Today, the objective of SIA is to ensure that the developments (or
planned interventions) that do occur maximize the benefits and minimize
the costs of those developments, especially those costs borne by the community.
Too often, these costs (externalities) are not adequately taken into
account by decision makers, regulatory authorities and developers, partly
because they are not easily identifiable, quantifiable and measurable. By
identifying impacts in advance, better decisions can be made about which
interventions should proceed and how they should proceed. Mitigation
measures can be implemented, and redesign can occur, to minimize the
harm and maximize the benefits. By promoting participatory processes,
better consideration can be given to what appropriate development for a
community may be.