Social Impact Assessment

The Internet based course consists of 13 modules, and one new module is presented every week. The course comprises: Background and development of SIA, impact assessment methodologies, baseline data and mitigation measures, stakeholder consultation process, health issues, education, training and gender issues, the role of NGOs and monitoring, resettlement, livelihood development, environmental and technical issues, institutional strengthening and capacity building, finance and budget issues, indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups.

The course is offered in English to the students in the second year in the MSc programme Hydropower Development. The objectives are to improve the knowledge of the different stages of the process of socio-economic assessment, including strategic priorities and national guidelines, and to improve tools for planning projects in the best possible way on a national, regional and local level.

The main core of the course is a distance-learning course on the Internet. The introduction to the course will be in a classroom setting and advisors will be available on a weekly basis in order to facilitate discussions and assistance to the students related to the weekly quiz or set of multiple-choice questions in each module and writes short reports. Evaluation will be based on each students workbook, containing all weekly reports etc. and an oral exam.