The Eight Step Approach
Aim for human rights developed a comprehensive framework for Human Rights Impact Assessment. It contains eight procedural steps that provide a cyclic approach to policy development and project management.
The Eight Step Approach covers plan - do - check/feedback - adapt activities. It adds to the effectiveness of activities by helping policy officers and practitioners to learn from their experiences and to use the lessons learned in future situations.
Different circumstances require different tools, levels of analysis and indicators. This framework which is based on basic principles of impact assessment assists in the development of a Human Rights Impact Assessment for any topic or situation.
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HRIA is a systematic process to ensure the integration of human rights aspects in decision-making throughout the policy formulation, implementation, checking and adapting process. It includes a continuous system of monitoring and evaluation of the results and, eventually, the longer-term impact of a policy, on the basis of international law and standards, from which criteria have been derived. The assessment will take account of the benchmarks that have been set for particular programs or projects, and will make use of indicators, which reflect the real state of affairs (Radstaake and De Vries, 2004: 1).
The approach focuses on measuring results by using quantitative and qualitative pre-determined objective indicators. Within each step tools should be used to further specify the approach and to adapt it to the particular situation. As different situations require different approaches, tools being used for HRIAs can differ.
References
Radstaake, M. and De Vries, J. 2004. ‘Reinvigorating Human Rights in the Barcelona Process: Using Human Rights Impact Assessment to Enhance Mainstreaming of Human Rights’. Aim for human rights.