Download Sustainable Development

Introduction to sustainability
policy and reporting in other
sectors
Tim Birley
Tim Birley Consultancy for
CaSPr
Sustainable Development
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
SOCIAL
Defining Sustainable
Development
“ Sustainable development is commonly defined as
being development which serves a balance of
social, economic and environmental well-being in
the impact of activities and decisions, and which
seeks to meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.” (Statutory Guidance)
Policy Context:

Sustainable Development:
– Choosing Our Future: Scotland’s Sustainable
Development Strategy, December 2005

Best Value:
– Local Government in Scotland Act 2003
– Wider public sector:
Updated High Level and Secondary Guidance on
Best Value, May 2006
Good Practice Toolkit, September 2006


Planning Scotland Bill
European Structural Funds
Statement of Requirements:
Local Government/Wider Public Sector

Leadership and commitment
 Embedded in all objectives and plans at
corporate and operational level
 Communities / Consultation & joint working
 Quality of Life Indicators / Performance measures
 Review activities
 Procurement
 Management of resources
Guide to the Toolkit:
Policy
context
Statement of
Requirements
Enablers &
Barriers
Further sources
of advice
Role of
Scrutiny
Routes
to Entry
Self Assessment
Questionnaire
Features of
SD & BV
Outcomes
Case Studies
Push Factors
Duty on Accountable Officers
 Scottish Public Finance Manual
 Scottish Sustainable Development
Strategy
 Statute (for some)
 Requirement for European support
 Community planning
 Subject to Audit

Mainstreaming Sustainable Development

ESEC/WoSEC (2005) Seminar’s views
 Potential Advantages





Encourages partnership & joined-up approach
VFM: more effective use of resources
Awareness raising
Better quality & more durable outcomes
Learning opportunity
 Disadvantages to avoid






Lack of ownership and commitment
Difficult, complex and risks ‘tick box’ approach
Risks losing focus & conflicting priorities
Perceived costs
May inhibit opportunities
Difficult to measure
Routes to Entry:








Leadership & champions
Corporate initiative
Community planning
Performance & output indicators
Policy review; SEA
Procurement strategy
Spending review; asset management
Demonstration
Highland Council: Cllr Ian Ross

Realities




Perceived relevance of S.D.
Consider the operating context – “SPS”
Another “burden”
General awareness of elected members and senior
officials
Pressure of economic imperatives and shorttermism
 Rhetoric over substance and real impact
 BUT some examples of very good practice and
commitment

Potential
Existing good practice
 Latent activity
 Indicators & measures
 Mainstreaming - becoming natural
 Support and learning
 Better: joined-up governance

Potential: Miles Better
Mainstreaming - becoming natural
 Indicators & measures
 Latent activity
 Existing good practice
 Support and learning
 Better: joined-up governance

Performance Measures






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What Criteria established?
What sustainability Indicators adopted?
Contributing to Quality of Life Indicators?
How are Outcomes contributing to sustainable
development?
How are Lessons being learned?
What has Changed?
Have Early Wins been used?
How is Benchmarking used?
What Monitoring is in place? (and Information for this)
What steps are taken to meet SEA obligations?
Mainstreaming: Criteria



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
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

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Net Additional Jobs
Evidence of Demand
Partnership & Leverage
Infrastructure Impact
Resource Efficiency
Environmental Impact
Access & Equal Opportunity
Local Added Value
Capacity Building
Social Inclusion
Strategic Integration
Durability & Feasibility
Performance indicators 1
SD Indicators Wheel – Organisational Indicators (e.g. an Environmental Body)
T
T EX
CON
LE
AR
NI
NG
17
18
Age
Health
Profile Inequality
GDP
per h ead
16
WE
LL
BE
ING
1
Seco ndary
co ntribu tions
2
Air
Quality
Eco
Schools
Co lour in the “rim”
can indicate priority,
o r performance over
p revio us year, for
each ind icato r, fo r
the o rganisation
concerned
3
16-19 yrs
NEET*
15
4
Transpo rt
Employment
Renewables
Crime
13
6
Greenho use
Gas
12
N
River
Quality
11
* NEET= Not in
e duca tion, e mployment or tra ining
Households
Waste
Marine
10
Bio diversity
9
NAT’L H ERIT AGE & RESOURCES
8
7
OM
M
IO
UT
RIB
NT
CO
AL
OB
GL
5
Commu nity
UN
ITI E
S
Carbon
Emissions
THR
I VIN
GC
14
Main co ntrib utions
Each organisation
would develop a
“wheel”
appropriate to its
own remit and
activities, in
agreement with the
Scottish Executive,
encouraging it to
consider all the
contributions it can
make, both main
and secondary
Performance Indicators 2
Capacity Building

The need for joint working;
 The on-going synthesis of guidance;
 The exchange of good practice;
 Provision for encouraging innovation and
rewarding best practice;
 Securing a common framework for performance
measurement and audit;
 Practical outcomes.