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

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The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide • how final decisions will be made. Characterization of Problems and Issues After an initial information campaign, the target communities and groups are involved directly in selecting and characterizing the broad areas of concern that will become the focus of further assessments and analysis. The principal assumption underlying this approach is that local residents and groups have day-to-day experience of the problems affecting them and they can identify and characterize key problems more readily than could outside experts using a characterization process. Activities during this phase are designed to identify and facilitate discussions about priority issues and problems. Surveys, community meetings, open forums, mapping, ranking, and other similar activities can be undertaken to engage the community in the initial identification of key issues. These discussions can also be used to obtain input and proposed amendments from the community about the Community Vision. Additionally, these activities will help prepare inhabitants and stakeholders for the ensuing detailed assessment of priority issues. Box B describes how the Leicester City Council involved public consultation in their “Blueprint for Leicester” process. Appendix 1 and the related Worksheet 2 describe a problem characterization technique called “service issues mapping.” Service issues mapping is a group brainstorming and analysis exercise that assists stakeholders in identifying the systemic nature of a local problem. Based upon the characterization of the problem in the mapping exercise, stakeholders can join with technical experts to undertake a detailed assessment of the problem and its potential solutions. The use of technical or expert assessment procedures in sustainable development planning should meet four basic requirements. 3.1.3 IMPLEMENT DETAILED ASSESSMENTS Once the key issues related to a problem are identified, a more detailed assessment of those issues must be undertaken so that stakeholders and inhabitants fully understand the complexities of the problem and can define effective options for action. The specific activities undertaken in an assessment will be determined by the different participant and technical assessment methods that are selected. Typically, the Stakeholder Group or a related Working Group determines what assessment methods and tools will be used and designs the assessment process. In general, the selection of methods and design for a community-based assessment process should meet four basic requirements. First, the methods and tools should be appropriate to the community, its resources, and the issues to be analyzed. Second, both technical and participant assessment methods and tools should be used in any analysis. Third, the participant and technical assessment processes should be integrated with each other to verify results. And fourth, procedures should be established to assure that the assessment generates baseline data about local conditions and provides insight into the systemic nature of the issues being analyzed. These four requirements are further explained below. BOX B: Public Input into the Blueprint for Leicester 1 http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/448-2/ (46 of 180)18/10/2010 12:47:23 AM
The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide In October 1995, Leicester City Council completed the firs) stage of the three-slage sustainable development planning process illustrated in Figure 9, the “Blueprint for Leicester Process.” The first stage in the creation of the Leicester Blueprint involved public consultation. Over 2000 individuals ond more than 100 groups and organizations were consulted over a period of 12 months to solicit public input into the Leicester Blueprint, A variety of consultation methods were employed: • a neighborhood survey of 748 Leicester households was conducted to identify the views of a representative crosssection of the public; • a short ‘Snapshot’ questionnaire wos sent to all homes via the City Council’s Link magazine and a local paper. It was also made availoble in leaflet form; 803 were relumed; • eighty-eight priority target groups representing businesses, women, disabled people, young people, older people, cultural and ethnic minority communities, people on low incomes, and other voluntary and workplace-based groups took part in meetings and events, developed projects, and made written comments; and • the eight Environment City Specialist Working Groups, together representing 29 organizations, were invited to submit their comments in detail; all eight did so. The Snapshot questionnaire, designed to be brief, allowed the participation of individuals who might otherwise have been excluded from the process. The questions consisted of a mixture of open and closed questions related to environment, economy, and society. The open questions asked about people’s likes and dislikes and suggested improvements lo the city. The closed questions focused on a topical ond holly debated issue, transportation policy, and on specific factors that influenced quolity of life. The results were intended to be viewed in conjunction with the in-depth neighborhood survey and extensive consultation with special interest groups. The in-depth neighborhood questionnaire contained four types of questions related to the environment, economy, and society: profile questions to confirm a representative survey; satisfaction questions to identify areas of dissatisfaction with aspects of the city and quality of life; priority questions that asked about a series of policy options they would most support; and open questions to ask respondents why they felt a certain way, to add details to a response, or to make suggestions. Priority target groups were approached through key organizations and with varied community specific consultation tools. For example, older people were surveyed through a questionnaire (some implemented in face to face interviews, others were completed by indi viduals) and in-depth interviews with o small number of respondents. In another instance, the business community was engaged in facilitated visioning processes using SWOT analysis A survey was also conducted to target 200 small businesses. The final report, the Blueprint for Leicester Report Findings, documents the results from each of the consultations, for each specific large) groups. These findings will be used to look at key areas of conflict ond to build consensus for the development of Local Agenda 21 Action Plans. 1. Enviton, beicester City Council, and feicester Promotions Bluepring for leicester Findings. Leocester, UK: leicester City Council 1995 Assuring Appropriateness of Methods and Tools Involving local communities and “lay persons” in assessment requires the use of methods and tools that complement the culture, educational levels, and size of each group, as well as local resource and time constraints. The selection of methods and tools should consider indigenous modes of communication and forums for sharing information. Tools may also need to be FIGURE 9 THE BLUEPRINT FOR LEICESTER PROCESS http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/448-2/ (47 of 180)18/10/2010 12:47:23 AM
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