International Association for Impact Assessment

Professional Responsibilities

  • IAIA AS AN ORGANIZATION PROMOTES THE FOLLOWING:

    • We compile or review impact assessments with integrity and honesty, and free from misrepresentation or deliberate bias.
    • Our personal beliefs should not interfere with fair representation of the potential impacts of policies, plans, programs, and projects.
    • We uphold the principle of freedom of access to information and the right of citizens to participate in decisions that affect them.
    • We seek sustainable and equitable outcomes from human actions that affect ecosystems and people.
    • We seek a process of impact assessment that averts infringement of the human rights of any section of society.
    • We do not condone the use of violence, harassment, intimidation, or undue force in connection with any aspect of impact assessment or its implementation.
    • We believe impact assessments should integrate social, cultural and health impacts with impacts on the biophysical environment and earth systems, including climate and biodiversity.
    • We know that different groups in society experience benefits and harm in different ways. We strive to promote considerations of equity as a fundamental element of impact assessment. We seek to take gender and other social differences into account, and we are especially mindful of the concerns of Indigenous peoples.
    • We give due regard to the rights and interests of future generations.
    • We strive for excellence by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
    • We do not advance our private interests to the detriment of the public, our clients or employing institutions.

    Further Information
    IAIA is committed to ethical and professional practice in all its operations. The statements in this document represent the foundational philosophy that underpins all IAIA activities and should inform the practice of its members. IAIA encourages the professional development of its members and environmental professionals and industry generally by providing a range of documents on best practice in impact assessment and related topics. These can be accessed Online at www.iaia.org > Publications.
    Note that some documents have been translated into other languages.

     

  • Business Operations

    To give effect to the IAIA value of promoting sustainability in the Association's business practices, the Association has adopted the following internal policy to guide its activities.

     

    The objective of IAIA management is to adopt business practices that make a positive difference to environmental sustainability. As a business operation, IAIA is committed to adapting our activities, products and services with consideration for a sustainable environment by:

    • Managing and monitoring the effects of our activities on the environment, especially with regard to minimizing the impacts from travel and resource use related to IAIA conferences and meetings.
    • Maximizing the positive impact IAIA's resources and networks can have on members and others in promoting best practice in environmental assessment.
    • To the extent possible, purchasing environmentally friendly products and services from vendors who have a commitment to caring for the environment.
    • Supporting the training of staff to ensure they have sufficient knowledge of good environmental business practices to do the jobs they do for IAIA with a care and concern for the environment.
    • Establishing investment policies that reflect our commitment to the environment.
    • Recycling/reusing paper and disposable goods and evaluating alternatives to the use of such products.
    • Purchasing office equipment, furnishings and fixtures that conserve natural resources and minimize environmental pollutants to the extent possible in a conventionally leased space.
    • Controlling the office environment with natural light and ventilation to the extent possible.
    • Establishing staff work schedules that minimize travel without compromising service to membership or staff communication.
    • Moving towards paperless billing and service provision.

professional code of conduct

  • IAIA encourages its members to make a personal pledge of commitment to a Professional Code of Conduct. To facilitate this, IAIA has established a category of "Professional Member," which is achieved by submitting the following signed statement. ARE YOU AN IAIA MEMBER THAT HAS NOT YET SIGNED THE CODE? PLEASE REVIEW IT BELOW AND THEN EMAIL INFO@IAIA.ORG INDICATING THAT YOU AGREE TO IT.

     

    As a self-ascribed professional member of IAIA, the information and services that I provide must be of the highest quality and reliability. I consequently commit myself:

    • To conduct my professional activities with integrity, honesty, and free from any misrepresentation or deliberate bias.
    • To conduct my professional activities only in subject areas in which I have competence through education, training, or experience. I will engage, or participate with, other professionals in subject areas where I am less competent.
    • To take care that my professional activities promote sustainable and equitable actions as well as a holistic approach to impact assessment.
    • To check that all policies, plans, activities, or projects with which I am involved are consistent with all applicable laws, regulations, policies and guidelines.
    • To refuse to provide professional services whenever the professional is required to bias the analysis or omit or distort facts in order to arrive at a predetermined finding or result.
    • To disclose to employers and clients and in all written reports, any personal or financial interest that could reasonably raise concerns as to a possible conflict of interest.
    • To strive to continually improve my professional knowledge and skills and to stay current with new developments in impact assessment and my associated fields of competence.
    • To acknowledge the sources I have used in my analysis and the preparation of reports.
    • To accept that my name will be removed from the list of self-ascribed professional members of IAIA should I be found to be in breach of this code by a disciplinary task-group constituted by the IAIA Board of Directors to consider any complaint lodged against my professional conduct.