Impact Analysis
NewFields Impact Analysis Group offers a spectrum of impact analysis services focused on assessments that include environmental, social, and health components. Impact assessment is a structured planning and decision-making process for analyzing the potential positive and negative impacts of programs, projects, and policies. We can integrate all aspects into one document or work as part of a team on a single aspect. We work for government, multilateral agencies (e.g., World Bank and International Finance Corporation) and corporate clients throughout the world on projects which involve involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, or policies on governance and social responsibility. A variety of changes can occur as the result of a major development or new policy. Vanclay (2001) provides a convenient way of thinking about the social changes that could occur:
- Changes to the environment, such as the quality of air, the water, the availability of food, access to physical resources, and hazards in the environment.
- Changes to people's way of life - how they live, work, play and interact with one another on a day to day basis.
- Changes to health and well being (mental and physical) of individuals and societies.
- Changes to culture such as shared beliefs, customs, values and language or dialect.
- Changes to the community cohesion, stability, character, services and facilities.
- Changes to a community's fear and aspirations about their future and threat of future generations.
Our impact analysis process entails meeting with stakeholders to understand issues and collecting detailed baseline data to determine current conditions of the environment and the people prior to any new development. We implement special studies such as nutrition surveys and economic interrelationships if appropriate baseline doesn’t exist. Next we assess the impacts of a new development and identify actions that would mitigate negative impacts and enhance positive impacts. Lastly we prepare action plans to implement the mitigations and evaluate their progress, continuing to work closely with all stakeholders.
Our reports are detailed yet designed to inform a variety of audiences from the representatives of the Equator banks to the general public. We use multi-media techniques to ensure understanding. Our multi-disciplinary team has performed work for clients throughout the world.
NewFields has extensive experience in the mining, chemical, oil/gas, agricultural and water resources sectors. NewFields professionals serve on a variety of international scientific committees and publish widely in the peer reviewed scientific literature. In addition, NewFields has authored technical guidance documents covering numerous areas of public health. NewFields has active projects and professionals working on six continents. Key professionals are permanently located in the United States, Africa, Australia, South America and Western Europe.
Qualifications for the Impact Analysis professionals are provided below:
Gary R. Krieger, M.D.
Marci Balge
Karen Lyncoln
