SALFORD URBAN VISION PARTNERSHIP
30TH JUNE 2008
The Academy for Sustainable Communities:
Delivering the Skills and Knowledge for
Sustainable Communities
Professor Peter Roberts OBE
Chair of the Academy for Sustainable Communities
CONTEXT
•
Place-shaping and associated areas of practice are reflected in the sustainable
communities model.
•
And the sustainable communities concept represents the spatial manifestation
of sustainable development – it is a place-based and people-centred idea.
•
People live and work in communities and places, not sectors or categories.
•
But many sectoral elaborations and applications of sustainable development
ignore the importance of place and this causes fragmentation in terms of policy
formulation and implementation.
•
Sectoral actions can weaken the effectiveness of sustainable development,
especially with regard to the social and equity dimensions.
•
Place-shaping activities can help deliver the full sustainable development
portfolio over the long-term: need to think ‘whole of place’ and ‘whole of life’
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Social Dimension
Equity
Inheritance
Places
Economic Dimension
Politics and Applications
Environmental Dimension
IMPORTANCE OF PLACE AND PEOPLE
• Place as a product of the evolving contextual environment has been
recognised as a fundamental for over a century.
• But dealing with all aspects of place is sometimes seen as ‘too difficult’ by
academics, practitioners, politicians and others so a ‘selective menu’ or ‘silo’
approach has emerged.
• The ‘selective menu’ or ‘silo’ approach ignores the need for comprehensive
and integrated thinking and implementation – this can result in social
exclusion outcomes, including socio-spatial exclusion.
• Such weaknesses have been recognised and addressed in sustainable
communities thinking and practice – need for a ‘cradle to grave’ approach.
• The sustainable communities idea also represents a shift in philosophy –
doing things “with” communities, rather than “to” communities.
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AND
PLACE-SHAPING
• Much of the sustainable communities agenda will be familiar – it draws on
research and best practice from many aspects of theory and practice, and it
challenges sectoral thinking.
• Formal definition: sustainable communities are places where people want to
live and work, now and in the future.
• Place-shaping and sustainable communities policy and practice are about
making places for people in regenerating, evolving and new communities –
management of place is as important as creating places.
• Sustainable communities principles will not be applied automatically – skills of
leadership and partnership building are essential.
• It is also important to recognise that place-shaping and the sustainable
communities approach represents an agenda for change.
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Regenerating
Places
Evolving
Places
New
Places
COMPONENTS OF PLACE-SHAPING AND
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
•
•
Eight Key Component Elements:
- active, inclusive and safe – fair, tolerant, cohesive
- well run – effective and inclusive participation
- environmentally sensitive – caring for environment and resources
- well designed and built – quality environment
- well connected – good services, access and links
- thriving – flourishing and diverse economy and jobs
- well served – good public, private and voluntary services
- fair for everyone – just and equitable
And an extra essential component which brings the eight basic
components together – this equals place-shaping.
KEY COMPONENTS
PLACE-SHAPING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
• Skills dimension often overlooked in the past – the assumption was
made that demand would drive the provision of suitably qualified
professionals and others would gain skills and knowledge through
experience.
• But there have been too many alternative attractions, an absence of
education and training provision and an historic lack of concern with
stimulating supply, especially given the image problems of the public
sector and some professions, and the shortage of resources.
• Silo thinking and silo activity has also discouraged team working.
• This implies that it is essential to rebuild skills and knowledge capacity
at all levels in order to ensure the future provision of sufficient
competent professionals, community leaders and engaged citizens.
• It is also evident that much learning and practice is inefficient and that
effective knowledge transfer must be promoted.
WHAT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ARE REQUIRED?
•
Wide range of groups involved:
-
professionals across all place-shaping activities
national, regional and local government members and officers
private sector organisations and companies
voluntary and community sector bodies
trades people and others involved in delivery
local residents of all ages
•
Important also to engage with young people – they can help to shape their future
and they have a major delivery role.
•
Skills and knowledge are essential ‘tools’ for all groups – there is a need to share
skills and experiences in order to avoid wasteful duplication.
Skills cover technical, operational and organisational matters – shaping, making and
managing sustainable communities is a seamless progression on a continuing
basis.
•
•
•
Skills including generic and specialist elements
Knowledge exchange should also cover the full range of activities – and this
includes the outputs of academic research, which must be made more accessible.
KEY GENERIC SKILLS INCLUDE:
 visioning, strategy building and innovative thinking
 partnership, team working, inclusion
 analysis, decision making and evaluation
 leadership and supporting delivery
 programme and project design and management
 process management and enabling change
 stakeholder management and conflict resolution
 communication
 And new generic skills such as climate change management
and promoting social inclusion and cohesion
EDUCATING AND TRAINING PROFESSIONALS
•
Ensuring professionals have adequate generic and specialist skills is
essential, but they also need to be trained to work as a team with other placeshaping professionals.
•
There are three stages or opportunities to ensure a sufficient supply of skilled
and knowledgeable professionals: before initial education and training, initial
education and training, continuing professional development.
•
Team working is about capacity, attitude and opportunity – all require
attention.
•
Engagement with non-professionals is about the need for resource
mobilisation and direction, the creation of trust and competence, and the
creation of local ownership through active engagement and participation.
•
These requirements also suggest the need for other place-shaping
professionals to be able to call on knowledge resources and community –
based mentors and enablers.
ACADEMY FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
• The national centre to deliver the skills and knowledge required to
create and maintain better places (regenerating, evolving and new).
• A CLG agency established in 2005 with a delivery programme which
commenced in April 2006.
• Staff of 30 and Board of 9.
• Not a direct training provider – 102 professional areas.
• Working with a wide range of partners – RCEs, central and local
government, professional bodies, colleges and universities, private
sector, community and voluntary sector.
TARGET GROUPS
ASC’s Target Audiences
2006 / 08
Prime focus now
on up skilling
current
professionals
ASC ACTIVITIES
• ASC provides strategic direction, products and leadership
• Influenced education training and development of 100,000
professionals
• Developed, piloted learning programmes to 24,000 professionals
• Fostered a common approach for 100,000 professionals
• Working with major professional bodies and range of universities
• Foundation Degree and Generic Module
• Curriculum support to 74,000 young people and 3000 schools
• Careers advice to 60,000 young people and 900 careers advisers
FINAL THOUGHTS
• ASC will be part of HCA – enhanced delivery
• Common agenda with specific conditions – team
working approach
• Importance of partnership and leadership
• Importance of dissemination
• Fast track to best practice – role of knowledge
resources and mentoring
• ‘Whole of life, whole of place’ thinking and activity are
essential