The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide - Democrats Against UN ...

The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide
Data from monitoring programs can also be used as the basis for more extensive auditing efforts. The technical standards established
for such data are often quite high; however, the result is that the data collected may be of a highly technical nature and reflect only
the narrow requirements of a specific regulation. It therefore may not provide an ample, user-friendly picture of actual conditions in
a community.
Ranking
Ranking is an analytical tool that involves having people identify and then evaluate options. This is typically done by assigning both
qualitative and quantitative value to problems and comparing these assigned values in order to rank problems from low to high
priority. Ranking can be used to identify priorities, monitor changes in preferences, and compare preferences and priorities between
groups. There are different types of ranking techniques, including direct ranking, preference ranking, formula ranking, and riskbased
ranking.
Preference ranking, or direct-matrix ranking, is an exercise in which people identify what they do and do not value about a class of
objects (for example, tree species or cooking fuel types). This ranking instrument allows participants to understand the reasons for
local preferences and to see how values differ among local groups. Understanding preferences is critical for choosing appropriate
and effective interventions. Risk-based ranking utilizes risk-based factors associated with health, ecology, and quality of life to rank
environmental problems. This tool is described in chapter 3, Appendix 3.
Ranking tools should be considered for the community-based, priority-setting stage of the strategic planning process.
Rapid Urban Environmental Assessment
The World Bank/UNDP/UNCHS Urban Management Programme has established a specific method of state-of-the-environment
reporting called “Rapid Urban Environmental Assessment” (RUEA). RUE A provides a streamlined State of the Environment
Report (SOER) framework for stakeholder analysis of environmental conditions. The RUEA method uses a basic questionnaire to
quickly and cost-effectively collect existing data from monitoring programs, public records, and other formal sources. The data are
used by professional staff or consultants for the development of a profile of the urban environment. This profile is then submitted to
stakeholders to both validate the results of the profile and to discuss priority issues and problems identified in the profile. Analysis of
the data is done by both professional data collectors and the participating public. The involvement of the public offers an opportunity
to gather insights about the relationship among issues; lack of involvement of stakeholders in data collection and the preparation of
the environmental profile reduces their role and influence.
Service Issues Mapping
Service issues mapping is a facilitated group brainstorming and analysis technique that helps stakeholders identify or “map” the
diverse issues that must be considered in order to address a single priority issue. The exercise promotes an understanding of the
systemic nature of local problems by highlighting the complex sets of relationships among different issues. The tool also identifies
different stakeholders who need to be involved in the performance of a networked assessment. This tool is described in chapter 3,
Worksheet 3.
State of the Environment Reporting
State of the Environment Reporting (SOER) is a general term used to describe the compilation and review of data collected over a
period of two to five years. State of the Environment reports generally review the conditions and trends of different natural media
(air, soil, water, noise, etc.) and key public issues (child health, employment, training, etc.) for this particular time period. In effect,
these reports are comprehensive reviews of data gathered from different monitoring programs. GIS-generated data may be used for
graphic presentation. SOERs collate existing data on a periodic basis and provide analysis of this data to clarify trends in relation to
some base line.
In some municipalities, SOERs are performed with the involvement of the public and numerous stakeholder institutions. In
Lancashire County, UK, for instance, more than 70 organizations formed an “Environmental Forum” to jointly collect and analyze
environmental data for the “Lancashire Environmental Audit.” This network-based approach to SOER, which is further discussed in
Case #8, can increase access to data and information that is not normally made public. Additionally, it facilitates the interpretation of
data by knowledgeable stakeholders during the process of data selection and analysis.
Surveys
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