Social Impact Assessment Studies and Neighborhood Consultation Processes

We carry out the analysis of the works and activities of the various stages of a project to identify the positive and negative impacts they can generate, and we delimit the area of social influence including all potentially affected communities.

These impacts are validated collaboratively with the members of the communities through fieldwork carried out by a group of experts in sociology, anthropology or related careers, and are subsequently described and evaluated through criteria such as probability of occurrence, reversibility, area of affectation and social significance.

For each positive impact we design an extension measure, and for negative impacts we design prevention, mitigation or compensation measures according to the magnitude of the impact; privileging whenever possible prevention measures that avoid the occurrence of impact.

Social impacts must be identified and evaluated periodically, particularly in the case of the construction of extensions or new components of a project.

In the case of the studies carried out in Mexico City, we have designed a methodology to carry out the Neighborhood Consultation Process respecting the right of neighbors to information and participation on the topics that are of interest. We inform in a clear and transparent manner the population of the area of social influence about the works and activities of the project, its components, its sustainable systems, and the use of resources. These processes include the installation of information modules, the carrying out of surveys, the conduct of itinerant and in-depth interviews, and the convening and facilitation of thematic workshops and informative meetings with the aim of reaching agreements between the project promoter and the neighbors on the measures to address the impacts and the compensation measures that the project will implement.