1. IA Leadership provided by the Netherlands’ EA Commission
A personal view
Rob Verheem January 2019

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What is the NCEA?
Public: established (by law) & subsidized by government
Independent: not part of gvt; private foundation; non-profit
Tasks:
Netherlands: EA report quality review & general EA guidance
International cooperation: quality review, guidance, process advice & capacity development

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What is the NCEA not?
Not private sector: no hired consultancy; no tendering We do not make assessments, prepare IA reports or manage IA processes

4. Leadership in impact assessmemt4
Leadership in impact assessmemt
Documentation (IA reports) Process General development

5. EA report: independent quality assurance
Design & Decide
Screening: EIA needed?
publish start of the SEA procedure
consult on scope assessment
NCEA advice on ToR (voluntary)
assess, document & publish report
consult on quality of report
NCEA review of EA report
(SEA mandatory, EIA voluntary)
justify decision in writing
monitor & evaluate

6. EA report: independent quality assurance
Design & Decide
Screening: EIA needed?
publish start of the SEA procedure
consult on scope assessment
NCEA advice on ToR (voluntary)
assess, document & publish report
consult on quality of report
NCEA review of EA report
(SEA mandatory, EIA voluntary)
justify decision in writing
monitor & evaluate
NCEA monitoring advice (voluntary)

7. National EA knowledge center7
National EA knowledge center
Database/website (institutional memory) Guidance material (Key & theme sheets, articles) Workshops Helpdesk (lessons learned in practice)

8. Process: Independent advice & coaching
Design & Decide
Screening: EIA needed?
NCEA advice on screening mechanism
publish start of the SEA procedure
NCEA advice on transparency mechanisms
consult on scope assessment
NCEA advice on ToR
assess, document & publish report
NCEA quality review and coaching
consult on quality of report
NCEA quality review of EA report
NCEA advice on accountability mechanisms
justify decision in writing
monitor & evaluate
NCEA advice on monitoring requirements

9. Leadership in general IA development9
Leadership in general IA development
NCEA provides ‘institutional’ leadership

10. Why do we have this meeting?10
Why do we have this meeting?
Assumption: because we want IA to be succesful.

11. What is needed for IA to be succesful?11
What is needed for IA to be succesful?
Hypothesis: a positive incentive towards IA.

12. How to create a positive ‘IA incentive’?12
How to create a positive ‘IA incentive’?
Douglas North (1994, Nobel laureate): “Institutions are the humanly designed constraints that structure human interaction. Together they define the incentive structure of societies and specifically economies.” Hypothesis: By strengthening the institutions for IA.

13. World Development Report 200313
What institutions?
ref: World Bank
World Development Report 2003

14. Leadership of the NCEA in general EA development14
Leadership of the NCEA in general EA development
NCEA acts as ‘EA Champion’: Influencing institutions through documenting, advocating, explaining, substantiating & illustrating added value of EA

15. Institutional influence of 25 yrs of NCEA15
Institutional influence of 25 yrs of NCEA

16. Research on influence of NCEA16
Research on influence of NCEA
‘The substantial role of the NCEA in quality assurance is highly recognized’
‘The quality review of the NCEA is generally recognized as being of substantial importance for the quality of the EA.’
Ref: ‘Naar een toekomstbestendige m.e.r. – Runhaar, Arts, Laerhoven, Driessen – 2011’

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The end Almost

18. Homework What is the character of NCEA leadership?18
Homework
What is the character of NCEA leadership?
Mix of ‘transformational’ and ‘democratic’ leadership
What is the character of my leadership?
100% ‘laissez faire’!