EIA Practitioners Pack

January 2021

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Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Purpose and Benefits of Registration .................................................................................... 1
1.2 Levels of Registration ............................................................................................................ 1
1.2.1 Associate EIA Practitioner ....................................................................................................... 1
1.2.2 Registered EIA Practitioner ..................................................................................................... 1
1.2.3 Principal EIA Practitioner ......................................................................................................... 2
2.0 Application Process .......................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Application Timeline ............................................................................................................. 2
3.0 Assessment of Applications ............................................................................................................. 3
4.0 Underpinning Knowledge ................................................................................................................ 3
5.0 Relevant EIA Work Experience ......................................................................................................... 3
6.0 Personal Attributes and Skills .......................................................................................................... 4
6.1 Associate EIA Practitioner Personal Attributes & Skills .......................................................... 4
6.2 Registered EIA Practitioner Personal Attributes & Skills ........................................................ 4
6.3 Principal EIA Practitioner Personal Attributes & Skills ........................................................... 5
7.0 Personal Statements ........................................................................................................................ 6
8.0 Portfolios of Work ............................................................................................................................ 6
9.0 Additional Requirements for PEIA ................................................................................................... 7
9.1 Briefing Summaries ............................................................................................................... 7
9.2 Interview Requirement ......................................................................................................... 7
10.0 References and Verifications ......................................................................................................... 7
11.0 Completing the Application Form .................................................................................................. 8
12.0 Curriculum Vitae ............................................................................................................................ 9
13.0 IEMA Code of Professional Conduct .............................................................................................. 9
14.0 Appeal Procedure........................................................................................................................... 9
15.0 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) ................................................................................ 9
16.0 Upgrade Applications ................................................................................................................... 10
17.0 Application Fees (from 01.01.19)................................................................................................. 10
Appendix 1 – IEMA Code of Professional Conduct .............................................................................. 11
Appendix 2 – Relevant Qualifying EIA experience ............................................................................... 12

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1.0 Introduction

The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is dedicated to raising standards
of professional knowledge & skills in the environmental management and assessment profession.
This document provides guidance on applying to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Register
for those active in the field of EIA.

1.1 Purpose and Benefits of Registration

The purpose of the Register is to promote the effective practice of EIA by setting quality standards
based on the knowledge and experience of those involved in the process. Registration provides an
efficient and effective means by which developers, consultancies and regulatory agencies can
demonstrate to interested parties that their individual staff are adequately qualified, trained and
experienced. The Register will establish a career path for those involved in the EIA process.

The IEMA EIA Practitioner Scheme is a worldwide register open to individuals currently practising
within the EIA field. These individuals who are actively involved in the EIA process (ranging from
trainees through to project managers and directors), those who provide a specialist input and
regulators who routinely review Environmental Impact Statements* or advise on the scope of EIA’s
can apply. Applicants will be required to demonstrate that they are predominantly involved in EIA in
a professional capacity. Applications can be made to any one of the Practitioner levels.

*Note: in some jurisdictions an Environmental Impact Statement may be described as an

Environmental Impact Report or Environmental Statement.

1.2 Levels of Registration

1.2.1 Associate EIA Practitioner

Associate EIA Practitioners are typically active ‘trainee’ environmental impact assessors or individuals
undertaking specific impact assessment studies feeding into EIA projects. They are expected to be
able to demonstrate the personal attributes and skills as outlined in Section 6.1. Alternatively,
applicants may be individuals, sometimes in a more senior capacity but with a working knowledge of
EIA, who are unable to satisfy the requirements for the higher registration levels.

1.2.2 Registered EIA Practitioner

Registered EIA Practitioners are experienced individuals actively participating in EIA activities on a
regular basis. They may either be generalist EIA operatives or specialists producing impact assessment
studies for EIA’s. As a minimum, Registered EIA Practitioners are expected to have a good
appreciation of a range of environmental impacts and their assessment techniques and be competent
in the areas in which they operate. Individuals will typically be regular and active members of EIA
teams and have EIA project management experience. The personal attributes and skills for Registered
EIA Practitioners are defined in Section 6.2.
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1.2.3 Principal EIA Practitioner

Principal EIA Practitioners should have an extensive, broad and in-depth EIA experience, with a
demonstrated capability of introducing and fostering best practice techniques. They are expected to
demonstrate a creative approach to problem solving with innovation in EIA procedures and
methodologies. Principal EIA Practitioners will typically look beyond minimum compliance to
encompass internationally accepted principles and standards within policy and/or the decision-
making process. The personal attributes and skills for Principal EIA Practitioners are defined in Section
6.3.

2.0 Application Process

The following table demonstrates what information is required for each level:

Verifications
Application

Portfolio of
Form & CV

Statement

Reference
Interview
Summary
80 Hours
Personal

Training

Briefing
Work

Level

Associate EIA Case-by-

✓ ✓ ✓ N/A N/A N/A ✓
Practitioner case basis
Registered EIA
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ N/A N/A ✓ ✓
Practitioner
Principal EIA
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Practitioner

• Please send in your completed application form ticking the appropriate box that refers to the
level of registration applied for
• IEMA will contact you for payment of the application fee
• IEMA will then request information from some of the verification sources provided in your
application
• On receipt of satisfactory verifications your application will go forward to the next appropriate
stage: AEIA – internal assessment; REIA – external assessment; PEIA – external examination

2.1 Application Timeline

The processing of an application to final decision usually takes between three and four months from
receipt of payment. Delays may be experienced where an application must be deferred pending the
receipt of further materials; if the application form has been incorrectly completed; or where the
candidate cannot attend/complete scheduled examinations. In certain circumstances, the panel may
request further information from the applicant or specifically request additional references or
verifications. Applicants will be notified of any such requests and the probability of a delay in
obtaining a decision.

IEMA will notify applicants in writing of the decision of the EIA External Assessment Panel.

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3.0 Assessment of Applications

All applicants are required to demonstrate;

• Underpinning knowledge
• Relevant EIA experience
• Personal attributes and skills

All applicants are also required to abide by the Code of Professional Conduct for IEMA EIA Registrants.

IEMA Technical Staff will undertake the entire assessment for Associate EIA Practitioner and will
assess the underpinning knowledge for Registered and Principal. Experience, personal attributes and
skills for Registered and Principal Applications are assessed by the EIA External Assessment Panel
through the appraisal of personal statements, written submissions and, for Principal Practitioner
applications, an interview.

4.0 Underpinning Knowledge

All candidates must demonstrate that they have undertaken at least 80 hours training to provide a
broad range of underpinning knowledge. A relevant degree, in-house training as well as any additional
courses undertaken through your career should be considered. Associate Membership of the Institute
will also fulfil this requirement.

This training must relate to some or all the areas of knowledge and understanding identified in IEMA’s
Associate Membership standard (see the IEMA Sustainability Skills Map for more information).

Please use part one of the Application Form to tell us about each course you have undertaken,
including dates, title of course, grade achieved (if relevant) and course provider. Please attach
copies of certificates.

5.0 Relevant EIA Work Experience

Relevant EIA activities are set out in Appendix 2 of this document. All applicants must demonstrate
that they have been actively involved in relevant EIA work experience.

Please use part two of the Application Form ‘Relevant EIA Work Experience’ to let us know about
your EIA work experience to date.

6.0 Personal Attributes and Skills

The personal attributes and skills for each of the levels are detailed below. Please use the personal
statement to explain how you feel you meet them. More information about completing the personal
statement is found in section 7.0.

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6.1 Associate EIA Practitioner Personal Attributes & Skills

For registration at Associate EIA Practitioner level applicants will have to demonstrate through their
personal statements that they have a basic understanding of:

• The EIA processes

• The EIA legislation and standards for the jurisdiction in which they (the applicant) practice in
the country/region they operate in
• The different types of environmental effect and impact (e.g. direct & indirect effects, and
noise & landscape impacts. Please note that the assessors are not looking for detailed
knowledge of these subjects but a basic appreciation/understanding of them)
• The roles of various analytical and assessment tools and processes used in EIA (e.g. pollutant
dispersion modelling and risk ‘source-pathway-receptor’ relationships)
• How EIA links to the development process and can be used as a tool to achieve more
sustainable forms of development

6.2 Registered EIA Practitioner Personal Attributes & Skills

Applicants for the Registered Practitioner level should use their personal statements to demonstrate
that their personal attributes and skills include, but are not limited to:

• Experience of the implementation of the EIA process and a practical understanding of its key
stages
• Understanding of the EIA legislative framework including the wider environmental regulatory
regimes
• A knowledge of project planning within industry and a practical understanding of when and
how EIA can integrate with them
• Practical understanding of different types of impacts and the means by which they may be
assessed
• Capability in the scoping of an EIA and the specification of specialist impact assessment studies
(beyond basic statutory requirements)
• Experience of the application of participatory approaches to stakeholder involvement in an
EIA
• An understanding of the potential relationships and interactions between different types of
impact
• Ability to assess the significance of environmental impacts
• Experience of developing and implementing mitigation and monitoring measures/strategies
and identifying opportunities for environmental enhancement and social benefits
• Understanding of and, where appropriate, experience of developing the content of a plan,
programme or management system to ensure the delivery of mitigation and monitoring
during the implementation of a project
• Capability to technically review the quality of Environmental Impact Statements (Reports)
• Practical understanding of decision-making processes associated with the consent system and
the role of EIA within them

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 • Project management skills
• Ability to reach sound judgements based on objective evidence
• Competence in clearly and fluently expressing concepts and ideas, orally and in writing;
• Provide evidence of interpersonal skills conducive to the effective and efficient performance
of the EIA in relation to holding public and local community consultation exercises,
demonstrating the ability to listen, and react with sensitivity to the conventions and culture
of the country, region or location in which the EIA is performed
• Experience of the delivery of either formal EIA training or ‘on the job’ training of a junior
colleague
• A good understanding of sources of guidance and information on international standards of
EIA practice

6.3 Principal EIA Practitioner Personal Attributes & Skills

In addition to the criteria set out in Section 6.2 for Registered Level, Principal EIA Practitioner
applicants are expected to demonstrate, within their personal statements, the following attributes
and skills:

• Extensive impact assessment expertise and in depth understanding of different impact

assessment techniques
• A breadth and depth of EIA experience and understanding of different development types;
• Appreciation of EIA systems/regimes internationally
• Experience of strategic project management/directorship, e.g. influencing the nature and
location of proposals
• Proven ability to deal with senior management on a regular basis
• Experience of the provision of legislation or policy advice (and/or of being an expert witness
either in court or at a public inquiry)
• A thorough understanding of advanced EIA topics, such as Cumulative Impact Assessment,
Strategic Environmental Assessment and the integration of sustainability into EIA
• A good understanding of other environmental management tools (i.e. environmental
management systems, environmental auditing, life cycle assessment, pollution control and
sustainability tools)
• Evidence of a capability to look beyond compliance to promote and develop best practice
techniques

7.0 Personal Statements

The personal statement is a vital part of the application that provides the applicant with the
opportunity to clearly and concisely articulate how they meet the personal attributes and skills
requirements detailed in section 6. In doing so, the applicants should highlight their own technical
and practical experience.

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The personal statement must:

• Be completed in the first person

• Respond directly to each of the criteria (knowledge, personal attributes & skills)
• Be of high quality and presented in a neat and logical manner (a personal statement in table
format is acceptable if preferred)
• Be typed on A4 paper
• Include a word count (personal statements for the Associate level should be between 1500 –
2000 words and for Registered and Principal levels should be between 2,500 and 3,000 words
in length)

The context and practice of EIA varies between regions. When referring to, personal attributes and
skill requirements, applicants should demonstrate that they meet those criteria relevant to the
jurisdiction in which they operate.

8.0 Portfolios of Work

All applicants for the Registered and Principal levels will need to provide written submissions in
addition to their personal statements, in the form of a portfolio of some of their most relevant EIA
work. This should reflect the applicant’s own experience in the practical application of EIA techniques.

Such portfolios of work should:

• Not exceed 5,000 words in length. Individuals may submit several Environmental Impact
Statements but must specifically direct the Assessor to the key sections they wish to highlight.
Failure to highlight such sections will result in the application being deferred until such times
as they are clearly marked. Please note that it is not sufficient to submit only the non-technical
summaries as examples of your work
• Have been produced in the last 2 years
• Be typed and of high quality. Please note that electronic copies (on CD) are acceptable
• Clearly highlight those components of the written submission that the applicant was directly
responsible for writing and producing
• Be accompanied by signed declarations confirming that the applicant had either written or
substantially influenced that section of the Environmental Impact Statement or Impact
Assessment Study Report

NOTE: Signed declarations must be countersigned by the individual who ratified the section of work
being submitted. Only original signed declarations will be accepted. Photocopies/fax/email signed
declarations will not be satisfactory.

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9.0 Additional Requirements for PEIA
9.1 Briefing Summaries
Applicants for the Principal EIA Practitioner level must also prepare a ‘Briefing Summary’, which
should highlight the practical details of one of the EIA’s in the submitted portfolio that would not
necessarily be contained in the full Environmental Impact Statement. This ‘Briefing Summary’ is used
to help assessors during the interview. The summary should:

• Provide an insight into the organisation and execution of the EIA project or specialist Impact
Assessment study in question
• Allow the applicant to demonstrate their Principal EIA Practitioner abilities
• Describe the project undertaken, detailing their own role in practical aspects of the work such
as: scoping; organisation of the assessment team; difficulties encountered and how they were
overcome; assessing the significance of any residual impacts; producing the environmental
impact statement or impact assessment report and any follow-up work
• Be approximately of 750-1,000 words

9.2 Interview Requirement

All Principal EIA Practitioner applicants will have to undertake a peer interview. Under normal
circumstances interviews will be face to face. In some circumstances they may be held by telephone
at the discretion of the IEMA. A fee of £50.00+VAT may be charged to candidates who withdraw from
interview once the interview has been confirmed.

10.0 References and Verifications

References and independent verification checks of an applicant’s EIA experience are considered
integral components of the appraisal process, and the relevant information should be supplied with
the application form.

All applicants are required to supply one signed reference when they submit their application. The
reference should be sent in a sealed envelope on headed paper. A referee should be an individual,
such as a line manager or business partner or director (not a family member), who can attest to the
following:

• The project(s) the applicant has undertaken

• The referee’s role in the project(s)
• The applicant’s responsibilities in the project(s) and in their general work
• The referee’s opinion of the quality of the applicants work
• Any further comments relevant to the application

Independent verifications will always be requested for Registered and Principal EIA Practitioner
applications, and where necessary verification checks will be made for Associate applicants.

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The purpose of verification checks within the assessment process is to obtain independent
confirmation that an applicant’s cited relevant EIA work experience was undertaken, and that it was
to the client’s satisfaction. Verification of an applicant’s relevant EIA work will be conducted by
contacting a sample of clients, (statutory) consultees and regulatory agencies (e.g. planning
authority).

Any verification check will be made in the strictest of confidence and all confidential findings will be
respected. It is accepted that on some occasions (such as live planning applications, where the
identity of the client must remain confidential) this column on the application form can remain blank.
Applicants are reminded however that at least 25% of projects completed in the 2 years leading up
to the submission of the application, should be independently verifiable.

11.0 Completing the Application Form

Completion of the application form can either be in the applicant’s own handwriting (black ink and in
block capitals) or typed in black print (preferably) but must be legible and clear throughout. The
applicant should ensure that each section is completed in full and that the information supplied is
accurate and correct. Failure to do so may lead to a delay in the processing of your application. It is
up to the applicant to ensure that sufficient information is provided to support their application.

Details of the applicants work experience should be presented in the application form.

The application should:

• List distinct activities in direct relation to Appendix 2 ‘Relevant EIA work’

• List one activity or EIA related project at a time
• List activities in chronological order
• Include an indication of the duration of the EIA related projects
• Provide an explicit indication of the applicant’s role (i.e. what were their specific
responsibilities) and the activities (i.e. collated baseline noise measurements at 10 sites to
compare predicted levels against existing conditions, as part of noise impact assessment) and
components they were directly involved with (i.e. cross reference to Pages, Paragraphs and/or
Chapters) in a brief description of the work
• Provide verification source contact details for the relevant EIA projects completed by the
applicant in the preceding 2 years. Contact details should include the individuals’ name,
organisation, address, fax number, phone number and email address if applicable
• Describe and detail (including start and end dates) positions held that contribute to the
applicant’s appropriate general environmental management work experience

Please note that application fees will not be refunded if the candidate fails to meet the criteria for a
particular category of registration. However, applicants rejected for higher levels of registration will
be automatically registered at a lower level if they meet the criteria.

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The IEMA and the External Assessment Panel, all of whom are under confidentiality agreements and
will treat all information and materials supplied to the IEMA in the strictest confidence.

12.0 Curriculum Vitae

A full and current CV is required to be submitted with the application.

13.0 IEMA Code of Professional Conduct

Prior to registration, all Registrants must sign and agree to abide by IEMA’s Code of Professional
Conduct, which is designed to ensure that registrants act in an ethical and professional manner. Any
deviation from the Code may result in removal of an individual from the Register, following an
investigation into any complaint by a Professional Conduct and Discipline Committee. The Code of
Professional Conduct can be found in Appendix 1.

14.0 Appeal Procedure

Where applicants are not approved for a particular category of registration, they will be informed of
the reasons for the decision and will be entitled to appeal. An appeal must be made in writing and
received within 25 working days from the date of the IEMA’s letter informing the applicant that
he/she has been unsuccessful. Unsuccessful applicants will be sent a copy of the IEMA Appeal
Procedure which is also available on the website.

15.0 Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Registrants should develop their knowledge, personal attributes and skills by:

• Ensuring that their knowledge of EIA and impact assessment techniques is current best
practice
• Ensuring that their knowledge of environmental laws, regulations and procedures is current
• Undertaking refresher training where necessary
• Ensuring that their experience in the execution of relevant EIA work is current and maintained

All registered individuals are required to keep a log of relevant experience and training, which must
either be signed-off by their employer or client or be substantiated by documentary proof.

Log-sheets must be submitted to IEMA on an annual basis at the time of renewal of registration or
upon request. These will be assessed on a three-yearly basis. Failure to demonstrate sufficient
relevant EIA work may result in the removal of the individual from the register.

16.0 Upgrade Applications

Registrants may wish to upgrade to a higher level once they have attained the necessary competence.
To do this the applicant will be required to submit:

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 • A covering letter stating their intention to upgrade and to which level
• Log-sheets detailing any EIA work they have completed since they first applied to the scheme
• A revised personal statement
• Portfolios of work and/or a briefing summary depending on level being applied for

The upgrade will be considered as a new application and will be charged accordingly.

17.0 Application Fees (from 1 January 2021)

EIA Level Membership Fee EIA Application Fee Total Fee

(if you are not already a fully paid member of the IEMA)

£41.00 (+ VAT 20% =

Associate EIA £131.50 £180.70
£49.20)
£146.00 (+ VAT 20% =
Registered EIA £131.50 £306.70
£175.20)
£261.00(+ VAT 20% =
Principal EIA £131.50 £444.70
£313.20)

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Appendix 1 – IEMA Code of Professional Conduct

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Appendix 2 – Relevant Qualifying EIA Experience

• Provision/responding to screening and/or scoping opinion requests

• Qualitative review or auditing of EIA scoping reports
• Completion of formal/informal or public consultation exercises within an EIA
• Production of EIA scoping reports and the identification of potential impacts
• Impact assessment studies including prediction of impact magnitude and the assessment of any
significant impacts undertaken as component sections of an EIA, such as:
- Ecological impact assessment
- Air Quality & Odour impact assessment
- Noise & Vibration impact assessment
- Hydrology impact assessment
- Water Quality impact assessment
- Landscape & Visual impact assessment
- Geology & Soil impact assessment
- Hydrogeological impact assessment
- Archaeological & Cultural Heritage impact assessment
- Transportation impact assessment
- Social/Socio-economic impact assessment
- Health impact assessment
- Cumulative impact assessment
- Appropriate Assessments (as defined under the EU Habitats Directive)
• Collation of baseline information used in impact assessment studies above (where the applicant
is also involved in other aspects of the EIA process)
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Assessment of Alternative Sites/Layouts/Options (where strict environmental considerations are
included)
• Development of Environmental Mitigation Strategies
• Design of Post Development Environmental Monitoring Programmes (including Environmental
Monitoring and Auditing) and Environmental Management Plans
• Environmental Monitoring and/or Auditing Activities (if the applicant was also involved in the EIA
process for that project
• Production of Environmental Impact Statements (where the applicant was directly involved in the
EIA or writing of the statement)
• Qualitative or quantitative review or auditing of Environmental Impact Statements
• Project Management of EIA’s
• Delivery of either formal EIA training or ‘on the job’ training of a junior colleague
• Involvement in the development (writing) of EIA literature or Best Practice Guidance

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