Transcript Key Success Factors for Sustainable Community Development

Key Success Factors for
Sustainable Community
Development Processes in the
Baltic Sea Region
Masters in Strategic Leadership Towards
Sustainability
Heather Worosz (Canada)
Yury Kazhura (Belarus)
Paulo Bento Maffei de Souza (Brazil)
Presentation for ”Integrative Approaches Towards
Sustainability” Conference, Jurmula, Latvia, May 13, 2005.
Research Background
• Robertsfors is a community of
7000 people in Sweden
undergoing a 5-year pilot
project to become a
sustainable community.
• EU funded project. The goal is
to create a best practices
approach of Sustainable
Community Development that
can be transferred to other
communities Internationally.
Research Purpose
Purpose
• To better understand the
Robertsfors approach of
Sustainable Community
Development.
• To explore the possibilities of
using this approach in other
communities to further
progress towards sustainability.
Research Design – General overview
Applied Sustainability Principles, Frameworks, Tools and Community
Engagement Processes
Robertsfors Base Case
Transferable Elements for
BSR
Possible Generic
Improvements
Results/
Discussion
Improved/Adaptable
Robertsfors Model
Key Elements of the Process
• Process led by the municipality
and external consultants
• Use of science based
sustainability principles
• Use of a common strategic
sustainable development
framework
• Whole Systems Approach
• Focus on broad-based
stakeholder engagement and
citizen participation
Key Elements of the Process
• Process led by the municipality
and external consultants
• Use of science based
sustainability principles
• Use of a common strategic
sustainable development
framework
• Whole Systems Approach
• Focus on broad-based
stakeholder engagement and
citizen participation
Initial Findings: Key Success Factors
4 Sustainability Principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
Based on natural laws of science
Necessary and enough to ensure
sustainability
Creates common language and
understanding
Simple, clear and concrete
Universal application
Provides high-level guidance,
leaving room for local creativity and
initiative
Initial Findings: Key Success Factors
4 Sustainability Principles
Nature is not subject to systematically
increasing…
1) …concentrations of substances from
the earth’s crust
2) …concentrations of substances
produced by society
3) …degradation by physical means
And, in that society…
4) … people are not subject to conditions
that systematically undermine their
capacity to meet their needs
Initial Findings: Key Success Factors
Whole Systems Perspective
Instilling an understanding of the:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Interdependencies within the
community and within the larger system
Concept of delays in the system
Need for a new common sense
Importance of balancing loops
Importance of cross-sector and
transdisciplinary approaches to
planning and decision making
Focus on creating upstream solutions
rather than solving downstream
problems
Initial Findings: Key Success Factors
‘Strategic’ Planning Framework
Importance of Backcasting vs. Forecasting
Forecasting
•
•
Set goals based on existing trends
Adjusts the degree / rate of change of
current problems, but tends to still
perpetuate the same problems
Backcasting
•
Start with a positive vision of the future and
work backwards
•
Set goals based on a principle definition of
success
Initial Findings: Key Success Factors
Community Engagement & Capacity Building
Democratic Participation Processes
•
Two-way communication / dialogue
•
Public meetings, citizen councils, working groups, citizen propositions,
Internet, etc
•
Accountability and transparency
•
Support citizens ability to self-organize
•
Importance of youth and democracy programs
Meaningful Engagement
•
Use language that people understand – Sustainability
•
Speak to issues people care about, i.e., personal health concerns
•
Targeted information, communications and programs for different sectors
Initial Findings: Key Success Factors
Community Engagement & Capacity Building
Learning
•
Learning about sustainability integrated at all levels (formal and informal education)
•
Transdisplinary approach
•
Applied research. Interactive and hands on projects.
•
Understanding vs. knowing
•
Importance of involving youth – changing mindsets over the long-term.
Appreciative vs. Deficit-based Approach
•
Understand the problems within the context of the system
•
Find positive stories and good examples within the community
•
Build from strengths and grass-roots motivation rather than top-down only
•
Pull from a positive of the future, rather than pushing from fear and crisis
Initial Findings: Key Success Factors
Over-Arching Key Success Factors
•
•
•
•
Political support at all levels
Size Matters – Keep it small. Break it down.
Motivation must emerge from within the community
Approach must emerge from the local community
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
Sustainability Principles and frameworks can be shared across communities
Appropriate strategies, actions and tools must emerge from the local context
Local culture as a driver of appropriate and innovative approaches
Toolbox of ideas and solutions that can be shared across communities
Adequate funding
Generate visible small wins early on and throughout the process
Networks for sharing ideas, providing support and creating greater momentum for
sustainable community development