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The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide This page intentionally left blank CHAPTER 3 Community-Based Issue Analysis 3.0 Introduction Community-based issue analysis provides stakeholders with the opportunity to develop a detailed, shared analysis of the key issues related to their Community Vision. Through such analysis, they can make informed choices in preparing an Action Plan. The analysis of issues by the community is fundamental to a truly participatory planning effort. Unlike traditional “consultation” and “auditing,” which are usually implemented as top-down, expert-driven, information-gathering activities, community-based issue analysis uses a series of exercises to help stakeholders share knowledge, review and participate in technical assessments, set planning priorities, and jointly develop options for action. In short, community-based issue analysis: • initiates detailed dialogue among community groups and between the community and technical experts; • focuses planning on peoples’ recognized interests, needs, and preferences; • informs stakeholders about the technical aspects of the problems they wish to resolve by engaging them in the collection and analysis of data; • prevents uncritical and sole reliance upon the assessments of (often external) experts; and • creates a well-informed constituency of residents to work for sustainability. Community-based issue analysis uses a series of exercises to help stakeholders share knowledge, review and participate in technical assessments, set planning priorities, and jointly develop options for action. A comprehensive community-based issue analysis process uses both participant assessment and technical assessment methods in parallel to achieve a consensus analysis of key issues. Participant assessment exercises are used to involve local inhabitants and service users at a very basic level. Inhabitants are assisted in defining problems and identifying what services they want most and how the services can be provided sustainably. Special exercises are used to identify indigenous solutions and to apply local knowhow to the analysis of problems and the development of solutions. Technical assessment methods are designed and employed to inform the participant assessment process. As is illustrated by the case of Troyan, Bulgaria (Case #5), technical assessment methods —such as comparative risk assessment or environmental impact assessment—can be modified to allow for extensive stakeholder participation. This approach strengthens the accuracy of the final technical analysis, as popular knowledge and expert opinion are http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/448-2/ (42 of 180)18/10/2010 12:47:23 AM
The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide checked against each other. This approach also maximizes the public education benefits of assessment activities. Within this context, the issue analysis process generally has four steps: STEP 1. Determine the scope of the issue analysis process. STEP 2. Identify the issues to be analyzed. STEP 3. Implement complementary participant and technical assessments of key issues. STEP 4. Complete the issue analysis. 3.1 Steps In community-based issue analysis, technical assessments activities are designed and employed to inform the analysis of issues by stakeholders. Popular knowledge and expert opinion are checked against each other to strengthen the final analysis. 3.1.1 DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE ISSUE ANALYSIS PROCESS Determining the Level of Participation One of the first tasks of a Stakeholder Group or its Working Groups will be to determine the extent to which the public will be engaged in issue analysis. This determination will be a function of: • the scope and complexity of the issues to be addressed; • the time and resources made available for planning; • the size, composition, and diversity of the local population and its institutional community; and • the need to evaluate and understand differences between public knowledge and perceptions and expert opinions. The degree of participation in issue analysis will range from stakeholder representation to broad-based, direct participation. The representative approach relies upon the members of the Stakeholder Group or a Working Group to consult with their communities using commonly accepted methods such as public forums, direct interviews, or focus groups. Having consulted with some sample of their constituencies, the stakeholder representatives then meet to analyze the information gathered from both consultations and technical assessments in order to form a consensus on issues and priorities. This representative approach ultimately relies upon the opinions and impressions of the stakeholder representatives and limits the scope and benefits of a community-based approach. It specifically limits the educational benefits gained by involving residents in analyzing and defining problems and solutions. The participatory approach uses neighborhood surveys, community meetings, and public forums to directly engage the resident population in identifying and analyzing issues. In large or very diverse municipalities it is unlikely that most residents could be involved. Nevertheless, representative target groups and communities can be engaged to undertake their own issue analysis process and directly report their conclusions to the Stakeholder Group. In this way, community opinions are less influenced by the individual opinions of stakeholder representatives or outside experts, and the identified community constituencies are given direct responsibility in the planning effort. This increases both the legitimacy and the ownership of the process in the community. Case #6 describes how the small, low-income Martha Bucaram neighborhood in Quito, Ecuador, used participatory issue analysis and ranking to develop a neighborhood action strategy. Box A on the Prosnear Project in Brazil illustrates how a participatory issue http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/448-2/ (43 of 180)18/10/2010 12:47:23 AM
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