Understanding the Organizational Context

It is widely accepted that organizations and their organizational arrangements are important in understanding development (Cowell et al., 2001). This chapter seeks to answer the question: what does 'organization' mean for social impact assessment (SIA)? There are many organizational forms that can influence SIA outcomes and processes, such as political parties, government agencies, regulatory bodies, family units, corrununity groups, landowner associations, local and . regional councils, Indigenous representative bodies, consulting firms, financing organizations and project proponents. The focus of this chapter is on the project proponent and, in particular, large, hierarchical , multinational organizations in heavy footprint industries such as the extractive industries (e.g. mining, oil and gas) and construction (e.g. for dams and other large scale infrastructure). Specifically, this chapter considers the degree to which project proponent organizations influence SIA processes and outcomes. It remains a fact that in most contexts, particularly jurisdictions that are pro-development, project proponents hold considerable power and are able to significantly influence outcomes. [Extract]