There is often much useful data in the large documents involved in Impact Assessment (IA) (or Assessment of Environmental Effects in New Zealand) and the final conclusions are often sensible. However, it can be difficult for readers to see how the data actually leads to the conclusions or supports the recommendations offered. Those challenges can be resolved!

This popular workshop, back for the third year running, shares two ‘toolboxes’ collectively called ‘Organised Reasoning’. The first provides a structured set of steps to help organise your thinking and your argument. (‘Argument’ in this context means ‘reasons leading to a conclusion, targeted for a specific audience’). The second shows how to better present arguments in the written text of your documents. Assessments are complex documents. Using the tools of argument can make them easier for audiences to understand—and easier for authors to write!

Organised reasoning provides a way to make assessments faster, cheaper, more transparent and more effective while reducing risk. These are particularly important benefits as governments look for ways to ‘fast-track’ development approvals as part of the COVID-19 recovery.

The workshop will be held as four x 3-hour online sessions over two weeks. A fifth session, approximately 3 months later, will review key points, address tips and challenges of implementation and allow participants to share experiences since the initial workshops. The sessions are not webinars, but include a variety of presentations, interactive discussions, small group break out activities and breaks to ensure you remain fresh and attentive!

Participation is limited to 15 participants per workshop to enhance interaction.

The workshop shows how IA documents contain common errors in their arguments and weaknesses in their writing. Participants will assemble evidence and reasoning for several different kinds of argument found in IAs. We practice steps that show how to bring improved arguments into technical report writing. We discuss how different organisations have already implemented these steps in their IA practice. Participants learn a revised approach to planning, preparing and writing that they can use immediately to write stronger cases in their IAs. You’ll receive handouts documenting the main ideas and further learning material prior to the review session three months later.

Note: These workshops will be held approximately every two months during 2021, depending on demand. If you are unable to attend the current advertised workshop, email the EIANZ office (office@eianz.org) and ask to be put on the wait list to ensure you have the first opportunity to register for the following workshop.

This workshop will be run on 23 Feb, 25 Feb, 2 March & 4 March 2021 from 10:00am - 1:00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

Meet the speaker

Dr Glenn Brown has over 25 years experience as an ecologist and educator specialising in environmental management. He has worked on environmental projects for industry, government and non-governmental organisations in Canada and other countries. He teaches courses on Ecosystem Science and Management and on Analytical Thinking and Communications in the masters program in Environment and Management at Royal Roads University in British Columbia and works as an independent consultant.

He has delivered courses on "Organised Reasoning" at International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) conferences from 2015 and also this year in Brisbane. He has also provided the course through the IAIA affiliate in Western Canada, EIANZ in Australia and New Zealand, in Iceland and China.

Click here to view Dr Glenn Brown's website and biography →

CPD points

This event will count as 1 point per hour towards your Certified Environmental Practitioner CPD log