Learning lessons from local social/poverty impact assessment

This article examines the role of social/poverty impact assessment in contributing to the shaping of policy at a local level in Ireland. In doing so, it briefly describes the broader impact assessment landscape internationally, presenting key definitions and identifying underlying principles. From this the article highlights the key elements of social impact assessment, proposing a three-phase process to guide consideration of impact assessment, namely a pre-assessment phase, an assessment phase and a post-assessment phase. An analysis of these different phases then allows for a range of technical and more ‘theological’ assessment complexities to be presented. With this background in place, the article moves on to examine the local-level experience in Ireland. It acknowledges the highly innovative nature of poverty proofing as originally introduced in 1998 and retitled poverty impact assessment following a 2006 review by the Office for Social Inclusion. However, it points to the low level of engagement with poverty impact assessment processes at local level and suggests that poverty impact assessments have become largely subservient to other forms of impact assessment, particularly strategic environmental assessment. The article concludes that the local level does offer an important space for the practice of poverty impact assessment, but is unlikely to do so without the provision of appropriate capacity and resources, or without it being hardwired as a legislative obligation, albeit accompanied by mechanisms to sensitise and incentivise policymakers towards its usage.