Greetings to you and your Affiliate of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA). Allow me to introduce myself. I am Betty Hansen, the new Chair of the Branches and Affiliates Committee for the IAIA. I am from Canada and am a Director of the Ontario Association for Impact Assessment (OAIA).

The Affiliates Committee met for the first time at the June IAIA Conference 2000 in Hong Kong. At that time, three people volunteered to serve on this committee: myself, Patricia Acosta Restrepo from Colombia, and Lee Doran also from Canada. Tuija Hilding-Rydevik from Sweden is the IAIA Board Liaison.

I am writing to tell you how much the Branches and Affiliates Committee needs participation from your Affiliate and to ask you, or a person you designate, to join the Committee. In order for the Branches and Affiliates Committee to make a genuine international commitment to IAIA, its activities must reflect the needs of all Affiliates, not just those of two countries. To do this, the Committee needs your contribution.

For your review, I have attached a copy each of the Affiliates Committee Minutes from our Hong Kong meeting, the new Affiliate Guidelines, and the “Membership, Responsibilities and Main Tasks of the Affiliates Committee” as outlined on page 17 and 18 of the IAIA Handbook 2000 (which may also be accessed on the IAIA website, http://www.iaia.org). You will note that a representative from each Affiliate is required on the Committee. The Committee Minutes reflect suggested activities which can help implement the Committee tasks, but, I am sure you and the other Affiliates will have additional or complementary ideas. 

I would very much like to receive your comments and suggestions on these documents as well as any other relevant input which reflects your perspective about how the Branches and Affiliates Committee can best assist all of the Affiliates and respond to any special needs of your Affiliate. A major objective of the Committee is to increase and clarify communications, as well as share concerns, between and among all of the Affiliates and IAIA.

You may write, fax or email me at the following addresses and numbers:

                Betty Hansen, Chair, Affiliates Committee IAIA

                Suite 1507 – 19 Lascelles Boulevard

                Toronto, Ontario    M4V 2B7   CANADA

                Telephone:           (416) 482-0644

                Fax:                (416) 482-0594

                Email:                ecosystm@echo-on.net

Please let me know whether you or someone else will represent your Affiliate on our Committee. If it is someone other than yourself, please advise me of their address. I look forward to the input from your Affiliate and an affirmative answer for participation with us on the Affiliates Committee. Thanks very much for your prompt reply.

Regards,

Betty E. Hansen, Chair

Affiliates Committee, IAIA

Meeting Minutes

June 20, 2000, 5:30 P.M.

IAIA Conference 2000

Hong Kong Conference Centre, Hong Kong

Present: Mary Lou Morris, President-Elect, Betty Hansen, Chair, Lee Dolan, Patricia Acosta Restrept and Tuija Hilding-Rydevik, Board Liaison.

Mary Lou Morris, IAIA President-Elect discussed the responsibilities of the Affiliates and Branches Committee, as based on the tasks outlined in the IAIA Handbook 2000, and the duties of the Board Liaison in representing the Committee and its activities to the IAIA Board. Betty Hansen volunteered to become the Chair the Committee and this freed Mary Lou to attend another meeting.

Ideas for Committee activities were discussed and an initial workplan, based on the tasks of the Branches and Affiliates Committee outlined in the IAIA Handbook 2000, was formed. A priority for the Committee is to ensure regular and open lines of communication among and between Affiliates, Branches (if and when formed), Board, and the Executive Office. As a first step, the Committee recommended development of an Affiliates web page to serve as a venue for sharing organisational experiences and issues of common concern. Specifics include plans to post Affiliate annual reports, bylaws, strategic plans, policies, regulations, and other administrative/organisational material which may be of use to other established or burgeoning Affiliates/Branches. The web page will list all Branches and Affiliates with their contact names, and provide a forum for questions, answers, and suggestions to be addressed by the Committee and/or the IAIA Board or Executive Office and/or members. Many Affiliates have experienced success as a result of trial and error. These experiences can be extremely useful to other Affiliates as well as to IAIA so it is hoped that members and Affiliates will share these on the website. In addition, the IAIA Executive and Board will be invited to post new information pertaining to Affiliates and Branches.

Patricia Acosta stressed the need for Colombia and other new Affiliates to have more specific information about the practicalities of forming an Affiliate after Affiliate status is approved by the IAIA Board. For example, practical information from established Affiliates about the types of events and activities held, organisational and administrative structures, bylaws, strategic planning, and methods of obtaining members. All of these could be adapted, if desired, by other Affiliates to fit their specific situations. It was suggested that this type of information form a priority for placement on the website. In the meantime, Betty Hansen offered to send Patricia copies of the (Ontario Association for Impact Assessment (OAIA) Strategic Plan draft and Bylaws.

Further actions to address the additional tasks as outlined in the IAIA Handbook will build on the communication successes we envisage, and be planned at later stages. All plans will remain fluid allowing for adaptation of new ideas or removal of unworkable ones.

Betty Hansen volunteered to write the minutes for the Committee meeting and email to each Committee member for comments and approval.

Meeting adjourned.

2000-2001 Mid-term Report

General responsibilities of the Committee