'Island-Proofing' your work Introducing Island Communities Impact Assessments (ICIA)

The Seven Steps

1. Understand your objective

2. Assess impact on Islands

3. Consultation

4. Assessment

Yes
5a. ICIA Describe significant impact (1+2+3)
6. Make adjustments
7. ICIA Publication

No
5b. Publication of explanation

Step 1: Develop a clear understanding of your objectives

• Think about whether your policy, strategy, or service might have a significantly different effect on island communities.
• If it does, how can you improve or mitigate outcomes for islanders?
• If so, consider adaptations to account for variations across different islands.
• Identify any benefits to island communities.

Step 2: Gather your data and identify your stakeholders

• Dig deeper.
• Find, collate and consider the available data on the differences between islands and the mainland, and between island groups.
• You can find sources of data in the full ICIA guidance online.
• Spot where there are gaps in the data.
• Line up relevant stakeholders, island experts and contacts from different organisations who can share their expertise and views with you.

Step 3: Consultation

• Consult the Local Authorities listed in the schedule to the Islands Act, and any other bodies or groups relevant to your policy, strategy, legislation or service. To get feedback from island communities, you can
  • use existing data
  • hold online events
  • use local print media, local radio and posters
  • link into other ongoing consultations.

Step 4: Assessment

• Armed with the insights you've gained, it's time to assess the potential barriers or wider impacts of your policy, strategy, legislation or service on island communities - and how you will address them.
• There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to what is a significantly different effect for the island community compared to the mainland or other islands. And what works for one island may not work for another.
• You need think about demographic, economic and social and cultural considerations, asking yourself if any effects are significantly different for an island community compared to the mainland or between island groups?
• Remember to record your findings.

Step 5: Preparing your ICIA

• There's an online template for you to use:

View the template

• Your ICIA must:
  • Describe the likely significant different effect of the policy, strategy, legislation or service on island communities
  • Assess how you can improve outcomes or mitigate any significant differences.

"The ICIA is a valuable framework. It compliments other impact assessments. It allowed us to reflect on both the challenges and the benefits. We gained a list of actions to take forward, and further thinking to develop through ongoing engagement."

Matthew Shepherd
Senior Programme & Policy Advisor

Step 6: Making adjustments to your work

• After assessing potential impacts on island communities, work out to what extent you can adjust your policy strategy or service to improve or mitigate the impact on island communities - and how you plan to do this.
• Think about using island-specific indicators or targets for monitoring.
• Do you need to adjust the objectives you set out in Step One?
• Do you need to pilot your proposals or mitigations?
• Step 7: Publishing your ICIA Congratulations – you're done!
• In the interests of transparency, all ICIAs must be published.
• You simply publish it on your organisation's own website.

"ICIA gives you the practical, effective steps to ensure our islands have fair and equitable treatment."

Senior Officer
North Ayrshire Council