Capacity Building for Integrated Environmental Assessment and Reporting

What's New in IEA?

  • At a train-the-trainer workshop in Geneva on November 24-28, 2008 UNEP, UNEP/GRID-Arendal and IISD launched and introduced the IEA Community Platform as a new tool the assist the global IEA capacity development community. The platform, developed by UNEP/GRID-Arendal in collaboration with UNEP and IISD, is based on the new IEA Training Manual. It provides access to all current IEA training modules, includes a database of qualified IEA trainers, training events around the world, and helps capture feedback, insights and ideas for improving IEA training content and delivery.

Systematic assessment and reporting on the state and dynamics of the environment and its interactions with human development is mandatory for many organizations around the world and essential for building adequate policy responses. Assessment and reporting can increase accountability and help answer important questions about development and the environment.

What is happening to the environment and why? What are the consequences for the environment and humanity? What is being done and how effective is it? Where are we heading? What actions could be taken for a more sustainable future? IISD works as a key partner of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to help build capacity for integrated environmental assessment (IEA) that can help answer these questions. The program is based on the methodology developed under UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook (GEO), but also integrates concepts from other prominent assessments, such as the earlier Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

The main target audience includes government ministries and other organizations responsible for IEA for specific jurisdictions or ecosystems. Our capacity-building philosophy is based on active learning, combining face-to-face events with e-learning and direct collaboration, customizing content according to the specific needs and priorities of our partners, and a long-term perspective to develop institutional capacity.

Our capacity-building work is supported by a range of tools developed in collaboration with UNEP’s Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA) and other key partners such as UNEP/GRID-Arendal. These materials are intended to continuously evolve, as new knowledge and information becomes available and as user needs change.

The development of these tools builds on our experience with an earlier training manual on integrated environmental assessment. Recognizing that the assessment and reporting needs of governments and other organizations vary, the IEA Training Manual is modular in order to facilitate customization. The manualconsists of eight training modules, complete with exercises, PowerPoint presentations and instructor guidelines. Emphasis was placed on creating a user-friendly, adaptable resource that could be applied in multiple regions globally. Translations into other official UN languages will follow.

IEA Training Manual Table of Contents

For more information please contact IISD's Director of Measurement and Assessment, László Pintér.