Island communities impact assessments: guidance and toolkit

Annex B: Island Communities Impact Assessment: Template

Step One – Develop a clear understanding of your objectives:

• What are the objectives of the policy, strategy or service?
• Do you need to consult?
• How are islands identified for the purpose of the policy, strategy or service?
• What are the intended impacts/outcomes and how do these potentially differ in the islands?
• Is the policy, strategy or service new?

Step Two – Gather your data and identify your stakeholders:

• What data is available about the current situation in the islands?
• Do you need to consult?
• How does any existing data differ between islands?
• Are there any existing design features or mitigations in place?

Step Three – Consultation:

• Who do you need to consult with?
• How will you carry out your consultation and in what timescales?
• What questions will you ask when considering how to address island realities?
• What information has already been gathered through consultations and what concerns have been raised previously by island communities?
• Is your consultation robust and meaningful and sufficient to comply with the Section 7 duty?

Step Four – Assessment:

• Does your assessment identify any unique impacts on island communities?
• Does your assessment identify any potential barriers or wider impacts?
• How will you address these?

You must now determine whether in your opinion your policy, strategy or service is likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities).

If your answer is no to the above question, a full ICIA will not be required and you can proceed to Step Six.

If the answer is yes, an ICIA must be prepared and you should proceed to Step Five.

To form your opinion, the following questions should be considered.

• Does the evidence show different circumstances or different expectations or needs, or different experiences or outcomes (such as different levels of satisfaction, or different rates of participation)?
• Are these different effects likely?
• Are these effects significantly different?
• Could the effect amount to a disadvantage for an island community compared to the mainland or between island groups?

Step Five – Preparing your ICIA:

In Step Five, you should describe the likely significantly different effect of the policy, strategy or service.

• Assess the extent to which you consider that the policy, strategy or service can be developed or delivered in such a manner as to improve or mitigate, for island communities, the outcomes resulting from it.
• Consider alternative delivery mechanisms and whether further consultation is required.
• Describe how these alternative delivery mechanisms will improve or mitigate outcomes for island communities.
• Identify resources required to improve or mitigate outcomes for island communities.

An ICIA by Scottish Ministers in regard to legislation must:

• describe the likely significantly different effect of the legislation,
• assess the extent to which the Scottish Ministers consider that the legislation can be developed in such a manner as to improve or mitigate, for island communities, the outcomes resulting from the legislation, and
• set out the financial implications of steps taken under this subsection to mitigate, for island communities, the outcomes resulting from the legislation.

Step Six – Making adjustments to your work:

• Should delivery mechanisms/mitigations vary in different communities?
• Do you need to consult with island communities in respect of mechanisms or mitigations?
• Have island circumstances been factored into the evaluation process?
• Have any island-specific indicators/targets been identified that require monitoring?
• How will outcomes be measured on the islands?
• How has the policy, strategy or service affected island communities?
• How will lessons learned in this ICIA inform future policy making and service delivery?

Step Seven – Publishing your ICIA:

• Have you presented your ICIA in an Easy Read format?
• Does it need to be presented in Gaelic or any other language?
• Where will you publish your ICIA and will relevant stakeholders be able to easily access it?
• Who will sign-off your final ICIA and why?

ICIA approved by:

Position:

Signature:

Date completed:

ICIA approved by:

Position:

Signature:

Date approved: