Taking advantage of available resources, and using simple procedures such as checklists,
matrices and unstructured interviews, can help to focus the dialogue surrounding a proposed
project by providing a more informed decision making environment that helps avoids shallow,
polarized debate. Ideally, any impact assessment should occur at the pre- feasibility stage before
the final design and engineering is completed and an array of alternatives can still be considered.
Nevertheless, consideration of impacts should never be discouraged. An IA of varying scope and
depth of analysis can be performed at any point in time, or in discrete stages throughout the
project development and operations (World Bank, 1991).