Socio-economic and Civil Infrastructure Assessments
A broad definition of socio-economic assessment is the analysis of social, cultural, economic, and political conditions of individuals, groups, communities, and organizations. Civil infrastructure can be considered a basic physical structure that supports our way of life and plays a significant role in a region and countrys’ social and economic outcomes. Such infrastructure includes roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, ports, airports, distribution grids/networks (such as pipes, poles, and wires used in water, sewage, electricity, and communications), water, and resource management, preparatory civil works, and more.
This assessment is an appraisal of the potential social and economic impacts on different sectors of society, including local communities and groups, civil society organizations, and the private sector. It analyses the social and economic effects, both positive and negative, of planned interventions, policies, programs, projects, and any change processes invoked by the interventions. Key parameters to explore while undertaking such an analysis includes the following:
- Resource use patterns;
- Stakeholder characteristics;
- Gender issues;
- Stakeholder perceptions;
- Organization and resource governance;
- Traditional knowledge;
- Community services and facilities;
- Market attributes for direct uses; and
- Non-market, indirect, and non-use values.
AACS Consulting conducts socio-economic and civil infrastructure assessment for its clients using the following techniques:
- Secondary data sources (e.g., reports and statistics);
- Observation;
- Key informant interviews (e.g., with experts and key informants);
- Surveys (structured or semi-structured);
- In-depth interviews (individuals and groups);
- Focus group discussions;
- Visualization techniques (e.g., maps, physical transects, timelines, historical transects, decision trees, and ranking)
