With a greater emphasis now being placed on the delivery of social outcomes when developing and maintaining infrastructure, we are pleased to welcome Social Impact Assessment (SIA) specialist Rachel Maas to our Auckland office. Having been with Just Add Lime for four years and operating from Australia during that time, Rachel moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in January 2020 to be closer to our team, while still working with clients both in New Zealand and Australia.

With qualifications in social and environmental science, Rachel has spent her career engaging with communities and stakeholders to identify social impacts and develop management and monitoring strategies for a range of infrastructure and resource development projects. As a Certificated Environmental Practitioner Impact Assessment Specialist, Rachel brings significant experience to this specialised area, as well as a proven ability to deliver quality work that reaches high ethical standards.

Within New Zealand, we believe there is a real opportunity undertake social outcomes focused SIAs at the very beginning of projects. Starting early, with a scope broader than the traditional RMA based SIAs or “Social Effects Assessments” and integrated with the engagement program, a social outcomes focused SIA enables project teams to build positive social outcomes into a project. This can assist in managing the social risks associated with the consenting process, and creating an increased level of certainty in project timeframes and budgets. Undertaking a social outcomes focused SIA, enables a social baseline to developed on which social outcomes can be measured, monitored and reported on throughout the life of a project.

Having now completed her Masters of Evaluation, Rachel is looking forward to sharing her expertise with a broad range of clients and industries. She has experience undertaking social outcomes focused SIAs on single projects as well as at a regional scale to assess the cumulative impacts of multiple projects.

Whether undertaking a SIA is required for your consents or if you would like to know more social outcomes approach to SIA and the benefits it could bring to your project, contact Rachel on  rachel.maas@justaddlime.co.nz  or +64 21 478 366. She has a wealth of knowledge and would be delighted to work with you on delivering your projects.