Impact assessment – KA1

Use this version of the form if the activity you are assessing is people-oriented and not considered relevant for children and/or young people, who are not expected to be directly involved in the activity.

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Name of activity:

Date:

Filled in by:

A brief comment before you begin

Remember that there is no right or wrong way to conduct an impact assessment. What you have in front of you is a learning and dialogue tool consisting of questions to ponder and exercises to do. It is designed to help you develop and enhance a given activity* and to integrate the horizontal perspectives – equality, climate and environment, and children and young people – into your work. Once you have filled in this form, you will have conducted an impact assessment. You can then use the results in your work, e.g. when preparing case presentations, policy documents, events or tenders. As you become more familiar with conducting impact assessments, you will hopefully find that you are in an even stronger position to do your core work.

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Introduction

Have you conducted an impact assessment before?

☐	No – this is the first time

☐	Yes – but only a couple of times

☐	Yes – several times

Elaborate if necessary:

Briefly describe the activity to be assessed:

THE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

Sustainable development is about meeting our needs today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It is a holistic approach that takes into account three important dimensions: environmental, social and economic. However, in this impact assessment, the focus is on the environmental aspects of sustainability, including climate change, use of resources and biodiversity. When evaluating the actual and potential sustainability impact, the point is to understand and take into account how activities and decisions affect the climate and environment.

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You will now be asked seven questions about the climate and environment. Note the most important insights that come to mind and how you will apply them in practice.

Clear your head:

Start by clearing your head: What links do you see between your sector and the climate and environment?

Set aside 10–20 minutes to gather your thoughts on where and how themes related to the climate and environment are relevant in your sector and/or the specific theme of the activity in question. You may wish to consult with colleagues who have expertise in the climate and environment or search the internet (see search tips below)

Tips for web searches: Set aside 20–30 minutes to search for information about the sector and the theme, combined with geographical terms like “Nordic”. Then search for keywords such as “climate”, “environment”, “sustainability”, “waste”, “consumption”, etc. You can also use AI (ChatGPT, for example) to help you identify interfaces and points of interest.

Note current/relevant points of interest and issues regarding the environment and climate that you have identified immediately:

Interfaces between the theme of the activity and the climate/environment:

What climate and environmental issues and topics are particularly relevant to the activity in question?

Climate and environmental effects:

In what areas does the activity have potential environmental effects – both negative and positive? For example, resource availability, climate change, air quality, the marine environment, biodiversity, etc.

Procurement:

What environmental considerations can you take into account when procuring goods and/or services for the activity? For example, are there more environmentally friendly alternatives to the planned purchases? Are all of the planned purchases strictly necessary? If so, are eco-labelled alternatives available? Could you potentially rent, lease or recycle instead?

Transport:

What are the environmental considerations regarding transport for the activity? For example, think about why/when you need to meet in person rather than online, or whether, instead of flying, more environmentally friendly modes of transport might be used.

Knowledge of the environment and climate:

Reflect on the knowledge on which the activity is based. Does it include knowledge of the climate and environment? What data and analyses are available and relevant to your area and the activity in question? For example, Nordic reports and guidance about organising sustainable events.

Knowledge gaps:

Identify the gaps in your knowledge. Are there environmental and climate areas (e.g. resource use, climate change, air quality or biodiversity) in which you are unsure whether the activity has any impact? Do you know of data or studies that would help clear up those doubts? Make a note of the data and/or studies you need to access to make a proper assessment of both actual and potential consequences.

Conclusions and next steps:

What thoughts and questions arose, what conclusions did you reach and what, if any, adjustments are needed for the activity to have a more positive impact on environmental and climate sustainability? Describe how you will use these results and what your next step(s) will be. For example, the next step might involve seeking out environment and climate experts within or outside of the organisation to learn how to plan, budget and implement the activity in ways that promote environmental sustainability. Are there any stakeholders with a particular interest in the climate or environment who should be consulted prior to the activity or even directly involved in it?

EQUALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

Assessing the consequences for equality is crucial to achieving Nordic and national goals. Equality is about a fairer allocation of resources, roles and rights between the genders. It is about learning the conditions and needs associated with gender and recognising inequalities in access, opportunity, security and influence. Identifying and addressing drivers of inequality helps address imbalances, promote equality and accessibility and boost innovation and quality.

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You will now be asked to reflect on 12 questions related primarily to gender equality, but also other identity markers and accessibility considerations. Note the most important insights that arise along the way and how you will make use of them.

Clear your head:

Start by clearing your head: What links do you see between your sector, the activity in question and gender equality?

Set aside 10–20 minutes to gather your thoughts on where and how themes related to equality and accessibility (including disability considerations) are relevant to both your sector more broadly and the specific theme of the activity in question. You may wish to consult with colleagues who have expertise in equality and accessibility or search the internet (see search tips below)

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Tips for web searches: Search the Nordic Council of Ministers’ own materials and publications, or search for information about the sector and theme, combined with geographical terms like “Nordic”, and then search keywords such as “gender”, “equality”, “men”, “women”, “LGBT+”, “diversity”, “accessibility”, “disability” and “impairment”. You can also use AI (ChatGPT, for example) to help you identify interfaces and points of interest.

Note current/relevant points of interest and issues related to equality that you have identified immediately. Take care to distinguish between assumptions and fact-based insights.

When answering the following questions, consider how the activity specifically affects equality.

Target group:

Start by reflecting on the target group for the activity. What are the gender characteristics and differences among the target group (for the activity)? How might the activity affect the genders in the target group differently?

Other stakeholders:

Outside of the primary target group, who else might be affected by the activity (stakeholders, actors, organisations and groups)? What imbalances might arise in terms of who is affected by the activity?

Other identity aspects:

Which women and men are included, and which are excluded? Think in broad terms about identity markers beyond gender identity, such as sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, education, socio-economic situation, capability/disability and geography/residence.

Representation in decision-making:

Who makes the decisions about the activity? Is there gender parity between men and women (i.e. at least 40% of the underrepresented gender)? Which other groups seem to be underrepresented? Why is the group making the decisions composed the way it is? What might this indicate?

Resource allocation:

Now consider the resource allocation for the activity. Are there any imbalances in how resources are allocated between the genders? Does the budgeting take into account existing inequalities in relation to, e.g. access, needs, opportunities and workload? Who will potentially receive no/fewer resources?

Cultural and social norms:

Reflect on how prevailing norms of gender identity and sexuality apply in relation to the theme of the activity. Note which gender norms, in the form of expectations and ideals, might be at play. Is there a risk of the activity reinforcing existing cultural and social gender norms that limit individuals’ freedom to be themselves?

Safety and security:

What are the potential risks or considerations regarding the safety and security of the genders involved in the activity, e.g. in relation to sexual offences and harassment as well as physical and psychological violence?

Accessibility (taking disabilities into account):

Reflect on accessibility in relation to your activity. In which aspects of the activity would it be relevant to take into account actors, participants, stakeholders or decision-makers with disabilities? How can you ensure that participants and stakeholders with disabilities can participate fully and have equal access to resources, services and safety?

Knowledge of gender and accessibility:

Reflect on the knowledge on which the activity is based. Does it include knowledge about gender and equality, e.g. statistics or analyses that provide insights into how gender norms shape experiences, behaviour and opportunities? What about knowledge of how best to guarantee accessibility?

Knowledge gaps:

Do you have gaps in your knowledge? Are there areas in which you are unsure whether your activity is actually having an impact on equality and accessibility? Do you know of data or studies that would help clear up those doubts? Make a note of the data and/or studies you need to make a proper assessment of both real and potential consequences?

Conclusions and next steps:

What thoughts and questions arose, what conclusions did you reach and what, if any, adjustments are needed in order for the activity to have a more positive impact on equality and accessibility? Describe how you will use these results/what your next step(s) will be. For example, the next step might involve seeking out equality experts within or outside of the organisation, to learn how to plan, budget and implement in ways that promote equality.

Impact assessment - Results

Collate the results (insights and reflections) from the impact assessment below.

What activity did you assess?

When was the assessment conducted?

Who conducted it?

THE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

Insert text from the box under B.8

EQUALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

Insert text from the box under C.12

What are the key insights?	How will you act on them?
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