RIAM Method - How to do Scoping ?

Rapid Impact Assessment Method (RIAM) is a method that requires disciplines of scoping and analysing each issue one at a time. It shares similar principle of surveying science of whole to part. In surveying, we look at the overall picture, land area and cover from the larger to the in-situ area. We first recky (pre-survey) the area, get the starting survey point from another approved lot and we bring it to the area we want to study.

Whole-To-Part Principle - The Scoping

In RIAM, we begin with the overall picture and asking the overall strategic questions. Questions that could be even external factors to the issue of concern. In RIAM, this is the scoping process, the first of the assessment and this is an important stage. Scope wrongly, you will get incorrect assessment. Scope too broadly, you get everything under the sun as an issue of concern which could be too tedious to run through all in a matrix. Scope too narrowly, there will be issues omitted and overlooked, and it does not reflect the true picture of the situation.

During scoping process, ask if there is possibility of options or What-If scenarios to be considered, External factors that could are affecting the issue but cannot be taken into the assessment as the core issues. Be it development or policy options, there are :-

before and after scenarios, 

choices of materials and methods (options)  

possible external factors

What are the issues affecting the topic under assessment ? Under each of the category, list down components that are affecting the overall assessment.

PC

• Will this policy or development option affect any item in the physical and chemical spheres of the earth ? 
• Water quality, Permanent Constructions, Depletion of forest, Land Clearance, 
• Is there a possibility of  using green technology ?

BE

• What are the biological elements that are affected ?
• Any Birds, animals, tree species affected ?
• Rivers and sea pollution
• 
  

EO

• Will there be expenditure incurred ?
• Will the income be affected in the future ?
• Will the lifestyle change ?
• Will there be change in job opportunities ?

SC

• Will there be change in social status of the people ?
• Will there be migration and integration of people ?
• Will there be cultural changes ?

For each of these questions, list down the components that will be impacted by the changes due to topic in consideration. Take the case of a land development happening and the components scoped are likely to cover :-

PC

• Change in water quality during development
• Change in forest area due to land 

BE

• Change in animal species moving out
• Change in migratory birds coming in
• Change in biodiversity 
• 
  

EO

• Cost of dvelopment
• Cost of maintenance
• Change in income due to development
• Change in job opportunities 
• Change in lifestyle

SC

• Change in social status of the people
• Change in migration and integration of people
• Change in cultural values

Sometimes, there is External Factors that cannot be in the component listing but definitely need to be considered such as Impact of economic recession on the budget allocation.

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Let me introduce you to RIAM

Today, I would like to introduce something simple and interesting to you. It is a method to analyse conditions and situations. The details of the method is systematic and it has a pattern, a bit like grammar and syntax, it almost like a language. It is like a mathematical formula applied to any conditions and allow you to compare results and consequences.

It is an analytical tool to weigh out consequences of change impacts. It is suitable to compare options and What-If scenarios. Hence, it is useful in impact assessment.

Why do we need another new tool when there are so many out there ? Well, assessments can be expensive and it costs money just to find out something as viable or not, there is a limit to how much one can spend on the assessment stage. Assessment is not accurate when there is lack of data (which is related to costing). Most assessment like our seminar evaluation has 3 or 5 points system, majority will just pick the middle point. The assessment score is likely to be :-

3 Range Score :-
1. Good
2. Average
3. Bad

or

5 Range Score :-
1. Excellent
2. Good
3. Average
4. Bad
5. Very Bad

Either way, it still does not give the full picture of the situations.

This method addresses these two issues on costing and score. It is relatively cheap, possible to assess with little data (improve as you have data), results are categorised in range value to answer questions like

1) How large is the impact area ?
2) How significant is the impact ?
3) Is the impact permanent ?
4) Is the impact reversible ?
5) Is it cumulative / synergistic impact ?

These questions are not yes or no answers. You have to answer them one by one. Hence, it is a focused impact analysis, one at a time, not influenced by the other scores. Each component of impact is given its own space to be analysed. It is a discipline to learn not to generalise components into similar issues and mark them the same. On top of these, as you do the assessment, you are to record down the reasoning, justifications and facts that you know about that scenario. This allows the marking to be reviewed or revisited by another person or in future when more data is available.

This method is called RIAM, short for Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix. This method begins with Scoping exercise. Scoping is the process we identify components, options that impact the case we are assessing. We identify four categories of components and options :-

Physical Chemical PC
Biological Ecological BE
Social Culture SC
Economic Operations EO

We discipline the mind to go through each category and ask questions that are relevant to this category. Once, they are listed down, it will form the overall matrix of this assessment. This method is good to evaluate and assess the following conditions :-

1) What-If Scenario - Before and After, With policy and Without Policy
2) Options - which is better

Once the marking is completed and justification and reasoning recorded, it is possible to plot a graph depicting what is happening in PC, BE, SC and EO environments. The score range has negative values and that corresponds to negative impacts.

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