Socio-Ecological Indicators & Planning Process Indicators 696 Socio- Ecological Indicators

Socio-Ecological Indicators & Planning Process Indicators 696 Socio- Ecological Indicators Planning Process Indicators

In what ways can Backcasting from Sustainability Principles (a strategic and whole systems perspective) inform the design of community indicators?

What did we do? 1.Formulated an Indicator Design Process 2.Implemented the process to develop a set of indicators to track a community’s planning process

Indicator Design Process 1.Success Criteria Distinct Necessary Sufficient Concrete General 2.Current Reality 3.Indicator Brainstorm 4.Evaluate Indicators

Implementation Community Planning Expert Panel International Institute for Sustainable Development The Natural Step - Canada Federation of Canadian Municipalities Town of Cochrane Sustainability consultant

The planning process must... … apply Backcasting from the Sustainability Principles … have committed leadership … be participatory … be iterative and adaptive … be efficient and timely … be transparent Implementation Success Criteria:

Implementation Current Reality – Gaps Community engagement? Departmental segregation Reactionary initiatives Shared understanding Lack of strategy Few sustainability policies

Implementation Brainstorming & Evaluating Indicators Average level of public satisfaction in quality of participation activities in the past year. (1-5: not satisfied to very satisfied)

Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development Generic Model for Indicator Design Sustainable Community Planning 6 Success Criteria 18 Process Indicators

Final Results Indicator design process for various projects An outline of an ideal planning process Set of Indicators to track a planning process

Next Steps Canadian Sustainability Indicators Network – Sept 30 Publication Further Research: Testing Success Criteria and PPIs Tracking PPIs links to SEIs Testing indicator design process outside of community context

Validity Who can use this? Indicator Design Process? Success Criteria & Indicators?

Questions?

How does this relate to sustainability practitioners and community change agents?

Conclusion Justification Our research How it relates to you “We gotta keep score when we do this; we have to be honest. And we have to be relaxed about the fact that not everything we do will work. It’ll be a terrible thing if we get three years down the road and people say, ‘oh, you inflated your progress, you didn’t keep score.’” –Bill Clinton, USGBC Greenbuild Conference, 2007

Thank You! RESOURCES: Researchers’ – Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability – Natural Step Canada – Whistler 2020 – Sustainable Development Indicators: Proposals for a Way Forward, Lázló Pintér, Peter Hardi, and Peter Bartelmus The Natural Step for Communities, Sarah James and Torbjorn Lahti

 2008 The Natural Step International NGO Scientific approach Holistic, generic framework Strategic advice & education Leadership and role models Innovative tools and services Networks & partnerships The Natural Step