Developing whole town strategy

WHOLE TOWN STRATEGY

(Pyrgos lead town)

SUMMARY

·        How can we define a WTS?

We see a “Whole town strategy” as an integrated and detailed model framework, specifying the strategic planning through which a small town will sustain its development.

·        What does an integrated approach mean?

Rather than focusing on target items in isolation, these are seen within a broader strategy context as components of a whole.

·        What does strategic planning mean?

Strategic Planning is an organized process to achieve a goal. If you want a strategy, you need planning. Ad hoc decision-making/action is often no key to success in a long time perspective. A strategic approach goes beyond that and goes beyond short political mandates, so better serving the interests of the whole community.

The Strategic Planning theory suggests four classical steps and we think we can recognise them in SusSET philosophy:

1. Local situation/SWOT analysis (i.e. town profiles, positioning and audits, stock taking and exchanges of experiences on the ground…)
2. Setting broad objectives/vision for the future (i.e. sustaining small expanding towns)
3. Setting strategy options and planning actions (i.e. themes and themes development)
4. Monitoring and evaluation process (to be left aside meanwhile)

We want to focus on themes and their development.

·        The themes

Our model provides the 5 original SusSET themes (see chart). We are looking forward to hearing the other lead towns’ presentations on this.

Pyrgos is suggesting 5 other themes to complement the above, potentially relevant to small expanding towns. For each of these last themes’ “ideas” for action planning are suggested. They are neither compelling nor exhaustive, just examples.

We consider action planning very important. It specifies the agreed broad strategy (the selected “themes”). It establishes what has to be done and can be done, within the existing limitations of feasibility, time, budget, human and political resources, etc. This is what we can call the WHAT.

In practice, as an implementing method, and this is the HOW, agreed actions can be usefully complemented by Recommendations, i.e. suggested practical ways to translate them into practice ( ex: necessary legislative acts, practical steps or tangible actions to be taken, required partnerships, best practices to follow and so on, according to individual situations). That’s why we filled in some fitting best practices other towns sent to us as a contribution to our work, as an example.

We stress that all along the planning process, dialogue with local stakeholders/actors is considered of vital importance.

The model framework is meant as a flexible tool to help and bring about positive changes. It can be adapted to individual needs, providing a guidance to establish individual town strategic planning.

These are the basic ideas of our work.

Ø      Do we agree on the need of a WTS to support small expanding towns?

Ø      How many of us apply a WTS or are likely to start one?

Ø      Which could be the alternative?

Ø      Do we agree on the themes?

Ø      Do we agree on the suggested action planning and implementing method?

Ø      In an ideal world, ideas for action planning and related best practices could build up the “content” of each “theme” (i.e. how to implement the what). However, we are likely to be short of material. How to fill the gap? Are we able to cope with it? Shall we leave it to researchers? Other suggestions?

Ø      At the time of this draft, we did not have all the contribution from other lead towns and towns. Once all the material in place, themes 6 to 10, if agreed on, are likely to be reshuffled to avoid overlapping and duplications with the original SusSET themes 1 to 5.