Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Alison Ziller
Contact via alison.ziller@mq.edu.au
W3A
by appointment
Unit Convenor
Alison Ziller
Contact via alison.ziller@mq.edu.au
E7A704
by appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to PGDipSIA or PGCertSIA or MEnvPlan or MEnvEd or MEnvMgt or MEnvSc or MEnvStud or MEnv or PGDipEnv or PGCertEnv or MSc in (Environmental Health or Remote Sensing and GIS) or PGDipSc in Remote Sensing and GIS or PGCertSc in Remote Sensing and GIS or MSusDev or PGDipSusDev or MAppAnth or PGDipAppAnth or MPASR or PGDipPASR or GradDipPASR or PGCertPASR or MDevCult or PGDipDevCult or PGCertDevCult or GradDipEnv or GradDipSIA or GradCertSIA or GradCertSusDev or GradDipSusDev or MGlobalHlthDevStud
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides strong methodological and conceptual foundations for professional practice in social impact assessment (SIA) in urban planning and development. It covers SIA in New South Wales and Australia and considers international examples. It also offers a foundation for applied social and environment studies to students from other areas.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
There are three assignments for this course. A student must submit all three assignments in order to pass the course.
Each assignment has a strict word limit the aim of which is to encourage concise and clear expression which is needed in most professional situations.
Detailed information about each assignment, including guidance and assessment criteria will be available to students in the Unit Guide on iLearn
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Scoping Report | 20% | 20/8/2015 |
Literature search and report | 40% | 1/10/2015 |
One of two options | 40% | 05/11/2015 |
Due: 20/8/2015
Weighting: 20%
Scenario: Think of a place you know well. Now imagine a proposal to make a significant change at that place. Chose from one of the following proposals:
The place/building you are thinking of is proposed to become
· A hotel trading till 3.0 am
· A fast food outlet trading 24/7
· A poker machine palace (or a casino or similar)
· A gated apartment building with its own pool and tennis court
· Another proposal -- please discuss it with Alison first.
Tasks:
Imagine you have been asked to scope a social impact assessment, that is to
a) briefly describe the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the place as it is now
b) from what you know already about the place, make a preliminary list of issues that would be likely to arise if this proposal goes ahead. Give a brief justification for each item.
c) make a list of people and interest groups / stakeholders who should be consulted about this proposal. Group like-stakeholders together. For example fishers, sailors, surfers, could be grouped as water recreation users.
d) identify any expert advice you might need (e.g. from an acoustics engineer)
Present your assignment under three headings:
1. Demographic overview
2. Preliminary list of likely issues, and
3. People and groups and experts who should be consulted
To complete this task within the word allocation, you may use dot points, and maps, tables etc from published sources – these must be fully referenced.
If you are using a scenario from your home country which is not Australia and there is a lack of local data, use the next best available sources (as you would have to if the situation were real). This option will be discussed in class.
Due: 1/10/2015
Weighting: 40%
Tasks: Continuing with the scenario used in Assignment 1, conduct a recent literature search (since 2000) about the likely social impact issues the proposal will raise.
Use both academic journals and grey literature (e.g. public agency reports). In addition to library search engines and Google, consult Australian Policy Online and the SIA Resources page on the Macquarie SIA website mq.edu.au/socialimpact
This assignment has two steps:
Step 1. Identify at least 10 and no more than 20 sources of information about the likely social impact issues relating to the scenario used in Assignment 1
Step 2. Summarise the main research findings raised in these information sources that are likely to be relevant to your scenario. Example, if you selected a fast food outlet, search for information about fast food outlets, obesity and overweight. Consider findings and information about populations similar to your scenario.
Summarise what the sources you have found say that is relevant to the proposal. To present the information within the word limit, you may use summary tables and dot points.
Due: 05/11/2015
Weighting: 40%
Students will chose one of the two options set out below for this assignment.
Option 1: Integrated cost benefit matrix plus a summary of maximum 700 words
This assignment has two steps:
1. Create an integrated cost benefit matrix for groups (i.e. not for individuals) for the scenario you have been working on in assignments 1 and 2.
2. On the basis of the issues documented in your matrix, discuss whether, on balance, the benefits of the proposal outweigh the costs or the costs would be likely to outweigh the benefits. State the basis on which you make this assessment (700 words).
Option 2: Review of an SIA, maximum 1500 words.
A social impact assessment will be provided to you.
Task:
Using information available from public agency sources review the SIA against the following questions:
Q1 Does the SIA fully and accurately describe what is proposed? Q2 Was the SIA well scoped? Describe and comment on the way the SIA was scoped. Q3 On what basis does the SIA identify social impacts likely to arise if the project is approved? Q4 Does the document give equal consideration to costs and benefits, i.e. who will benefit and who will suffer a detriment? Q5 Overall, would you recommend that this SIA should be relied on by decision makers?
A reading list to accompany each topic in this unit will be provided to each student
Internal students should bring a laptop or similar to class for use in some class activities.
External students may follow guides in the reading list to these practical exercises or negotiate with the Unit Convenor to undertake similar practice in their home country.
Date |
Theme |
Topic: lecture |
6 Aug |
Foundation issues for SIA |
1 The triple bottom line and careless language |
13 Aug |
Foundation issues for SIA |
2 Social structures and built structures |
20 Aug |
Foundation issues for SIA |
3 Social structures and their geography |
27 Aug |
Introduction to SIA Scoping issues |
Is SIA a method? Locality |
3 Sept |
Scoping and profiling issues |
Stereotyping and common misuses of ‘community engagement’ |
10 Sept |
Profiling and data collection issues |
Quantitative assessment and its pitfalls |
17 Sept |
Contemporary social impact issues |
1 Licensing issues and alcohol-related harm |
20 Sept |
- 6 Oct Mid-semester break |
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8 Oct |
Contemporary social impact issues |
2 FIFO/DIDO: urban impacts of mining |
15 Oct |
Contemporary social impact issues |
3 Mega-sporting events |
22Oct |
Contemporary social impact issues |
4 Boarding houses; perspectives on affordable rental housing |
29 Oct |
Errors and ethics in SIA |
Common methodological errors |
5 Nov |
SIA as a mixed method |
Using the integrated cost benefit matrix |
12 Nov |
Overview |
Integrating SIA into strategic planning |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
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