A summary of Caledonian MacBrayne's Island Community Impact Assessment Approach can be found below.

Broadly speaking, the ICIA is a formal method for carrying out consultation with the added step of assessing a proposal to determine if it impacts one community differently from another. As such, the ICIA process is more appropriate for wider scale change affecting multiple areas of the network.

Although timetable changes are not subject to the formal ICIA process, they do adhere to an aligned consultation approach. Consultation with local communities plays a key role within timetable design and is managed via nominated local community organisations - we've shared further details here. The local community organisations are engaged throughout the timetable development process, providing suggestions for improvements at the outset as well as reviewing and providing feedback on any subsequent proposals.

We will always would work hard to consult with the communities on all service changes however there are exceptions. Consultations will take place when there is genuine opportunity to take onboard feedback, usually when there is flexibility in the way in which proposals can be designed/delivered. Where there is a lack of alternative options, we will not be able to consult as it's not fair to create a false expectation. Some example exceptions may include:

• Vessel deployment decisions, particularly during technical breakdowns

• Overhaul dates

• Temporary timetables

When these situations arise, we communicate that there are no alternative options available to us. 

All active consultations are listed on our website. The method for contributing to consultations will vary depending on the specific proposal under consultation. Details of how you can take part will be listed alongside the list of active consultations currently ongoing.

Consultation will be conducted via the following recognised groups only:

• The Arran Ferry Committee

• The Mull/Iona Ferry Committee

• CNES

• The Campbeltown Ferry Committee

• The Coll Ferry Committee;

• The Islay Community Council Ferry Committee (ICCFC)

• The Tiree Transport Forum Meeting

• The Sleat Transport Forum

• The Ferries Community Board.

Additional stakeholder groups may also be consulted upon request.

Changes to timetables are considered twice a year and are formally managed via nominated community organisations. Find out more in our timetable consultation FAQs.

We believe strongly in the value of consultation and have used feedback gathered through previous exercises to tailor our proposed approach to how we consult with the communities we serve. Although we cannot always guarantee that we will be able to take onboard every piece of feedback offered, we will always listen very carefully to what our communities tell us and where possible, incorporate any suggestions in our plans whenever we can.

Yes. We publish the results of all ICIAs carried out - we want to ensure there is full transparency around the feedback we've received, the impact on communities, and measures taken to reduce the impact/adapt our plans. All published reports can be found the published reports section.