EIA implementation and follow up has been recognized as one of the most crucial process of impact assessment in achieving its outcomes. In general terms 'follow-up' refers to 'post-decision processes' a crucial part of which is ensuring that recommendations and commitments made through the EIA process are actually implemented. There are many tools that can support this implementation process, including environmental management systems (EMS) and many other related sustainability management tools such as HSE-MS, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and Sustainability Reporting in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), to name just a few Dozens of national, sectoral and international standards, guidelines etc. have been developed to inform such processes and these are widely used. While considerable efforts and investments are made in both EIA and EMS, a lack of integration of these activities contributes to suboptimal environmental outcomes and a failure to realize the potential of these well-established environmental management tools.

 

This intermediate two-day training course focuses on strengthening the linkage between EIA and EMS throughout the life cycle of projects by improving communication, interaction and partnership between its multiple role players. In the first module, a quick review of the pre-decision tools (conventional EIA) and post-decision tools (such as EMS/HSE-MS, the relevant international standards such as ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 etc.) will be provided. The second module will focus on how pre-decision EIA should be linked to such post decision management tools. Improving communication, interaction and partnership is the focus of the third module, in which the participants will practice identifying the role of other parties and when, how and on what key issues they should communicate with them. In the fourth and final module the well-known "HSE cultural maturity theory" and its relationship with the EIA implementation will be discussed. Participants themselves will try to develop ways of making the entire EIA/EMS a seamless, flexible process in a way that challenges the very notions of 'pre-decision' and 'post-decision'.

 

 

Level: Intermediate

Prerequisites: Participants are expected to have an understanding of EIA processes and terminology, and some awareness about environmental management systems (EMS). Hence it would be beneficial if they had previously attended an introductory IAIA training course (e.g. "Understanding Impact Assessment"); or otherwise have had at least a year of work experience as a consultant, proponent or regulator within an EIA system, or be in the position of implementing an EMS or health, safety and environmental (HSE) management system (e.g. as an HSE officer, auditor etc.) in an active industry or ongoing project, or be a student with at least 6 months taught or research experience of some aspect of EIA / HSE-MS. A particular interest in EIA implementation and follow up as well as implementing EMS / HSE-MS is obviously desirable.

Language: English

Duration: 2 days (2-3 May)

Price: US$475

Min/Max: 10-30

Requirements: N/A

Instructor(s): Jenny Pope and Behzad Raissiyan

 

 

 

Jenny Pope

 

Jenny is Director of Western Australian consultancy firm Integral Sustainability, which provides consultancy and training services to industry and Government on the integration of sustainability concepts into decision-making processes. She is a chemical engineer by training, and her practice builds upon her experience in industrial and corporate environmental management, particularly in the oil industry.

 

For many years, Jenny specialized in the development, implementation and auditing of environmental management systems (EMS), and was for a period a certification auditor for ISO 14001, the international EMS standard. As a consultant she has supported numerous organizations in establishing robust management systems to ensure that environmental management was fully integrated into organizational processes.

 

In 2007 she was awarded her PhD from Murdoch University for her research into the evolution of processes for the sustainability assessment of complex and strategic projects. This represented her shift from management systems (post-decision) to impact assessment (pre-decision), giving her a unique perspective on these two different but complementary environmental management activities. She has experienced first-hand the practical challenges of aligning EIA and EMS in large, complex organizations.

 

In addition to her consulting practice, Jenny maintains strong links with the academic sector. She currently holds academic positions at the University of Cambridge, UK and North-West University, South Africa, where she researches, teaches and supervises Masters students in the areas of environmental management and sustainability. She also regularly provides training courses on EIA and other aspects of environmental management to practitioners in Western Australia.

 

In November 2018, Jenny was appointed to the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia, the statutory authority responsible for EIA in the state. 

 

Jenny has been an active member of IAIA since 2003, serving on various committees and participating in the annual conferences as a regular session chair and presenter.

 

 

 

Behzad Raissiyan

 

Behzad Raissiyan is an independent Impact Assessment practitioner and instructor, HSE-MS and environmental planning and governance advisor with 20 years of extensive experience working for various clients from different sectors and industries. His work experience include EIA and SEA for oil and gas and petrochemical development plans and projects, industrial and tourism developments, regional development plans etc. He has also fulfilled numerous land use and conservation planning projects. For a long time Behzad has been a registered third party lead EMS auditor and senior tutor for ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001 (and recently OH&S MS ISO 45001). 

 

He worked as Environmental Advisor for a major oil development project for 6 years (2010 – 2016) with specific responsibility for implementation and follow-up of the EIA commitments and establishment of an EMS. During this period, beside his main responsibilities, he also had other responsibilities including incident investigation and follow up, HSE and sustainability performance monitoring, evaluation and reporting, overall HSE risk management of the project. During this period, as a former EIA/SEA practitioner, he had the chance to confront face to face with challenges of implementing EIA outcomes in real world, where communication, leadership and forming partnership with multiple role players is crucial. 

 

In the past 6 years, Behzad has been working as a freelance environmental governance advisors, he has offered several training courses on IA and EMS/HSE-MS with excellent track record for various range of audiences at different levels and from a broad range of sectors such government policy makers and top managers, industries and even NGO members and activists. He also fulfilled some special research projects such as 'Regulation Impact Assessment for Iranian EIA regulations', 'Benchmarking Iran's EIA requirements for oil and gas sector vs. best international practices'.

 

Behzad is a member of the International Association for Impact Assessment since 2008, he serves as a member the IAIA's Training and Professional Development Committee (TPDC) since 2014 and the chair of the committee since 2016 up until 2020.