MSA's position on the "National Volunteering Strategy 2025–2030"

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) has submitted the following feedback as part of the public consultation on the "National Volunteering Strategy 2025-2030."

The Malta Sociological Association commends the development of the National Volunteering Strategy 2025–2030 and welcomes the opportunity to contribute. Below, we outline some recommendations to strengthen the strategic approach through evidence-based planning, social impact assessment, and conceptual clarity.

Data and Evidence-Based Planning

The strategy would benefit from a stronger commitment to research and data transparency. This includes:

• Ensuring regular, comprehensive research on the state of volunteering that informs strategic decisions and reflects sectoral needs.
• Making up-to-date data on Voluntary Organisations publicly accessible for research, policy, and sectoral planning. Data collection frameworks should be designed by qualified social scientists to ensure methodological robustness.
• In particular is the need for research to understand further the motivations that drive volunteers to engage and maintain their commitment. Formal recognition may indeed drive volunteers away from the sector, and therefore new ways of recognising and acknowledging the value of volunteering need to be factored in.

Social Impact Assessment

The strategy should adopt a dynamic and participatory approach to evaluation by establishing a continuous Social Impact Assessment (SIA) process that not only monitors outcomes but also enables ongoing adjustment of actions in response to changing social contexts. This SIA process should be embedded at the core of the review mechanism outlined in Section 8 (‘Implementation, Monitoring, and Review’, p. 39) and should be co-developed by both Voluntary Organisations (VOs) and the communities they serve. Doing so ensures that evaluation is grounded in lived experiences and enhances the long-term effectiveness of initiatives. A key feature of this approach should include mapping the logical pathways between activities, outcomes, and intended social impacts to maintain coherence between actions and strategic objectives — identifying assumptions, potential barriers, and necessary conditions for success. This mapping should be revisited and refined throughout the SIA process to ensure achievement of goals.

Terminology

Clear and consistent terminology is essential for a shared understanding across stakeholders:

• The strategy should avoid the general use of the term “NGOs” when referring specifically to Voluntary Organisations, as NGOs may include entities outside the voluntary sector.
• At one point (p. 27) the document mentions non-formal volunteering. If such discriminations are to be made at all, the document should clearly outline what it means when it refers to formal, non-formal and informal volunteering.

MSA's Position on the "Development Planning (Procedure for Applications and their Determination) Amendment Regulations

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the Planning Authority’s proposal to add a new development type in the development planning amendment regulations, covering onshore, offshore, and greenhouse-based renewable energy projects.

To this end, the MSA calls for the mainstreaming of Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) as an integral part of the planning and evaluation process, including specific energy projects and installations. The International Association for Impact Assessment defines SIA as “the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions.” As an interdisciplinary, methodologically rigorous process grounded in the social sciences, SIA allows for a systematic understanding of how different communities, especially those situated n
ear or affected by projects such as renewable energy developments, experience, negotiate, and are impacted by such projects. This includes issues related to land use, visual and cultural landscapes, participation in benefit-sharing, and trust in institutions. Social impacts must be assessed and monitored as part of an ongoing, inclusive process that ensures transparency, responsiveness, and long-term social sustainability.

MSA Submits Feedback on EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Regulation Public Consultation

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the public consultation on evaluating the Common Fisheries Policy (Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013). 

The MSA recommends that the evaluation and future revisions of the CFP Regulation integrate a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) as part of the policy process, following a comprehensive and scientific approach in line with the International Principles for Social Impact Assessment.

The International Association for Impact Assessment defines Social Impact Assessment as “the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions”. An SIA is inherently interdisciplinary and relies on well-established social-scientific methods, both qualitative and quantitative.

Given that the CFP affects diverse coastal communities, labour markets, and household livelihoods, a structured SIA would provide critical insights into how policy impacts are experienced by different social groups. These assessments should not be one-off exercises but continuous processes that actively engage stakeholders and feed back into decision-making to ensure inclusive, adaptive, and effective policy implementation.

Therefore, the MSA encourages the embedding of a formal and participatory social impact assessment framework into the CFP, both for this evaluation and for future policy.

MSA elects new Committee for 2025

Following its Annual General Meeting for the current year, the Malta Sociological Association has elected a new committee, made up as follows:

Chairperson - Maria C. Borg

Vice-Chairperson - Ljiljana Cumura

Secretary - Donnah Calleja

Treasurer - Julian Micallef

Public Relations Officer - Daniel Gafa'

International Officer - Ljiljana Cumura

Training Officer - Brian Chircop

Outreach Officer -  Dylan Cassar

Committee Members - Bridget Borg, Michael Briguglio, Sara Mari Cardona, Mariella Debono

Directory of Sociologists launched by the Malta Sociological Association

The Malta Sociological Association launched its Directory of Sociologists during its Annual General Meeting held on March 14. 

The directory will be available upon request to those interested in engaging, discussing, or inviting sociologists for specialised and professional activities such as research, analysis, commentary, speaking, and writing. 

The sociologists enlisted in the directory are all members of the Malta Sociological Association and have expressed their consent to feature on the directory. Their respective specialisations are also included. Members should inform MSA of any updates to the details provided. Annually, prior to every Annual General Meeting, the Association will issue an updated version.

Those interesting in obtaining a copy of the directory should write to maltasociologicalassociation (at) gmail.com

Conference Proceedings - 3rd International Malta Sociology Conference 2024

 

Press Release: Malta Sociological Association to hold Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Malta Sociological Association will be held on Friday 14th March 2025 at 18:00. The meeting is open to paid members of the MSA and to those interested in joining the MSA (payments can be affected on the day). More details can be found here.

The Malta Sociological Association was founded in 2016 and  is a non-profit making organisation. It is a non-commercial entity, which aims to develop and promote sociological knowledge. The Association promotes sociological research and contributes toward facilitating the cooperation of people working within the sociological field. It also aims at understanding and analysing social problems for the improvement of the quality of life.