Framework for Planning and Evaluating Livable and Inclusive Community Initiatives

1. Framework for Planning and Evaluating Livable and Inclusive Community Initiatives

2. Content INTRODUCTION • What Makes a Livable and Inclusive Community (LIC)? • Purpose/Use of Framework CONCEPT MODEL FOR LICs THE LIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK • Core Action #1 - Stakeholders and Community Engagement • Core Action #2 - Inclusive Community Initiatives • Core Action #3 - Creating Inclusive Visions • Core Action #4 - Sustainability LIC EVALUATION FRAMEWORK • Core Reflection #1 - Stakeholders and Community Engagement • Core Reflection #2 - Inclusive Community Initiatives • Core Reflection #3 - Creating Inclusive Visions • Core Reflection #4 - Sustainability Glossary

3. Introduction What makes a Livable and Inclusive Community (LIC)? ● Equal access to quality community necessities and amenities. ● Same opportunities to take part in all aspects of community life. ● Sense of belonging and respect in the community. Purpose/Use of LIC Frameworks? ● Plan social initiatives (i.e. policies, programs, projects) that contribute to LICs. ● Evaluate existing initiatives to determine whether they contribute to LICs. By using these frameworks, planners can: ● Prevent duplication of initiatives and resources. ● Make the community more inclusive. ● Ensure more people benefit. ● Plan in more creative and holistic ways.

4. Things to Note • When we talk about “planners”, we mean everyone involved in the process of planning an initiative – this is not limited to professional planners. • These frameworks are NOT meant to replace traditional planning tools and processes. Instead, they have been designed to supplement or add to them. • Remember that a Livable and Inclusive community is an IDEAL community to strive for.

6. LIC Concept Model: Circle

7. LIC Concept Model: Overlay

8. LIC Concept Model: Core Action/Reflection Arrows The core actions to plan an LIC initiative The core reflections to evaluate an initiative that contribute to LICs. They include: ● Stakeholder and Community Engagement: to bring stakeholders together and overcoming “siloed” thinking ● Inclusive Community Initiative: to put the initiative in its broad community contexts ● Creating Inclusive Visions: to set out or review the values, goals, and desired community impacts of the initiative ● Sustainability: to look toward the future

10. LIC Planning Framework • The LIC planning framework has been designed to help develop initiatives (i.e. policies, projects, or programs) • Initiatives may focus on: • a specific population group or multiple groups • a particular issue or multiple issues. • To incorporate these guidelines into the planning process.

11. Core Action 1: Stakeholders and Community Engagement Bring stakeholders to the table and overcome “siloed” planning! Rationale: • To promote the meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, particularly the people for whom the initiative is being developed • To overcome “siloed” thinking, connecting key people with different perspectives from different community components. • Consider the stakeholders who are going to be invited to the table. • Develop strategies for inviting and engaging stakeholders across a broad range of community components and contexts, which will help to overcome “siloed” thinking. • Consider the community components and contexts that individual stakeholders are involved in or represent. • Examine stakeholders’ backgrounds • Consider the capacity and authority that each stakeholder brings, given their association with public (government) and/or private domains. • Determine the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, ensuring their commitment and meaningful engagement. • Create an “ethical space” where divergent views and differences in knowledge can be respectfully expressed and heard.

12. Core Action 2: Inclusive Community Initiatives Situate the initiative within the community! Rationale: • To understand how the initiative fits within the broader community’s priorities • To overcome “siloed” planning • To become more aware of the impact of considering multiple overlays • Put your initiative in the community’s political, social, economic contexts. • Identify the main target group(s) of your initiative and other groups who might benefit. • Explore existing initiatives across various community components and domains that might be supported by your initiative. • Identify existing initiatives across various community components and domains that might support your initiative. • Plan for the ways that your initiative will contribute to the reduction of future isolation and/or marginalization of community members. • Identify those people who would benefit from your initiative and are subject to the social barriers and the factors related to vulnerability and marginalization (overlays). • Consider ways to address the barriers to inclusivity.

13. Core Action 3: Creating Inclusive Visions Set out the values, goals, and desired community impacts of the initiative! Rationale: • To ensure that initiatives address the principles of inclusivity • To promote equal access and opportunities to community life • To foster a sense of belonging and respect of all community members • Identify the goal(s), values and desired community impact(s) of your initiative. • Focus on promoting equal access and opportunities to community life for all • community members, keeping in mind the social barriers and the factors related to vulnerability and marginalization (overlays). • Ensure the goals of your initiative address issues of its accessibility and affordability • for all community members. • (d) Focus on fostering a sense of belonging and respect for all community members. • Consider the ways you will evaluate the progress and success of your initiative based on its goals and values.

14. Core Action 4: Sustainability Look toward the future! Rationale: • To consider the ways that the initiative carries the value of inclusivity over time. • To consider the ways that the initiative enhance future collaboration between key players from a broad range of community components • Consider ways in which the initiative might enhance future collaboration between and among key players from a broad range of community components. • Consider whether the impact(s) of the initiative to the community is/are meant to be sustained over time (short-term, mid-term, long-term). • If the initiative is meant to be sustained over time by people other than the planning stakeholders, consider how to ensure the values and principles of the initiative are maintained.

15. LIC Evaluation Framework The LIC evaluation framework has been designed to help evaluate initiatives (i.e. policies, projects, or programs): • Your own initiative • Any initiative in the public or private domain • A completed initiative or on-going initiative Evaluating an initiative based on this framework will help: • Critique an existing initiative to advocate for change • Examine an on-going initiative to identify areas for improvement • Examine a completed initiative to help in future planning

16. Core Reflection 1: Stakeholders and Community Engagement Who was at the table and was “siloed” thinking overcome? Rationale: To examine how the initiative overcame “siloed” thinking by : • including all the key players and stakeholders across a broad range of community components and contexts. • taking into account the stakeholders’ backgrounds and their influences on the initiative. • Did the planners include all the key players and stakeholders across a broad range of community components and contexts, which helped to overcome “siloed” thinking? • Which community components were stakeholders involved in or represent? • What other community groups benefited from or contribute to the initiative? • (b) What were the stakeholders’ backgrounds? How did their backgrounds affect the contribution of the initiative to a LIC? • Given their association with public/private domains, did each stakeholder have the capacity and authority so that the initiative made a meaningful contribution to a LIC? • Did stakeholders make meaningful commitment and engagement in accordance with their roles and responsibilities identified? • Was an “ethical space” created, where divergent views and differences in knowledge were respectfully expressed and heard for the stakeholders? If so, how was it created?

17. Core Reflection 2: Inclusive Community Initiatives How was the initiative situated in the community? Rationale: • To understand how the initiative fits within the broader community’s priorities • To examine how the initiative benefited a wide range of vulnerable and marginalized community members • To examine how the initiative addressed barriers to the inclusion of vulnerable or marginalized community members • Who was(were) the main target group(s) of the initiative? Were other groups who might benefit from the initiative considered as well? • Did the stakeholders consider other initiatives that supported their initiative? If so, what were the initiatives and within which community components and domains were they associated? • Did the stakeholders consider other initiatives that their initiative could have supported? If so, what were the initiatives and within which community components and domains were they associated? • How did the initiative reduce the isolation or marginalization of community members? • Which vulnerable or marginalized groups benefited from the initiative (overlays)? • Which other vulnerable or marginalized groups could have benefited from the initiative? • What barriers to the inclusion of vulnerable or marginalized groups were addressed? • Were there any other barriers that the initiative failed to address?

18. Core Reflection 3: Creating Inclusive Visions What were the values, goals, and community impacts of the initiative? Rationale: • To examine how the initiative promoted equal access and opportunities to a wide range of vulnerable and marginalized community members • To examine how the initiative fostered a sense of belonging and respect for vulnerable and marginalized community members • Did the initiative set out goal(s), values, and community impacts? • Did the initiative promote equal access and opportunities, and affordability? If so, how did it do so? • Did the initiative foster a sense of belonging and respect for all community members? If so, how did it do so?

19. Core Reflection 4: Sustainability What is the vision of the initiative looking toward the future?! Rationale: • To examine how the initiative enhanced collaboration among key players from a broad range of community components. • To examine how the initiative maintained the value of inclusivity over time. • To examine the contribution of the initiative to a Livable and Inclusive Community. • Has the initiative enhanced collaboration between and among key players from a broad range of community components? If so, how did it do so? • Was the initiative sustained over time by people other than the planning stakeholders? If so, were the values and principles of the initiative maintained after the transition? • How did the initiative contribute to a LIC (short-term, long-term)?

20. Glossary Community Components Ten common aspects of a community that all community members rely upon or access: (a) Health & wellbeing, (b) Education, (c) Income, employment & volunteering, (d) Relationships, (e) Business, (f) Supports (formal/informal), (g) Natural environment, (h) Built environment, (i) Transportation, and (j) Recreation/culture. These may be treated as though they are separate but are often actually inter-related. Community Contexts The political, economic and social/cultural environments, which affect all communities. Considering contexts requires thinking about how the community thinks about issues on a scale (e.g. left of centre, centre, right of centre). Core Actions The activities that are carried out when planning for livable and inclusive communities. These actions are based upon principles, which have been taken from previous work on livable and inclusive communities. Core Reflections The questions that are thought about when evaluating an existing initiative. These reflections help people to discover whether an initiative has been planned with inclusion in mind. Community Domains The areas that are public and private within all communities. The term “public domain” refers to those areas within the scope of governmental authority. The term “private domain” refers to all areas outside of the public domain.

21. Glossary (cont.) • Livable and Inclusive Communities • An ideal community based on the following principles: • All people have access to quality community necessities and amenities • All people, regardless of any difference, have the same opportunities to take part in all aspects of • community life • All people, regardless of any difference, have a sense of belonging and respect in the community. • Overlays • Are factors which can lead to more social vulnerability and marginalization. Planning for initiatives which work toward livable and inclusive communities includes thinking about and considering these factors at different stages. • Silos • Thinking and/or acting in ways that do not consider more than one perspective, view, or community component.