A P P E N D I X
C
Policy SEA Process Methods
THIS APPENDIX DISCUSSES METHODS FOR APPLYING SEA in policy and sector reform. The appendix is far from comprehensive, but it provides guidance and references that are complementary to the methods and approaches discussed in chapter 3.
Methods Used in Situation Assessment In most cases, situation assessment can be desk based, drawing on existing literature and the expert knowledge of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) team members. A significant component of the situation assessment should be an environmental study akin to a baseline study but based mainly on secondary information and expert judgement. Its main purpose is to inform the identification of key environmental and social issues, preferably those related to economic growth and poverty alleviation. Depending on the size of the policy SEA exercise and available resources, establishment of an environmental/social baseline should involve the development of a pressure-state-impact-response (PSIR) indicator framework for the area in question. Such a framework may already exist at the national level as part of state-of-the-environment reporting. It needs to be stressed that development of PSIR indicator frameworks can be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor. 199