical implementation of SIA on federal level, the potentials of existing ex ante evaluation methodologies for SIA, the process of SIA with attention to the procedural framework, lessons learned form the case studies, the necessary conditions within departments for carrying out SIA’s, the value added of SIA, practical guidelines, etc.
After consultation with the steering committee, workshops may be organised. The research team is responsible for the contributions concerning contents and results of the project.
Partners
Activities
Ugent - CDO
The CDO-UG tries to operationalise sustainable development through a multidisciplinary approach. One of the fields of research focuses on policy assessment with particular attention for indicators and participation. The CDO has a long experience in this field, as well on the research level as on the utilization of research.
ULB – IGEAT - CEDD
The ULB – IGEAT - CEDD has gained practical experience in the field of quantitative evaluation of the environment, in particular with the development of instruments for decision-making, based on environmental indicators. The combination with more theoretical work around these instruments in the context of sustainable development, will lead to a privileged research field of the CEDD.
IDD
The goal of IDD is to carry out research and studies in connection with sustainable development. IDD has gained practical experience in the fields of modelling, support for decision-making and indicators for sustainable development.
UCL-AURAP has a lot of experience in the field of evaluation of government policies in general and the Belgian federal level in particular. This expertise will be useful for contextualising the SIA instrument.
UGent
The Centre for Environmental Law of Ghent University will study systems of SIA from a comparative law perspective and will with this background formulate recommendations for a legal framework on federal level.
Contact Information
Co-ordinator
Bernard Mazijn
Universiteit Gent (UGent)
Centrum voor Duurzame Ontwikkeling (CDO)
Poel 16
B-9000 Gent
Tel: +32 (0)9 264 82 10
Fax: +32 (0)9 264 83 90
bernard.mazijn@skynet.be
http://cdonet.ugent.be
Partners
Edwin Zaccaï
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Institut de Gestion de l’Environnement et d’Aménagement du Territoire (IGEAT) –
Centre d'Etudes du Développement Durable (CEDD) - CP130/02
50, avenue F.D. Roosevelt
B-1050 Bruxelles
Tel: +32 (0)2 650 43 32
Fax: +32 (0)2 650 43 12
ezaccai@ulb.ac.be
http://www.ulb.ac.be/igeat/cedd
Paul-Marie Boulanger
Institut pour un Développement Durable (IDD)
7, rue des Fusillés
B-1340 Ottignies
Tel: +32 (0)10 41 73 01
Fax: +32 (0)10 41 73 49
idd.org@skynet.be
http://club.euronet.be/idd/
Frédéric Varone
Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
Département des sciences politiques et sociales (POLS) - Unité de sciences politiques et relations internationales (SPRI)
1, place Montesquieu, bte 7
B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
Tel: +32 (0)10 47 42 74
Fax: +32 (0)10 47 46 03
varone@spri.ucl.ac.be
http://www.spri.ucl.ac.be
Luc Lavrysen
Universiteit Gent (UGent)
Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid – Vakgroep Burgerlijk Recht - Centrum voor Milieurecht
Universiteitstraat 4
B-9000 Gent
Tel: +32 (0)9 264 69 27
Fax: +32 (0)9 264 69 85
Luc.Lavrysen@ugent.be
http://www.law.ugent.be
Users committee
The Users Committee of the project will consist of the highest civil servants responsible for sustainable development on the federal level (Hadelin de Beer, President, POD Sustainable development; Jan Verschooten / Cédric Van De Walle, Vice Commissioner / Assistant ICDO, Federal Planning Bureau; Nadine Gouzée / Hella Staes, Coordinator / Assistant, Federal Planning Bureau – Task Force Sustainable Development), the representative of the federal advisory council (Jan De Smedt, Secretary, Federal Council for Sustainable development) and the representative of an umbrella NGO (Leida Rijnhout, Coordinator, Flemish Platform for Sustainable Development).
Methodology and feasibility of sustainability impact assessments . Case: Federal Policy-making processes : final report
Paredis, Erik - Heyerick, An - Doom, Ruddy ... et al Brussels : Belgian Science Policy, 2006 (SP1583)
[To download]
[To order]
Methodology and feasibility of sustainability impact assessments . Case: Federal Policy-making processes : annexes
Paredis, Erik - Heyerick, An - Doom, Ruddy ... et al Brussels : Belgian Science Policy, 2006 (SP1589)
[To download]
Methodologie en haalbaarheid van Duurzame-Ontwikkelingseffectbeoordeling (DOEB). Case: Federale besluitvormingsprocessen : samenvatting
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2007 (SP1785)
[To download]
Méthodologie et faisabilité de l’étude d’impact des décisions sur le développement durable. Application à la politique fédérale belge : résumé
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2007 (SP1786)
[To download]
Methodology and Feasibility of Sustainability Impact Assessment. Case: Federal policy-making Processes : summary
Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2007 (SP1787)
[To download]
