Some reflections on the conditions for favouring integrated sustainability assessments

Integrated Sustainability Assessment (ISA) should be both transformational and humble. This paper examines the political and institutional conditions that will be required to create an appropriate policy analysis framework that will embrace ISA. This will mean better connections between agencies that deliver and departments that ponder and finance. Such a combination will not be easy as there is much resistance to full-blooded 'sharing'. Also, the participatory and societal learning elements of ISA will require humility on the part of all players. Learning means reflecting and accommodating. These are never easy when established power has to be shared. Try ISA: it is worth it, and monitor the results.