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The purpose of this briefing note is to report back on the results of a Best Practices Scan in Triple Bottom Line Decision
Making undertaken in mid-2010 and to discuss how the TBL thinking will be
developed going forward.
Background
As part of 2010 Budget Deliberations, the following direction was given
at a special budget meeting for Planning and Economic Development Committee:
“That staff in Community Sustainability examine
best practices from other municipalities with regards to sustainable
decision-making and triple bottom line approaches.”
What is Triple Bottom Line?
TBL is best thought of as an approach and set of supporting processes to
explicitly consider, manage, measure and publicly
report multi-dimensional performance. It provides a platform for discussion
within the City and community. It is also directly aligned with concept of a ‘sustainability
mindset’ and the four dimensions of sustainability (e.g. economic,
environmental, social and cultural).
Best Practices Scan in Triple Bottom Line Decision Making
In response to this direction, a high level scan of 20 organizations
(mainly Canadian municipalities) was carried out as the basis for a best
practices scan of seven organizations (Calgary, Hamilton, Port Coquitlam,
Toronto, Victoria, Whistler, BC Hydro). Key person interviews and a document/website
review of the seven organizations were also conducted.
This work focussed on the following key questions: How are TBL (or
sustainable) approaches integrated into decision-making? What has worked well
and what has not? and What tools/supporting frameworks
are being used?
Key Findings
The following is a summary of the key findings:
Ø Few organizations have integrated
sustainability (or TBL) considerations into all levels of planning and
decision-making
Ø Four distinct approaches are being used:
§ Formal policy statements – which create an explicit commitment to using
sustainability (or TBL) approaches to decision-making within the
organization
§ Integration into business planning and
budgeting processes –
where specific tools, approaches or processes are integrated into core business
planning and budget processes
§ Integration into specific processes/projects –where tools and approaches are designed for
specific processes (such as procurement, major capital projects, land
development, etc.)
§ Integration into reporting – the creation of standard section within
staff reports that assess a given initiative against TBL/sustainability impacts
Ø Tools that are not designed correctly have
little value or are seen as more paperwork
Ø Works
best when developed on systematic and integrated basis
Overall Conclusions
Ø
Municipal
approaches to sustainability decision-making and reporting vary widely and most
are just beginning (with exception of Whistler)
Ø
To be
successful, sustainability thinking (the 'mindset') must be integrated on
a systematic basis across the corporation and be supported by training.
How is the City using TBL Currently?
Triple bottom line thinking has been incorporated into a number of
project and program decisions made by the City to date, however the specific
approach has varied from project to project. The following are two examples:
· Ottawa
River Action Plan – which included a range of
assessment factors that looked at the environment and social impact of the City’s
investment.
·
Neighbourhood Planning Initiative – which
used TBL in the development of the implementation strategy for the Vars
Neighbourhood Plan.
Looking Forward - Integrating Sustainable
Decision-Making and Triple Bottom Line Approaches
As part of the Choosing our Future (CoF) initiative, TBL will be
integrated into City decision-making in two ways:
1) Creation of a Sustainability/Resiliency Lens
A
Sustainability/Resiliency Lens is a tool that informs and assists with the
decision making process at many different levels. The Lens will use one common filter
that can be applied to different contexts.
Examples of its tailored application include: procurement, capital
projects, economic development, development applications, and budgeting.
The lens can be
applied at the initiation phase of a project or initiative and again at the
public decision phase (Council). It has
not yet been determined how and when the lens will be used. One aspect of the
lens could be to include a comment on TBL within each committee and Council
report (perhaps within a term of council strategic priorities section or other
appropriate section). The public reporting of such
performance would also demonstrate leadership and accountability to residents.
2)
Facilitated sustainability/resiliency
self-assessment process
In conjunction
with the sustainability lens described above, a self-assessment process (and
workbook) will also be developed to help City departments operationalize
sustainability, including associated strategies and adoption of sustainability
targets.
The
self-assessment process will assess the current environment and help to
identify the specific actions that can improve sustainability performance. During
the self-assessment process, the Sustainability/Resiliency Lens will be
introduced to link the City’s long-term sustainability goals to near term
decision making.
During the Fall of 2011, four to six pilot sessions will be conducted for
selected services and plans to test the process.
The use of the tool will require
capacity building for both those who will use and apply the tool.
Further information and related
recommendations on the development of a TBL lens will be brought forward to
Environment Committee as part of the Choosing our Future initiative.
Ultimately, the approach taken will need to align with Council’s priorities as
determined for each term of Council.
Sincerely,
Original
signed by
Johanne Levesque
c.c.: Kent
Kirkpatrick, City Manager
Nancy
Schepers, Deputy City Manager, ISCS
Chris
Swail, Manager, Deputy City Manager’s Office, ISCS
Michael
Murr, Manager, Sustainability Planning and Development
Carole
Legault, Committee Coordinator, Executive Committee