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

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The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide provide detailed insight into the systemic nature of local problems and service issues. Traditional municipal management and environmental planning usually focus on the assessment and alleviation of problem symptoms. Programs can be established to temporarily mitigate symptoms, but since the symptoms usually are the result of systemic problems, the symptoms eventually reappear. For example, traffic congestion is a symptom of a faulty transportation system. Municipal traffic managers use a variety of measures to alleviate congestion symptoms, such as the installation of traffic lights or increasing road capacity. However, the congestion problems of most cities are usually only resolved when the transportation system is reassessed and redesigned to use new transportation modes (such as mass transit) and practices (such as reformed land use patterns). As argued in chapter 1, the key distinction between sustainable development planning and traditional environment management is that sustainable development planning 1) factors in the systemic relationships between economic, community, and environmental issues and 2) considers the long-term, systemic sustainability of different action strategies. Appendix 1 provides a summary of different methods that can be used to generate a systemic analysis of issues during the community-based issue analysis process. Finally, the issue analysis process should accurately measure key baseline conditions. Baseline data is essential not only to understand current conditions, but also to monitor changes in those conditions as the action strategies are implemented. Finally, effective action planning requires that the issue analysis process provides an accurate measurement of the key baseline conditions related to each issue to be addressed in the Action Plan. Baseline data is essential not only to understand current conditions, but to monitor changes in those conditions as the action strategies are implemented in future years. The assessment process should look beyond problem symptoms to understand the systemic problems that produce these symptoms. A standard protocol needs to be established for measuring the baseline conditions in each issue area, using the same methods from year to year so that comparable data can be established to monitor changes and progress towards targets. Without such baseline data, evaluations of the success of an action plan and related municipal programs are usually made on an anecdotal basis. This can easily cause confusion, since opposing parties can always find positive and negative anecdotes for most situations. 3.1.4 COMPLETE THE ISSUE ANALYSIS Completing the issue analysis process requires that the target groups and communities, and ultimately the Stakeholder Group and its Working Groups, are engaged in the evaluation of technical assessments and the discussion of technical findings during the final stages of their participant assessment exercises. Through such an integrated analysis of both technical information and popular experience and knowledge, the interrelationships and interdependencies between issues can be revealed, further enabling people to determine underlying systemic problems that need to be addressed. Different tools will be required to present technical findings to different groups and communities. Tools used for the presentation of information can range from workshops to puppet theaters to geographic information systems. Methods for analyzing information range from structured activities such as force field analysis to expert papers and popular education activities, such as role playing and theater. After review and discussion of technical assessment findings, a final report on the community-based issue analysis findings should be prepared. Ideally, the Stakeholder Group should determine at the beginning of the issue analysis process how all the information that is collected and reviewed will be processed into a consensus report about the relevant issues. This report should: • thoroughly describe the findings of the participant and technical assessments; • present baseline data about relevant conditions that should be monitored in the future; • identify areas of disagreement or issues that require further assessment; and • present any proposals or options for action that should be considered in the action planning process. CHECKLIST 2 COMMUNITY-BASED ISSUE ANALYSIS http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/448-2/ (50 of 180)18/10/2010 12:47:23 AM
The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide Decide what level of participation will be facilitated in the issue analysis process—stakeholder representation or direct participation? Determine what target communities and target groups will be recruited to participate in the process. Inform the target communities and groups about the issue analysis process. With the target communities/groups, decide what specific issues will be analyzed. Select methods and tools for the participant assessment of the chosen issues. Select methods and tools for the technical assessment of the chosen issues. exercise. Modify the selected technical assessment methods to permit stakeholder involvement in the technical assessment Review assessment methods to ensure that they support the analysis of systemic problems. Establish baseline data on key conditions. Present the findings of technical assessments to the issue analysis participants before the conclusion of the participant assessment exercises. Identify any issues that require further assessment. Identify any proposals or options for action that should be considered in the action planning process. 3.2 Appendixes Prepare the final issue analysis report. 3.2.1 APPENDIX 1 PARTICIPATORY SYSTEMS ANALYSIS Description One of the shortcomings of traditional environmental assessment methodologies, such as State of the Environment Reporting, is the http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/448-2/ (51 of 180)18/10/2010 12:47:23 AM
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