​IAIA’s Professional Development Program (PDP) provides online training in project-based impact assessment and related studies.  The training is designed to support individuals involved in carrying out studies, reviewing those studies, or otherwise participating in assessing the impacts of projects while the projects are being considered for approval.

THE “FOUNDATIONS OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT” COURSE
The “Foundations of Impact Assessment” is the first and only PDP course being offered at this time, and is specifically on the “basics” of impact assessment.  This course is designed for early-career professionals with some Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) experience.  Over 16 topics in 5 Units, it covers the basic principles and objectives of EIA, its core concepts and methods, and the fundamentals of EIA review processes and study management.  The course adopts a comprehensive definition of “environment” to include the physical, biological, resource use, social, cultural, health, and economic dimensions of the project environment.  Complementing the course materials are a number of videos of experienced practitioners discussing the application of various topics in their practice.  The course takes between 20 and 30 hours of a participants’ time over a 12-week period, including six participant/trainer one-on-one video conferences.