2.1 When should project teams undertake the CHIA process?

Capital investment by public agencies is used to create all types of assets such as hospitals, social housing, transport infrastructure, culture, leisure and education facilities. These assets, which can vary significantly in their scale and cost, are often built to last for decades. They are developed through a staged process which sees them progress from a broad concept to a detailed design. Health and equity impacts should be considered from the very earliest stages of a project's life cycle through to the asset's operational stage.

As a first step the project manager and the Senior Responsible Officer should decide if and when to undertake the CHIA process. This involves determining if you meet the triggers for undertaking the CHIA process, then decide when in the project life cycle to undertake the CHIA.

What are the triggers for projects undertaking the CHIA process?

While it is suggested that a HIA is considered for all capital projects, it is recognised that resources may not be available to support this and that a proportionate approach should be applied.

Note: Meeting any one of these will trigger the CHIA process.

There are four triggers for undertaking the CHIA process, as shown in Figure 2 below:

• Size - 'major' developments defined as 10+ dwellings / area over 0.5 hectares or a floorspace of over 1,000sqm / area of 1 hectare, and major infrastructure.
• Scale of investment - over a £ 1 million threshold.
• Use- developments which include uses for education, health and social care, leisure or community, hot-food-takeaways or other food retail, and betting shops.
• Location - sites in areas of high multiple deprivation, fuel poverty, child poverty, poor health, low healthy life expectancy, groups with protected characteristics.

When in the project lifecycle should the CHIA process be initiated?

• The CHIA process can be initiated at any point in the project lifecycle (SBC, OBC, FBC).
• Ideally the screening workshop would be held as early as possible (e.g. to inform SBC) to influence key decisions.
• However, the process could also inform OBC or FBC, as long as decisions can still be influenced.
• The screening workshop could also be held more than once as needed at different stages.