Objective · IA02
Concept IA Impacted Party Engagement
Ensure that impacted parties' views, concerns, and values are considered to increase their well-being.
5 activities
The aim is to increase impacted party satisfaction and well-being, due to projects being more attuned to their needs and aspirations. If Owners collect and integrate comprehensive impacted party feedback throughout the development process, there will be an increase in impacted party satisfaction and well-being due to the resulting projects being more attuned to their needs and aspirations.
Impacted party engagement involves owners communicating with and seeking feedback from those interested in or impacted by a project's actions. This leads to more informed and sustainable decisions, reducing risks and building trust. To prioritize social equity in real estate development, impacted party engagement must be a foundational rather than an ancillary activity. By centering impacted parties in decision-making, their views, concerns, and values are genuinely considered, creating a more inclusive environment.
Real estate development is a comprehensive effort beyond creating a tangible asset. Every decision, from initial conception to operation to disposition, creates potential impacts on a wide range of impacted parties. Recognizing these impacts is an essential first step, but to properly address them, it is critical to ensure that impacted parties are consulted to determine how they feel about the impacts. Only when we hear from those experiencing the effects of decisions can we achieve real estate developments that are successful, equitable, socially sustainable, and in harmony with the needs and values of all affected parties.
Activities
- IAa2.1
Fully inform community members about the project and likely impacts
ImpactThe Owner shall develop and disseminate responsible communication(s) ("communication") to all potential impacted parties that might be affected by the project, detailing the project's nature and anticipated impacts.
- IAa2.2
Collect feedback from impacted parties
DriverThe Owner shall systematically gather feedback from all impacted parties as identified in the impacted party analysis in Activity IAa1.5 to ensure diverse perspectives, concerns, and suggestions from every relevant individual or group are considered in the project's decision-making and implementation. Feedback collection methods that do not comprehensively address all identified impacted parties, or that bypass the findings of the impacted party analysis are outside the scope of this activity.
- IAa2.3
Develop and implement ways of addressing impacts
DriverOwner shall develop strategies based on the likely impacts identified in IAa1.4 and the impacted party feedback from IAa2.2. These strategies will aim to prevent or mitigate any negative impacts and maximize the project's positive impacts. In cases where the project results in significant changes to the community, the Owner shall also establish resources and mechanisms to assist the community in adapting to these changes. The scope includes developing and implementing these strategies but does not cover the evaluation of their effectiveness after they have been implemented.
- IAa2.4
Establish a community grievance mechanism for direct reporting of complaints to the Owner
DriverThe Owner shall establish a process for receiving, acknowledging, investigating, resolving, and closing community complaints and grievances that allows community members to submit concerns as they arise. In this way, the grievance mechanism serves as a key component of the Project's approach to community engagement and risk mitigation.
- IAa2.5
Draft and publish the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP)
DriverOwner shall produce a Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) using data from Activities IAa1.1 through IAa2.4. This plan shall detail the strategies for managing the project's social impacts. After the SIMP is complete, it will be published for relevant parties to ensure transparency in social impact management. The scope covers the creation and publication of the SIMP but does not include its implementation or evaluation.