Our review of the project has highlighted strengths and weaknesses. The main strengths are:
- SusSET has identified the importance of small towns within member states and Europe; potentially small towns have a significant role in contributing towards territorial cohesion and sustainable development;
- SusSET has identified some common themes that a number of partners are developing together;
- SusSET is seeking to develop, as its main output, a model or different models that can be used by small towns managing change. This could be a very valuable tool given the lack of attention previously given to small towns. SusSET partners have explored the Whole Town Strategy approach as a possible model.
In our view the weaknesses are that, so far:
· The work has not used the idea of sustainable development as a key focus and a criteria for identifying good practice;
· The project has not looked at regional issues and the territorial context;
· There is relatively little in the way of comparative data or time-series data, so systematic comparison amongst partners cannot be done;
· Progress on the themes in general is rather limited;
· The Whole Town Strategy model has not been adapted to the specific concerns and context of the project and does not at present provide a tool of added value for SusSET partners or other small European towns.
Building a model to steer the development of small towns in more sustainable ways should be the key focus for the remainder of the project. How might that be done?
- Draw on work already done, inside and outside the project, rather than starting from the beginning again.
- Quickly set out a model and ask partners, individually and collectively, to try it out.
- Collect their experiences systematically, learn from them and improve the model.
- Produce a report on The SusSET Model that reflects this experience and presents it to a wider audience.
Developing the model
A start has been made with the Whole Town Strategy. We suggest an adaptation along the following lines:
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WTS |
Sustainable development and territorial potential adaptation |
Guidance manual |
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Where are we now? |
Use check-lists from our report to analyse and identify directions towards or away from sustainability and cohesion. |
Suggested check-lists and advice on how to do a sustainability/territorial potential SWOT. Indicative listing of basic data that might be collected and analysed. Examples from SusSET and other INTERREG projects. |
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Where do we want to be? |
Next year, 5 years, 20 years – what can be changed, what must be changed, set priorities and look for integration (win-wins). |
Template for each partner to complete. Good practice examples for ideas. Techniques for community visioning, reversing assumptions etc. |
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How do we get there? |
A SusSET Strategy for each partner – taking in regional networks, LA21 actions, sustainable projects etc. Drivers of change identified and “signed up”. |
Techniques for creative thinking and consensus building. Examples from other projects – e.g. Future Charters from PIPE. Conclusions from Themes’ work on critical factors for success. |
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Have we arrived? |
SusSET as a learning network. Set up key indicators for monitoring. |
Self-evaluation check-list.
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Delivering a model
There are different ways in which SusSET could work towards developing and making the model operational. Options and opportunities include:
Stage 1: Development of the Model (writing a draft or outline of the guidance manual)
- A core team / theme group from the partners doing the development work; or
- Consultants doing the development work;
Stage II: Application of the Model (SusSET partners to work through guidance manual)
- Each Theme group to work through the model in relation to their theme; and/or
- Each partner to commit to working through the model; and/or
- Hold a special conference that would aim to explain and apply the model.
Stage III: Consolidation (completing the guidance manual using results of Stage II)
1. Each partner or Theme group provides a write up to an agreed format and these are compiled together;
2. There is a conference where each partner/ Theme group presents findings and somebody writes this up;
3. Consultants are used to collect the information from the partners / theme groups and write it up.
