Manage the coordination of an Environmental Impact Assessment and the production of an Environmental Statement

This standard is one of three related standards that together cover Environmental Impact Assessment for development proposals.  This standard describes the requirements to manage the coordination of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the production of an Environmental Statement (ES). 

The series covers the following:

• Standard EM22 – Prepare for and scope out an Environmental Impact Assessment for development proposals
• Standard EM23 - Manage the coordination of an Environmental Impact Assessment and the production of an Environmental Statement
• Standard EM24 - Manage the communication of the final Environmental Statement for the development and follow up measures

The standards listed above do not outline the detailed requirements for specialist environmental assessment topics, but they do focus on the project management, co-ordination and delivery of the EIA process stages. EIA is a systematic process to identify, predict, evaluate, and communicate the environmental effects of proposed actions and projects. 

The key stages of EIA are:

1. Proposal identification
2. Screening
3. Scoping
4. Positive and negative impact assessment
5. Mitigation
6. Preparation of Environmental Statement
7. Review
8. Decision-making
9. Follow up lessons learned

As a minimum, consultation with statutory bodies and stakeholders including local communities should take place at the scoping of EIA. It should be stressed that whilst EIA is a statutory process for some developments, it is not strictly a linear process. EIA is a dynamic and iterative process requiring interaction between stages as the assessment progresses, with feedback loops enabling project proposals to be refined and adapted in response to the findings of the assessment.

This standard focuses on the main process stages of impact analysis and assessment, mitigation of environmental effects, and compilation of the Environmental Statement.

This standard is suitable for:

• A developer with responsibility for commissioning or managing an EIA
• An environmental consultant or advisor with responsibility for co-ordinating either: The full EIA process on behalf of a developer, or EIA stages of assessment of environmental effects, development of mitigation measures and production of the final Environmental Statement

1. The purpose of EIA and its relationship to the planning and development design process
2. How to work with an multidisciplinary team to secure objective assessment of impacts and effective adoption of mitigation, monitoring and follow up measures
3. How to manage a complex, dynamic and interrelated process
4. How to establish, develop and manage a work plan to include delivery timelines
5. How to manage project contracts and the difference in managing subcontracts
6. Who the key regulatory bodies and relevant stakeholders are, including those from protected characteristic’s
7. How to and the importance of developing and delivering an engagement plan to cover consultation with key regulatory bodies, relevant stakeholders, including those with protected characteristics and local communities
8. How to estimate, secure and manage a budget
9. The required stages of EIA and relevant statutory processes
10. The National, and international legislation, national and regional regulations, statements, and guidance and the affects that these might have on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
11. The environmental impacts arising from different forms of development
12. The relevant legal consents applicable to the operation post EIA
13. The relevant legal requirements for ES content, and best practice standards for ES format and structure
14. How to use the outcomes of EIA screening and scoping exercises
15. How and where to secure environmental and social baseline information
16. How to specify, procure and direct specialist input
17. When and how to communicate with key regulatory bodies and relevant stakeholders including local communities and address consultee comments to the satisfaction of all parties
18. How to assess environmental impacts, identify and consider alternatives and mitigations throughout different stages and life cycle of the development
19. Specialist assessment methods and the potential cumulative interactions between EIA topics
20. How to identify, develop and deliver environmental mitigation and enhancements and apply mitigation hierarchy
21. How to write and collate an objective and robust ES, and non-technical summary