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Framework for Outputs A Discussion Paper to Capture Outputs of the Towards 2060 Process Introduction Over the next few months, through to July 2010, the people of Manukau will be engaged in conversations about designing and building a sustainable future for their communities and city.
The Natural Step (TNS) Framework for Sustainability is being used to achieve a common understanding of sustainability and provide tools to show how a strategic approach to sustainability can be applied. TNS is an evidence-based strategic planning framework that has been adopted by organisations and communities worldwide. It helps plan for and move towards a sustainable future. It will help to shape the outputs to be included in a strategic framework for sustainable development in Manukau.
A number of long-term strategic development planning documents were reviewed during the preparation of this paper. While many of the elements are similar from document to document, it is interesting to note that there are significant differences across the range reviewed, in terms of content and structure.
Clearly, there is not necessarily any one “best” way to construct a framework. To some degree the final content, along with communication considerations will influence the ultimate shaping of the framework. However, agreement on content and a basic initial structure is necessary to ensure Towards 2060 conversations are both meaningful and useful to participants during the process, and to those who will use the framework to guide future planning and action.
An important point of difference to note for this framework is the intent that it forms the basis for the development of community (and indeed, organisation) action plans, rather than contain all of the sustainability action planning within it. Indeed, given that Manukau City Council will cease to exist after October 2010, it is important that the Towards 2060 process builds community capacity to engage with the new Auckland Council and other organisations on sustainability issues, and that the framework supports this.
Another important consideration guiding community engagement conversations will be the relationship to the Auckland Sustainability Framework (ASF). This will also need to be acknowledged throughout the final content.
City or region framework documents and websites also usually include background and contextual information (including commentary and introductions from civic leaders), but for the purposes of this discussion, only the outputs of the Towards 2060 engagement conversations are considered here. What else might be included in a document or on a website (for example resources and references) is part of design and communication, and not considered within the scope of this paper.
However, the framework diagram (figure 1) shows how Towards 2060 relates to the Auckland Sustainability Framework and regional strategies and plans.
Background of Towards 2060 Towards 2060 is a collaborative process among community members, sponsored by Manukau City Council and the Tomorrow’s Manukau partner organisations, to develop a strategic framework for sustainable development in Manukau, to provide a platform from which action plans can be developed. The project, which builds on the Auckland Sustainability Framework (ASF), is scheduled for completion before October 2010.
Towards 2060 will:
A Manukau framework will therefore need to be developed with partner organisations’ participation in decision-making throughout the process (framework design, content and implementation), so that the framework content can and will be used in long-term strategic planning across the city.
Tomorrow’s Manukau - Manukau Āpōpō Community Outcomes Tomorrow’s Manukau outcomes are the expression of Manukau communities’ priorities for action by Manukau City Council and its partner organisations. These outcomes were developed in 2005, and were due to be reviewed in 2011/2012.
Initially, Towards 2060 was to have resulted in a new set of community outcomes. However, the timing of regional governance changes means that responsibility for the next community outcomes will rest with the new Auckland Council. It’s also unclear at this point what role community outcomes will have in local government strategic planning beyond October 2010, or if they’ll continue to be mandated after the review of the Local Government Act (2002).
Because of these factors, the Tomorrow’s Manukau community outcomes sit outside the Towards 2060 process.
Since Manukau’s outcomes were published in 2006, the Auckland Sustainability Framework (ASF) was developed. The ASF provides a 100-year vision for the region, with eight goals and shifts required to achieve a sustainable future, and six forces for change that will impact on our future.
Towards 2060 is a series of community conversations which focus on sustainability and the forces for change identified in the ASF. These conversations will develop a vision for the future, with goals, objectives and action plans. Although not revised city-wide Tomorrow’s Manukau community outcomes, they may in effect be very similar and will provide a strong basis for the development of Auckland City community outcomes.
The Natural Step Framework for Sustainability The following is a brief description of The Natural Step Framework, which will be used to inform Towards 2060 conversations with the community.
The TNS Framework for Sustainability is a 5 level framework for planning which:
Baseline mapping helps to identify critical sustainability issues and opportunities for change by analysing how current activities are running counter to sustainability principles and objectives. This enables a “gap analysis” that can then be used to create an action plan, using a backcasting technique that helps to avoid the development of strategies that simply address the issues of today.
The key outputs from implementing the TNS Framework are a vision, with prioritised actions (or an action plan) for moving towards sustainability, over whatever time frames are required.
Towards 2060 Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development Following is an outline for what the output of the Towards 2060 process might include.
The proposed framework to capture the outputs of the Towards 2060 engagement process needs to address the following questions:
What does a sustainable future for Manukau communities look like? (Vision)
What do we want from that? (Goals, objectives, outcomes)
How will we get there? (Responses, actions, projects)
How will we know? (Monitoring and evaluation)
Some underlying principles and values relating to how the framework is used and its purpose could also be included.
Principles/Values Many of the frameworks also include principles and/or values. Generally, these refer to fundamental practice, or assumptions, that relate to or underlie the purpose of the framework, and the development and use of its content.
Sydney 2030, for example, contains an indigenous statement: “The City of Sydney acknowledges Aboriginal people as the first people of Australia”, with an explanation that describes commitment to a process of reconciliation, ongoing consultation and inclusion in the implementation of Sustainable Sydney 2030.
Future proof (Waikato) includes some statements about effective governance, leadership, integration, implementation and productive partnerships:
In the ASF, it could be considered that at least some of the eight shifts are fundamental principles for practice in implementing the framework, and its action plans.
To support the key objectives of the Manukau Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development, principles or values might relate to:
This list is not exhaustive, and as with other elements of the framework, it is likely to evolve as conversations proceed.
Vision The one thing in common among all the reviewed long-term strategic planning documents, or frameworks, is that they contain a vision.
A vision focuses on a desired future state; it inspires action and gives direction. For many of the frameworks reviewed it includes references to the environmental, cultural/social and economic well-beings.
For example, the Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision is to be a green, global and connected city. Whistler’s (Canada) is to be the “premier mountain resort community – as we move toward sustainability.”
The ASF vision is for “an interconnected community, celebrating knowledge, diversity and opportunity, working within the ecological limits of the region to nurture social and economic prosperity, creating a region that will be enjoyed ... forever.”
The ABCD method of applying the TNS Framework also includes the creation of a vision for what an organisation or community would look like in a sustainable future. Part of this process is building awareness, and a common understanding of – and language around – sustainability.
Outcomes, Goals and Objectives High level outcomes, goals or objectives generally drop out of the vision. These may be themed and described under identified key priority areas, with several outcomes, goals or objectives (with strategies, actions, projects and targets) under each area.
These, then, describe what “success” looks like – how it will be when the vision is achieved.
Whistler 2020 has seventeen “strategies” (priority themes) with associated descriptions of success. The ASF has eight long-term goals with indicative strategic responses lined up against the Shifts. The point is that it’s not what they’re called, but what these do – the vision provides the inspiration; outcomes, goals and objectives provide the specific destination(s), the end result to focus and target effort towards.
The TNS process allows for the development of “ambitious goals which may require radical changes in how (organisations/communities) operate” as part of the visioning process. Some goals may take many years to achieve.
Priority Responses/ Actions/ Projects Having established a vision for a sustainable city, along with the principles and values which will guide the work and some objectives to aim for, the next question to address in the hierarchy of the framework is “What do we need to do to get us there?” The TNS ABCD method refers to this as brainstorming potential creative solutions “without constraint”.
And, similarly (but not quite the same thing), “What will we do to get us there?”
The answers lead to prioritised action plans, with actions building on actions to achieve the desired future result, and priorities, whether at the community, group or individual level.
The TNS method uses baseline mapping and backcasting to develop solutions, working back from the vision and goals to avoid developing solutions that simply address the issues of today. Priorities are then decided, usually including actions that can demonstrate quick results.
Most strategic planning documents contain detailed responses and actions, with targets and indicators. To some extent, that may also be true of this framework. However, it may also be true that actions will be developed by communities and organisations at some later date, and that the framework will identify and contain key milestones on the journey to sustainability, rather than detailed action plans. However, high level, strategic action plans could still be a part of the framework.
While the engagement process will help develop the other elements of the framework, it is here in the action planning that the true potential to empower communities (and organisations), and build their capacity to develop their own sustainable responses and action plans, lies.
The proposed Local Board Plans may provide the opportunity for communities to respond to the vision for a sustainable future, should they choose to take it, and it is important that this Towards 2060 process enables communities and organisations to do so, rather than focus solely on addressing the pressing issues of the next three years.
Indicators Indicators communicate the impact of any actions undertaken to achieve, or move, the city towards their preferred future.
Statistics New Zealand uses a range of indicators in “Measuring New Zealand’s Progress Using a Sustainable Development Approach” which was produced in 2002 and 2008. The Auckland Regional Council produced a set of headline indicators in 2008 to monitor how the Auckland region is progressing against the goals of the ASF.
All of these might be useful, although there are some potential limitations:
Notwithstanding the availability of this data, it might be useful to consider indicators that:
The first set of indicators should measure progress towards sustainability in a more integrated way; the second would measure how communities are responding and becoming more sustainable and resilient.
Specific indicators would be chosen as the framework content is developed.
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Discussion Paper on a Framework for Outputs
