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

Results/Discussion

Improved/AdaptableRobertsfors Model

Possible Generic Improvements

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 PrinciplesNature 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 PerspectiveInstilling 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