Guide for Services
"2. ...contributing to the achievement of sustainable development is reflected in the authority's objectives and highlighted in all strategies and plans at corporate and service levels (Chapter 7)
As well mainstreaming at the corporate level, sustainable development has to be relevant to all strategies, plans and delivery at service level. The typical question to be answered is "what would a sustainable development approach to education or economic development look like?" This section considers this for all of the main service areas.
In this section, the guidance provides a self-assessment questionnaire relating to potential Paths to Improvement. This is designed to enable authorities to assess their current position. It also sets a framework within which an authority may, step by step, progressively engage more fully with sustainable development.
To meet this challenge, for each service this toolkit poses a number of questions suggesting Paths to Improvement against which authorities can assess the stage reached. On the right hand side of each 'Paths to Improvement' table are three columns headed 'Policy', 'Being Implemented', and 'Outcomes'. These stages enable the authority to assess whether they have reached the stage of policy; or progressed to implementation; or have moved on to reach outcomes. The stages are defined below:
Within this section of the toolkit you will find guidance on how to make sense of how various Council services are contributing to sustainable development, and how this could be improved.
Within each service-specific section (listed below the banner above) you will find an overview of sustainable development in relation to your service and a list of possible paths to improvement. You will also find downloadable pdfs and word versions of each section: these have been widely used as local training resources, and the word document can be adapted according to your local priorities.
| Policy | The Council has considered the topic, then adopted a policy to address it. There is a commitment and decision to seek change and improvement; and outcomes are being set. |
| Being Implemented | The Council is implementing policy; this is reflected in financial allocations; revenue and/or capital allocations; plans and strategies for the topic; agreement with relevant partner agencies; staff responsibilities and job descriptions. Resources and procedures are in place to secure change and improvement. |
| Outcomes | The outcomes of the policy are being measured, and there are measurable deliverables. Change and improvement is being achieved, and is being monitored and reported. |
It must be stressed that the process of continuous improvement is not prescriptive:
- If this chapter does not pose the right questions for you please adapt the questionnaire accordingly. Many local authorities have done this, to great effect.
- It is also not intended that the questionnaire should be used solely as a checklist with 'yes' or 'no' answers. Please add columns to the table, such as - what evidence do you have to show that policy is being implemented? Who is responsible for this? When do we expect to deliver on this?