CASE STUDY:-

1. CASE STUDY:- Climate changes have become a major issue and a topic of discussion at local and international levels. I would like to share some of our experience, thoughts and approach from our involvement with the City and Metropolitan Administration (Local Autonomous Government) while implementing the initial RBME system for the city development plan that covered all sectors (i.e. Health, Education, Public Works, Sport and Tourism, Culture Development, Social Welfare, Community Development, Traffic, Transportation and Public Utilities, Environment, Urban Planning and Land Usage Management, Finance, Law Enforcement, Information Technology). The integrated RBME system was initiated while the development plan has been in its third year, and data from those first three years of the plan was being entered into the system. Resulting reports from various sectors have uncovered issues that prompted further analysis and discussions with local politicians as well as high level management to identify the issues and look for suitable approach and resolution. The following are examples of experience from environment sector where the approach could be applied to other sectors.

2. BACKGROUND:- The activities of the metropolitan Air Pollution Management Plan proposed by Environmental Control and Management Division are as follows: • Control and reduce emissions of particulate matter from the sources to accepted standard levels. • Reduce emission levels from vehicles through strict enforcement of inspection at roadsides. • Oversee and improve the licensing procedure of industrial operation in order to control industrial emissions. • Raise public awareness on air pollution problems, including the impact, and promote public participation. • Monitor air pollution and evaluate its impacts. • Increase capacity for metropolitan administration officials and provide equipment for measuring air pollution. • Support and encourage study and research on air quality. • Analysis of baseline information of the metropolitan city with population of 12 million found that in the year 2000 the number of vehicles registered in the metropolitan area was 4.5 million, an increase of 113% from 1991 and compared to 20 millions for the whole country. The increase in number of vehicles in metropolitan area is not proportionate to the increase of roads infrastructure and has caused traffic congestions and delays in transportation. Traffic speed survey in 2000 showed that during the rush hour, average speed was 10-12km/hour in the inner area, whereas it was 19-21km/hour in outer area. The number of transportation modes in metropolitan was 18.48 million person-trip/days, which was mass transit, 947 million person-trip/days (51.2%) and private vehicles 9.01 million person-trip/day (48.8%). • There were 12 mobile air pollution measurement units in the metropolitan area and inspections at roadsides were carried out on regular basis.

3. ISSUES IDENTIFIED:- Above outlined statistics however, had no link to any expected tangible input, activity and output to be achieved, to derive the expected outcome due to lack of integrated RBME information system. • Outcome statement for development plan was established: i.e. “Embrace Green City”.  Descriptive statement stipulated that a number of trees should be planted in the metropolitan area. The expected outcomes were set but failed to specify measurable outcome target due to lack of benchmark information. Also, there was no policy ownership. As a result, officials at the district level sought their own interpretation, which resulted in some districts being less green than other, leading to waste and emission reduction policy not being achieved.

4. Linkage: There was an ineffective information and process linkage between Policy (Policy and Planning Department) and/or Project (Environmental Control Department). Policy and Planning Department had no timely and relevant information link between the environment policy and feedback from the project, input, activity and output as well as the expected outcome. Feedback information was available but overwhelming volume of detail caused confusion and inability to pin down to the root cause of the pollution to be used in policy/project adjustment. • The linkage information between policy decision makers grass root must provide wider view rather than deep detailed information. Management seek relevant information to present to the decision makers (i.e. Politicians), but this information is not available.

5. Non integrated approach:Over many years, the environment control department performed selected area detailed analysis of the air pollution and applied appropriate actions to reduce pollution. Random check points were set up to test individual car emissions and issue on the spot fines, with detailed information recorded and reported to the policy and planning department. This had no impact on pollution reduction though, as the feedback information with this level of detail without linkage to the policy level was ignored by recipients. • Most experimental pilots seem to be focusing at the micro level, very detailed information, rather than more broad and high level information, relevant to policy decision makers (i.e. Permanent Secretary, Policy and Planning Director, Governors) to ensure long term sustainability with continuation of support and funding.

6. An example of non integrated approach- in other organisation, in 1992, Forestry Department has commissioned the pilot project to collect baseline data. Information collected was very detailed with inventory of stones, creeks, rivers, trees, etc., of one district in the province, assisted by imaging technology - Geographic Information System. Unfortunately, this Information gathered failed to provide relevant information to the Provincial Governor who was more interested in the overall information of all the districts in the province. To date, that pilot project has not extended beyond the original district. The investment was wasted.

7. Timely feedback of baseline information is also required. The feedback of social development information on yearly basis could be sufficient and yearly or three yearly policy adjustments could be required, but pollution outcome feedback may need to provide information more frequently as input, activity and output need more frequent adjustment than on the yearly basis to really affect the impact.

8. “Shop Front” Approach. Officials are constantly under the pressure to demonstrate good performance. There was an absence of constructive means of tackling water pollution problem and the need to show commitment to reducing pollution. In response to these the metropolitan officials diverted clean water from the main river into city’s various canals and released polluted water to the main river further down the stream – all to be seen as effort had been made and water pollution has reduced. • Ownership/Accountability: Traffic Restriction Zoning initiative was introduced by metropolitan administration but was not continued by the subsequent administration as no effective feedback information was established, leading to initiative not being shared, owned and stakeholders being accountable. • Using Influence: Through political contacts, the metropolitan administration requested the parliament to pass the legislation to allow building of an abattoir in the metropolitan area and sub-lease it to the private sector. Due to lack of effective RBME information system the opposition MP’s had no sufficient information (i.e. on waste to be released in the metropolitan area, impact on health, etc.) to counter and overthrow the proposal. • An example of non integrated approachin other organisation, in 1992, Forestry Department has commissioned the pilot project to collect baseline data. Information collected was very detailed with inventory of stones, creeks, rivers, trees, etc., of one district in the province, assisted by imaging technology - Geographic Information System. Unfortunately, this Information gathered failed to provide relevant information to the Provincial Governor who was more interested in the overall information of all the districts in the province. To date, that pilot project has not extended beyond the original district. The investment was wasted. • Timely feedback of baseline information is also required. The feedback of social development information on yearly basis could be sufficient and yearly or three yearly policy adjustments could be required, but pollution outcome feedback may need to provide information more frequently as input, activity and output need more frequent adjustment than on the yearly basis to really affect the impact.

9. APPROACH • The vertical movement of information is essential for emerging and developing countries, particularly from top to bottom where top level management must realise and understand the issues before they become involved in detailed information. • Integrated approach: Introduce the integrated approach facilitated by RBME information system that requires the policy/project indicator input, activity, output and outcome to be monitored and evaluated at macro and micro level with feedback information provided to all stakeholders concerned.   • Environment policy and project input, activity and output information is fed into RBME system and monitored and evaluated by Environment Control Department as well as Policy and Planning Department from the policy view point. Policy and Planning Department disseminate information for stakeholders concerned on a regular basis to inform on progress, gain their support and alert them of action taken.  • To be able to provide overview information to high level management as well as address other stakeholders concerned (i.e. Policy/Planning Director, District Director, Local Politician, Environmental Control Department officials), initial project should be focused on wider area with fewer details.

10. Harmonisation and Coordination: All stakeholders approach and policies should be harmonised and coordinated, facilitated by RBME information system (i.e. Social Development Department’s responsibility is to develop and improve public parks under the social development sector where trees must be planted; the output should be reported also in the environmental sector) • Tracking target: Without the RBME System, the input, activity and output could not be tracked to ensure quantifiable target is set and progress monitored. Unachievable indicator target (input, activity and output) make target outcome impossible to be reached, i.e. during the first three years of the development plan there was a target of planting 48,000 trees but this target was not tracked. Only with introduction of RBME information system, government could effectively monitor the environmental policy/project as well as other active 6,000 projects of other policies and sectors that may or may not be related to the environment sector. 

11. Adjustment Policy/Project: RBME system should, as first priority, monitor and evaluate to ensure the inputs, activities and output are performed as expected. Then the pollution outcome could be measured to see the effectiveness of those completed activities and output. This would then allow adjustment to the policy, if there is a shortfall, with adjustment to related project to achieve expected policy outcome. RBME information system allows the environment control department officials to provide relevant feedback to the policy and planning department for the policy/plan initiation and adjustment as well as disseminating information to other stakeholders to improve awareness of the pollution and its impact. • Accountability: Input, output and outcome are recorded at various levels, i.e. department, district, location, policy/strategy/project, and periodically, ensuring all stakeholders are aware and participate in achieving reduced pollution outcome. • Continuity: To ensure continuity, the metropolitan administration officials should be trained and budget allocated for the continuing usage, maintenance and development of the solution. Historical data and continuous data entry is required for comparison over period of time after implementation and for adjustment of the policy and project, with RBME information dissemination ensuring stakeholders participation.

12. RESOLUTION OPTIONS With consideration for the above reasons deployment of effective RBME system is needed. Effective RBME System should facilitate the following: - Provide the linkage between the policy/planning and the project unit (i.e. input, activity and output) and policy/plan and outcome data collection (i.e. Environment Control Department/District and Policy Makers/Politicians) - Only essential pollution data should be collected to minimise effort and cost and avoid data dump. • To increase effectiveness of the pollution • outcome indicator data collection, low cost • and simple equipment with only selected • qualities collection should be deployed over • maximum area for more integrated data • collection approach and to eliminate manual • data entry. Manual data entry is not advised • as it introduces the risk of data error as well • as irregular entries, which would then have • negative impact on periodical comparison.

13. CONCLUSION • The use of RBME System to assist the emerging and developing countries to help eradicate poverty, enhance economic growth, eradicate corruption or improve population health, or to reduce pollution, enables the follow through from the initial establishment of the integrated RBME information system that can identify issues and problems and realise the priority of the issues to follow through. Upon discussions with relevant stakeholders concerned, the appropriate approach and action can be initiated. • Understanding of issues of concern does not come about from the outcome statement by top management or stakeholders, as they may only see the problems or issues within their own area of involvement and interest. Even the elected politicians would rather pursue the issues from the election mandate that may not be relevant to the issues of Development Goals. • Integrated RBME system implementation should be established as the tool and to provide the roadmap to realise the suitable outcome statement as well as baseline information system that can provide foundation from which to build organisation’s growth while maintaining discussions with the stakeholders concerned (to identify needs).

14. ACTIVITY:- • We intended to focus only on one or two departments in their policy and planning section (Water and Sanitation Department...one or two indicators) as introduced by politician (Friend) • Government guidelines stipulated that the Monitoring and Evaluation Information System must be implemented at the Policy and Planning Department (not a Friend) across the government. • We had to make friends even though not all department directors have agreed with our proposed information system. • The politician backing allowed us to continue pursing. • Budget was allocated and approved by Policy and Planning Department's General Director. • The project was assigned to Deputy General Director, who unfortunately was not convinced about the project - this resulted in 12 months delay. (Capacity Building) • Finally agreed on monitoring and evaluation of 6th Development Plan.

15. OUTPUT/OUTCOME:- • Whole Government approach for all sectors • Faced resistance by key stake holders • All stakeholders participated but reluctantly. • After converting the past data and current data recorded by the district project officers.and being able to demonstrate various monitoring and evaluation - the stake holders accepted the idea as their own. • Champion and Friend have been created while implementing and pursuing capacity building.

16. ASSUMPTION/RISK:- • Used Pre-Developed RBME system to fast track capacity building and to be able to demonstrate outcome from the RBME system very quickly. • “Don't try this at home”, unless you are certain of solid backing