Evaluation for sustainability
The pursuit of sustainability for our communities is increasingly
becoming seen as 'core business' by local governments, and community
demands to be not only financially but environmentally, socially
and even culturally accountable presents challenges and opportunities
for all local governments…
Evaluating policies, projects and plans that have an impact on
transport choices against sustainability criteria is an important
part of an Integrated Transport Strategy, especially as there are
many powerful benefits that will be seen in environmental and social
as well as economic indicators. Evaluating projects beyond their
financial costs allows the full impacts of a project to be more
comprehensively determined and not only allows outcomes that effect
a community's sustainability to be reported, acted upon and promoted
but can also develop better council policy and practice at all levels.
This section of the toolkit gives consideration to the important
benefits of integrated transport planning to health, environment
and social outcomes and gives guidance on how to develop reporting
methods that reflect these important indicators and bring substantial
benefits to the community.
Key information for this whole section is contained in the following
library folders:
Many councils are now learning to utilise evaluation and reporting
methods that go beyond the financial "bottom line" by
using methodologies such as Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting.
This is a robust system of reporting that not only seeks to balance
and integrate financial, environmental and social accountability
but also provides a system that can align the entire council with
achieving sustainable outcomes through development as a whole organisation
rather than as a collection of departments. For example some of
the researched and reported benefits of the TBL approach have been
documented to go beyond good reporting and planning:
- Embedding sound corporate governance and ethics systems throughout
all levels of an organisation.
- Improved management of risk through enhanced management systems
and performance monitoring.
- Formalising and enhancing communication with key stakeholders
such as the finance sector, suppliers, community and customers.
- Attracting and retaining competent staff by demonstrating an
organisation is focused on values and its long-term existence.
- Provides the ability to benchmark both within and across sectors
In the context of the new council planning requirements of the
Local Government Act, the consultation undertaken with the community
to develop the Community Plan is a powerful opportunity to provide
the community with a better understanding of community challenges
and assets, and can be used to drive community change and positive
mobility outcomes through the development of broadly agreed indicators
that reflect community values.
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