Scoping

( Article Type: Explanation )

Scoping is a process used particularly when carrying out environmental, or strategic environmental, impact assessments. It is a process, which is intended to narrow the scope of the assessment and ensure that it focuses on the truly important and significant issues or impacts. Scoping does not just narrow down the issues but may also involve adding in issues that were not included before. Additional issues may be raised as a result of consultations and discussions with interested and affected parties. Scoping helps to ensure that all the relevant matters are taken into account and that time and effort is not wasted on matters that are not important or are insignificant or irrelevant. The scoping process is done in consultation with interested and affected parties.