Impact Assessments

At Orkney Islands Council we use impact assessments to check how what we do and the services we provide meet our obligations as a local authority.  Here you will find details of the different types of assessments we carry out and links or downloads of those we have published.

Island Communities Impact Assessment

Orkney Islands Council has a statutory duty, in accordance with Section 7 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, to have regard to island communities in carrying out its functions. In practical terms this means:

• We must prepare an island communities impact assessment (an ICIA) in relation to a policy, strategy, or service which, in our opinion, is likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities) in Orkney.
• If we don't prepare an ICIA in relation to a relevant policy, strategy, or service, we must publish an explanation of our reasons for not doing so.
• The Council must make arrangements to review any policy, strategy or service which it develops or delivers in carrying out its functions, not just new ones. It should do this either by means of an ICIA or by taking such other steps as it considers appropriate.
• The Council must publish information about the steps it has taken to comply with the Section 7 duty during each reporting period.