SEA Guidance Annex 15

The role of a Strategic Environmental and Social Management Plan (SESMP)

This annex explains how the Strategic Environmental and Social Management Plan (SESMP) serves as the central organizing framework for managing cumulative environmental and social impacts across a PPP. It describes how the SESMP connects SEA findings with project-level implementation, sets quality objectives, defines thresholds and monitoring needs, and outlines the institutional arrangements and capacity required for effective, long-term management.

overview

What’s Inside This Annex

Role of the SESMP

A Strategic Environmental and Social Management Plan (SESMP) should be an integral part of a PPP and act as an overarching framework and roadmap for addressing the cumulative impacts of projects, development initiatives, and activities planned to be implemented under the PPP.

Environmental & Social Quality Objectives (ESQOs)

The SESMP should set limits of environmental and social quality (i.e., performance targets) that need to be achieved as a whole and, at a lower level, by the proponents of individual projects.

Relationship to SEA & Project-Level EIAs

The undertaking of the SEA will not rule out the need for subsequent project-level EIAs. Individual projects with the potential to cause significant environmental and social impacts will still require an EIA to address site-specific concerns and circumstances.

Monitoring, Reporting, & Institutions

Through the SESMP, the information obtained during monitoring will enable the PPP proponent to prepare an annual SESMP report for the PPP. Institutional and procedural arrangements will need to be established and maintained to ensure that the monitoring system runs effectively and that data are replicable, comparable, and auditable.

Download the Full Annex

Download the full PDF annex to read about the relations between SEA, SESMP, ESMP, and EMS; developing environmental and social quality objectives; outcomes-based targets; capacity-building requirements; and review of the implementation of previous SESMPs.

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SEA Guidance Annex 15