Policy Uses of Community Indicator Projects: Social and Policy learning from Seattle to Vancouver

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Policy Uses of Community Indicator Projects
Social and Policy learning from Seattle to
Vancouver

• Meg Holden, Ph.D.
• Urban Studies Program
• Simon Fraser University

CSIN Learning Event, 8 December 2005
URBAN STUDIES PROGRAM
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Outline of presentation

• Expectations of Policy Uses of Community and
  Sustainability Indicators Depend on the Policy
  Model in Use
• The Rational Model
• The Ideal Policy Cycle
• The Take-Off Point Model
• The Deep Measures Model
• The Pyramid Model
• Lessons about Policy Uses of Indicators from
  Sustainable Seattle
• A New Experiment The Regional Vancouver Urban
  Observatory

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What impacts are expected of community and
sustainability indicator studies?

• The Rational Model
• H1 Indicator trends are used to inform policy
  decisions.
• H2 Improving indicator trends is a major policy
  objective.

Better Information
Better Cities
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The Ideal Policy Cycle
. . . Where do indicators fit?
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The Take-Off Point Model of Indicator Uptake via
Social Learning
Sustainable Development?
   
4th Indicator Report (2006?)
3rd Indicator Report (1998)
                           
                 
2nd Indicator Report (1995)
Neighborhood Indicators Project (2003)
SOCIAL LEARNING
 
 
 
1st Indicator Report (1993)
S2 Civic Forum
1st Earth Day
Status Quo Development
2000
2005
1970
1990
TIME
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The Deep Measures Model for Embedding
Sustainability Indicators in Social Institutions
INDICATORS INCEPTION

• A process of Beach Head Work that is
• Collaborative
• Linkage-oriented
• Power-sensitive
• In addition to focusing on measuring and
  monitoring

• DEEP MEASURES
• Learning that is social
• Attitude-shifting in all 4 dimensions
• Effective across professional networks
• Form new norms and institutions

TAKE-OFF Getting out of the shallows
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The Pyramid Model of Policy and Social Learning
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insights in social learning

• Information becomes knowledge through a process
  of coding that is not transparent.
• Knowledge and knowledge transfer hold people and
  groups together in different ways.
• Agents in a community of inquirers are bound to
  one another by a commitment to enhance a
  particular codebook of knowledge.
• Knowledge and the community of inquirers are
  constantly in a state of flux.
• Knowledge spreads differently outside a knowledge
  community.

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insights in policy learning

• Fluid boundaries among government, ngo, and
  private sectors enable exchange and innovation
• Policy areas with poorly defined jurisdictions of
  responsibility can be opportunities for sharing
  the risk and recognition for innovation
• Policy makers imaginations are captured by
  demonstrable ideas that fit within the conceptual
  language of committed frameworks
• Policy windows of opportunity for innovation and
  anchoring of new approaches and information can
  arise unexpectedly

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• S2 Policy Impacts 1 Identify communities of
  inquirers as units of analysis, recognizing mixed
  jurisdictions

Nov. 8, 1993 20 indicators, 200 volunteers, over
2500 copies sold Nov. 15, 1995 40 indicators,
250 volunteers, over 4500 copies sold Apr. 20,
1998 40 indicators, 75 volunteers, approx. 1000
copies sold
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• S2 Policy Impacts 2 Investigate tacit knowledge
  by studying group routines and imaginations

• In September 1991, S2 established a set of seven
  goals
• To educate ourselves and other citizens about the
  values, principles, and practices of
  sustainability
• To provide a forum for dialogue about the meaning
  and practice of sustainability
• To seek to establish sustainability as a key
  criterion in planning and decision-making
• To facilitate the development of cooperative
  partnerships in efforts to move toward
  sustainability
• To monitor sustainability through developing
  indicators of economic, cultural and
  environmental health
• To identify, encourage, and link existing efforts
  for sustainability 7. To work together to build
  a more sustainable way of life.

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• S2 Policy Impacts 3 Study processes of change
  within communities and across fluid boundaries

• Observable but Indirect Policy Impacts
• Comprehensive Planning Process Toward a
  Sustainable Seattle (1994)
• New city Office of Sustainability and
  Environment (2000)
• Sustainability Job Titles in 5 Other City
  Departments
• Series of New Sustainability Indicator Projects

Sustainable Seattle was great because frankly,
I would call them up and say, you know, weve got
to do an indicator in this area, do you guys have
some ideas? And they would because they had
thought about it and tried out some things . .
.they were the beginners, we all learned from
them. . . And so we literally borrowed some of
their ways to track things. We had to make it
pretty much up as we went along. -- Cynthia
Moffitt, Director of Growth Management Benchmark
program
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S2 Diffusion of Board Members in Government, NGO,
For Profit Sectors
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S2 Policy Impacts 4 The diffusion of knowledge
to a system of policy practice
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(No Transcript)
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• RVu Vision
• RVu will be a long term observatory for our
  region with integrated public engagement,
  research, and reporting functions. Its outlook is
  toward continuous learning and action for
  sustainable development. At RVu, we believe
  better information will build our region stronger
  when indicators and information systems reflect
  our regions many faces and voices, deepest
  feelings and highest goals.
• RVu Goals The 3 Cs
• At RVu, were counting on a Vancouver region that
  is up for the challenge of urban sustainable
  development. Our goals are to
• Connect and coordinate critical indicators for
  the region
• Capacity-Build via partnerships with existing
  indicator projects in the region and existing
  community and research networks
• Communicate our process and results to local
  decision makers and others via multiple media and
  learning channels.

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Global Connections and Divergent Views

• RVu is a member of the Global Urban Observatory
  Networkhttp//www.unchs.org/programmes/guo/
• Headquartered at UN-Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya
  with over 100 member local urban observatories
• Established in 1997 to support local partners,
  authorities, private sector communities
  evaluate monitor performance, at first in
  housing indicators/shelter
• LUOs have provided a unique technical-assistance
  based link between UN-Habitat and member cities
• Networks effectiveness has been limited by the
  lack of expertise/lack of reliable comparable
  data and lack of capacity of the GUO to provide
  sufficient technical and strategic assistance

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RVu A New Model for Indicator Policy Effects
New consensus for strategies and action
Diverse Perspectives
Better Information Better Cities
Different Priorities
Social, Community, and Political Capacity for
Change
Alliances among existing networks communities
of inquirers
Developing habits of appreciative and challenging
inquiry
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RVu Organizational Structure
Sponsors
Membership/ Resources
Advisory Board
Phase 2
Committee
Committee
Public Process/Study Groups
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RESEARCH ADVISORY PROCESS (JUN DEC 05)
Focusing our Existing View
BC Sprawl Report
ICSC Cities 30
SE False Creek Public Investment Model
RIIM
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• STUDY GROUP
• PROCESS
• (Oct 24 Apr 3)
• Expanding Our View
• Formation of 8 study groups of 8-15 participants
  around self-selected priority issues or focal
  points
• 6-month process of face-to-face workshops,
  on-line discussion and events toward
  citizen-based indicator recommendations
• Build on existing body of work in focus areas
  for the region
• Identify 1-3 headline indicators to track
  performance by 2015

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• CRUNCH COMMUINCATION PROCESS
• (MAR JUN 06 and beyond)
• Relating and Reflecting on Our View
• World Urban Forum 3 pre-workshop, launch and
  networking events with local residents and
  international GUO members
• Counting on Vancouver Our view of the region,
  mixing process and outcome lessons of RVu
• Special issue of Cities Journal reporting on the
  expert process
• Work with partners to communicate key indicator
  results widely, in different languages (including
  policy language!) and education formats
• Work with SFU graduate students and other
  partners to develop plans for original data
  collection
• Renewed engagement cycles and ongoing
  monitoring.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! FIND OUT MORE AT
www.rvu.ca CONTACT US AT info_at_rvu.ca OR
604.291.5948
The RVu Project Team thanks our funders, Western
Economic Diversification Canada, the Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the
SFU Urban Studies Program our Advisory Board
members, our Research Advisors, and all our
participants and partners.