Beyond Compliance: How Consultants Operationalise Quality in Environmental Impact Assessment

The concept of quality in environmental impact assessment (EIA) remains ambiguously defined in research and practice, despite its central role in supporting environmentally informed decision-making. This thesis investigates how EIA consultants in Sweden understand and operationalise quality in their professional practice, and how these practices relate to established concepts of quality and effectiveness. The study aims to explore how consultants work to ensure quality in EIA. It also investigates what consultants perceive as important for achieving good quality, the strategies they use to achieve quality, and how they maintain and develop the competence required for this work. A qualitative research design was applied, combining a literature review with semi-structured interviews with nine EIA consultants from eight consulting firms. The empirical material was analysed using inductive thematic analysis and interpreted through an analytical framework integrating dimensions of quality, effectiveness, and environmental assessment competence. The results show that consultants operationalise quality across three interconnected domains: organisational, project, and report. Key aspects include continuous learning and collaboration, early involvement in planning processes, communication and coordination with stakeholders, science-based assessment practices, quality reviews, and the production of clear and focused environmental impact statements. Quality and effectiveness are shaped by organisational conditions, project dynamics, and professional judgement rather than by explicit formal strategies. Overall, the findings indicate that EIA practice relies on dispersed professional norms and situational decision-making, which influences how environmental considerations are integrated into projects.