Assessing the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster (SAIC): island communities impact assessment

Step Six – Making adjustments to your work:

Should delivery mechanisms/mitigations vary in different communities?

No, as SAIC participation is voluntary and can be delivered through flexible and remote engagement mechanisms, these factors are not expected to result in significantly different adverse effect for island communities.

Do you need to consult with island communities in respect of mechanisms or mitigations?

No formal consultation is required since the proposal is voluntary and enabling. It does not reduce services or impose new requirements, and no adverse island-specific impacts have been identified

Have island circumstances been factored into the evaluation process?

Yes, island circumstances will be factored into the monitoring and evaluation of SAIC through tracking participation geographically to capture whether island-based businesses are engaging proportionately. This will allow any emerging access issues linked to geography to be identified and addressed.

Evaluation will consider whether participation rates differ significantly between island and mainland areas, and if there are identifiable access barriers linked to geography. Evaluation will also consider if adjustments are need to delivery mechanisms to ensure equitable access.

Have any island-specific indicators/targets been identified that require monitoring?

No, no island-specific indicators or targets have been identified at this stage.

How will outcomes be measured on the islands?

Given that SAIC is voluntary, enabling and non-regulatory outcomes on the islands will not be measured separately from the wider sector. Instead, evaluation will focus on participation and engagement, business outcomes and indirect impacts.

How has the policy, strategy or service affected island communities?

The establishment of the new SAIC as an independent entity is a new intervention and therefore it has not had any realised impact on island communities at this stage.

Based on the assessment undertaken, the anticipated effects are expected to be positive and indirect and focused on improving access to innovation.

Given the concentration of aquaculture activity in several island communities, island based producers are expected to benefit from access to innovation support.

How will lessons learned in this ICIA inform future policy making and service delivery?

Any future proposals with geographic impacts will include a proportionate ICIA at project level.