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

1. Policy Uses of Community Indicator Projects: Social andPolicy learning from Seattle to Vancouver Meg Holden, Ph.D. Urban Studies Program Simon Fraser University CSIN Learning Event, 8 December 2005 URBAN STUDIES PROGRAM

2. 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

3. 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

4. The Ideal Policy Cycle . . . Where do indicators fit?

5. 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

6. 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”

7. The Pyramid Model of Policy and Social Learning

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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 S2 Policy Impacts 3: Study processes of change within communities and across fluid boundaries “[Sustainable Seattle] was great because frankly, I would call them up and say, you know, we’ve 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

13. S2 Diffusion of Board Members in Government, NGO, For Profit Sectors

14. S2 Policy Impacts 4: The diffusion of knowledge to a system of policy practice

16. 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 region’s many faces and voices, deepest feelings and highest goals. • RVu Goals – “The 3 Cs” • At RVu, we’re counting on a Vancouver region that is up for the challenge of urban sustainable development. Our goals are to: • Connectand coordinate critical indicators for the region; • Capacity-Buildvia partnerships with existing indicator projects in the region and existing community and research networks; • Communicateour process and results to local decision makers and others via multiple media and learning channels.

17. 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 • Network’s 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

18. 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

19. RVu Organizational Structure Sponsors Membership/ Resources Advisory Board Phase 2 Committee Committee Public Process/Study Groups

20. RESEARCH ADVISORY PROCESS (JUN – DEC 05): Focusing our Existing View BC Sprawl Report ICSC Cities +30 SE False Creek Public Investment Model RIIM

21. 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

22. 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.

23. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! FIND OUT MORE AT www.rvu.ca CONTACT US AT info@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.