 Planning Techniques and Strategies
City stakeholders, whether in industrial, transition, or developing countries, should take proactive roles in defining a shared vision of their city's future and improving residents' quality of life, particularly for the urban poor. A city development strategy (CDS) is a process devised and owned by local stakeholders to formulate a holistic vision for their city. The process involves analysis of the city's prospects for economic and social development, identification of priorities for investment and development assistance, and implementation through partnership-based actions. To learn more about city experiences with city development strategies, see City Development Strategies of the Cities Alliance. Strategic planning" (or action planning) method is one way cities can proceed in the development of poverty reduction strategies. It should be noted that strategic planning is not an attempt to blueprint the future. Strategic planning looks at the chain of cause-and-effect consequences over time of an actual or intended decision. Nor is it a set of wishful thoughts; it should relate the actions to resources available or that can be mobilized realistically. Finally, like a national poverty reduction strategy, it should not involve the preparation of massive, detailed and interrelated sets of plans. It concentrates on a few issues on which there is consensus regarding priority. What are the Steps of the Strategic Planning Process? Identification of the problem(s), its causes and consequences, and relations to other problems. For example, this can involve designing a problem tree with stakeholders to identify multiple problems and how they are linked. Problem identification requires collection and analysis of data. Information gathering (i.e., encompassing factual and quantitative data as well as observations/qualitative analysis) for a rapid assessment of the poverty situation and an overview of policies and programs addressing poverty are best initiated before problem analyses with the stakeholders. Formulating objectives, which should be specific, measurable, realistic, and time bound. It may be necessary to return to step one and reanalyze the problem. The objectives have to be appraised against the constraints and opportunities that would work against and in favor of achieving objectives. This analysis (which is also called as SWOT, i.e., analyzing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is the basis for determining options for actions. Again it may be necessary to go back to the problem and analyze further the causes (visible and policy-related causes). Developing strategies and formulating options for influencing the key forces. Coordination and integration to avoid overlaps and waste of resources is necessary. The chosen options should be compatible. Consensus building is needed to (i) define shared goals, priorities, and strategies over a medium-term horizon; and (ii) mobilize resources. A broad range of stakeholders should be represented, including regional authorities and local representatives of central governments (as they can play important roles in creating conducive conditions and providing support for city strategies), citizens, civil associations, and private sector. Flow of clear, correct, and complete information among the stakeholders should be a part of the strategy from the beginning. City consultations are a primary means of reaching consensus among the stakeholders.  Back to top
 Principles of Supporting a Sustainable and Effective Participation in Project Preparation and Implementation
Facilitate community access to information -- transparency. The lack of information is often the most significant limitation on CBOs capacity to play a part in the development venture. Community organizations need information on market opportunities, on what support resources are available and how to use these resources productively and efficiently. A variety of media may be used to facilitate access to and stimulate flows of information. Information technology and the internet, adapted to community needs, are playing a growing role in this process and can dramatically accelerate local learning and connections with a wide range of opportunities (see CDD web-site). Communities should also be informed about local plans, costs and alternative costs. Be accountable. Policy actions for good urban governance include accountability and responsiveness to the public, anticorruption policies and practices, and capacity building. Local as well as central authorities should be accountable to the general public. Authorities must consult with the general public about their needs, requirements, preferences, and satisfaction with services. The city of Seoul, South Korea, for example, operates "citizen complaint centers" every Saturday when the mayor and other top administrative staff make themselves available for a "day of dialog with the citizens." This can help governments prioritize public expenditures. Invest in capacity building of community-based organizations (CBOs) and municipalities. Capacity building of CBOs and strengthening their linkages with formal institutions is a critical area of investment. Experience and studies have shown that those CBOs with clear lines of responsibility, open decision making processes, and direct accountability to the community improve service provision, make more effective use of resources, and are more sustainable. CBOs need to have managerial and technical skills to undertake tasks. Training and capacity building through learning by doing should thus be an important component of Community Driven Development programs. Where appropriate, capacity building should build on existing community strengths, including local organizations, traditional knowledge, and culture-based skills so that existing capacity is strengthened rather than undermined. Because community-based organizations rely on volunteer efforts, which can dissipate at critical stages or can lack continuity, an important component of any capacity building activity is to institutionalize the leadership function in CBOs (see CDD web site). It should also be indicated that municipalities have relatively little experience with participatory planning. Ensure social and gender inclusion. Community driven development and participatory planning have the potential to increase the power of poor communities to negotiate with public authorities, the private sector, and civil society. But to fulfill this potential, participatory planning (or community driven development) needs to be responsive to the priorities of all poor groups. Urban poor particularly is not a homogeneous group. Thus, planning at the local level needs to be designed to be socially inclusive, giving voice and decision making responsibility to women, the elderly, youth, and minorities. The urban poor are not given rights and responsibilities that go with being citizens. They are often assumed to be passive consumers rather than active participants with something to contribute. Even being asked to express needs and demands, without accepting responsibilities that go with being citizens, does not really empower people. In various countries, slum residents express their needs for infrastructure and urban services in particular, and they may get what they want in return for their votes. Such populist policies, however, often do not require them to pay the costs of such services or land that they occupy even at a subsidized level. Public authorities in such cases retain the political advantage of being the sole decision makers in allocating resources. Back to top
Linking city actions to National Strategic Poverty Reduction
City level strategic planning should be linked to national poverty reduction strategies. The following table offers some program and policy examples and actions that can be taken by local authorities. Back to top |
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