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DEVELOPMENT
S T R AT E G I E S
S U S TA I N A B L E
DEVELOPMENT
S T R AT E G I E S
A RESOURCE BOOK
Compiled by
Barry Dalal-Clayton and Stephen Bass
of
The International Institute for Environment and Development
First published by Earthscan in the UK and USA in 2002
Earthscan
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Copyright © Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2002 . Published by Taylor & Francis.
Citation: Sustainable Development Strategies: A Resource Book. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris and United
Nations Development Programme, New York
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Notices
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any
information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they
should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional
responsibility.
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this resource book are those of the compilers and should not be taken to represent those of the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Institute for Environment and Development, or any of
the agencies that have provided financial support for this document (listed in Acknowledgements).
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sustainable development strategies : a resource book / compiled by Barry Dalal-Clayton and Stephen Bass.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-85383-946-9 -- ISBN 1-85383-947-7 (pbk.)
1. Sustainable development. 2. Economic development--Environmental aspects. I. Dalal-Clayton, D. B. (D. Barry) II. Bass, Stephen, 1958-
HC79.E5 S8649 2002
338.9'27--dc21
2002009561
Acknowledgements
This resource book is a product of a project on sustainable development strategies initiatied by the OECD
DAC Working Party on Development Cooperation and Environment. It builds on and complements an
earlier output – DAC Guidelines on Strategies for Sustainable Development – published in 2001.
Members of the Working Party are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, European
Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The
International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme participate
as permanent observers. The Club du Sahel, Development Centre, International Institute for Environment
and Development, United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Union and World
Resources Institute participate regularly in the work of the Working Party.
The project has been undertaken by a special Task Force of the Working Party co-chaired by the UK
Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission (EC-DG8) with strong
support by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), and coordination and technical support
provided by the International Institue for Environment and Development (IIED). The Capacity 21 initiative
of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Department of Environmental and
Social Affairs actively supported the project.
The Task Force was led by Adrian Davis, Paula Chalinder and Jonathan Hobbs (DFID), Artur Runge-
Metzger and Liselotte Isaksson (EC-DGVI), and Stephan Paulus and Kathrin Heidbrink (GTZ). Remi Paris
of the DAC Secretariat provided guidance and advice throughout.
Financial support
Generous financial support for the work on which these guidelines are based, and for their preparation and
publication, has been provided by, in alphabetic order:
Sources
This resource book draws from multiple sources:
I Status reviews, dialogue reports and commissioned papers prepared by the lead teams from
developing country partners involved in the DAC project on NSDSs (see Preface) (Bolivia, Burkina
Faso, Ghana, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Tanzania);
I UNDP made available a wide range of country-based and synthesis documents arising from the
Capacity 21 programme. Grateful thanks are due to Penny Stock (Capacity 21);
I Materials developed and provided by IIED programmes;
I Publicly available information on a large number of websites.
Chapter reviews
Grateful thanks are due to the following people for reviewing individual chapters:
Individual contributions
A large number of individuals made significant contributions to the learning on which this Resource Book
draws, through their involvement in the national teams and in the international workshops:
Therese Adam (Swiss Development Cooperation); Anibal Aguilar (Bolivia); Jamie Aranibar Del Alcázar
(UDAPE, Ministry of Treasury, Bolivia); Marco Balderrama (Bolivia); Bernardo Valdivia Baldomar (Bolivia);
Sylvia Bankobeza (UNEP); Abihudi Baruti (Planning Commission, Tanzania); Mario J Baudoin (Ministry of
Sustainable Development and Planning, Bolivia); Inger-Marie Bjonness (Royal Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs); Ignacio Cabria (Spanish International Cooperation Agency); Ken Campbell (Natural
Resources Institute, UK); Paula Chalinder (Department for International Development, UK); Patchaneeboon
Charpoenpiew (Thailand Development Research Institute); Marcela Clavijo (Bolivia); Sambou Coulibaly
(CONAGESE, Burkina Faso); Jürgen Czermenka (GTZ, Bolivia); Djiri Dakar (CONAGESE, Burkina Faso);
Adrian Davis (Department for International Development, UK); Philip Dobie (UNDP); Nicolaj Draminski
(consultant, Bolivia); Jairo Escobar (UNDP, Bolivia); Rosalind Eyben (UK Department for International
Development, Bolivia); Angela Brown Farhat (National Development Planning Commission, Ghana);
Gustavo Suarez de Freitas (Pro Naturaleza, Peru); Daniel Gantier (Ministry of Sustainable Development and
Planning, Bolivia); Miguel Gonzalez (Bolhispania, Bolivia); Willi Graf (Swiss Development Cooperation,
Bolivia); Hum Gurung (National Planning Secretariat, Nepal); Kathrin Heidbrink (GTZ, Germany); Alicia
Herbert (Department for International Development, UK); Jan-Jilles van de Hoeven (UNDP Capacity 21);
Saleemul Huq (IIED); Liselotte Isaksson (EC, DG8); Adis Israngkura (Thailand Development Research
Institute); Brian Jones (Namibia); Saada K Juma (AGENDA, Tanzania); Utis Kaothien (National Economic
and Social Development Board, Thailand); Peter de Koning (DGIS, The Netherlands); Karen Kramer (Royal
Netherlands Embassy, Tanzania); Ronald Maclean (Minister for Sustainable Development, Bolivia); Ram C
Malhotra (Nepal); Oswald Mashindano (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania); Sylvester Mbangu
(National Planning Commission, Namibia); Artur Runge-Metzger (EC DG8); Paul Mincher (IIED);
Giovanna Parolini de Mollinedo (Bolivia); Lucian Msambichaka (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania); Ali
Mufuruki (Infotech Investment Group, Tanzania); Charles Mutalemwa (Planning Commission, Tanzania);
Viroj Naranong (Thailand Development Research Institute); Anita Nirody (UNDP Capacity 21); Ndey Njie
(UNDP Capacity 21); Matti Nummelin (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland); Ernestine S Okoko (recif,
Burkina Faso); Krishna Prasad Oli (IUCN Nepal); Arturo Lopez Ornat (Pangea consultants, Spain); Badre
PAGE VIII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dev Pande (IUCN Nepal); Remi Paris (OECD, Paris); Stephan Paulus (GTZ, Germany); Mogens Pedersen
(Danish Embassy, Bolivia); Nipon Poapongsakorn (Thailand Development Research Institute); Jagdish
Pokharel (National Planning Commission, Nepal); Jesus Quintana (Spanish Agency for International
Development, Bolivia); Prakash Raj (consultant to IUCN Nepal); Kirsten Rohrmann (Division for
Sustainable Development, UN); Somkiet Ruangchan (Thailand Development Research Institute); Claudia
M B Sánchez (Vice Ministry of Public Investment and External Finance, Bolivia); Cynthia M Yañez Sánchez
(Ministry for Economic Development, Bolivia); Maimouna Sondzo Sangare (Ministry of Economics and
Finance, Burkina Faso); Salif Sawadogo (Coordination Against Desertification, Burkina Faso); Gyan Sharma
(National Planning Commission, Nepal); Uday Sharma (Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Nepal);
Pete Shelley (Department for International Development, UK); Fred Smidt (Netherlands Embassy, Bolivia);
Serge Snrech (OECD); Penny Stock (UNDP); Krystyna Swiderska (IIED); Ferdinand Tay (National
Development Planning Commission, Ghana); Carlos E Chávez Terán (Sustainable Development
Commission, Bolivia); Daniel Thieba (GREFCO, Burkina Faso); Oussouby Touré (CSE, Senegal); Henk van
Trigt (DGIS, The Netherlands); Aree Wattana Tummakird (Ministry of Science, Technology and
Environment, Thailand); Gerardo Velasco (Cámara Nacional de Industria, Bolivia); Joachim Tres Vildomat
(Bolhispania, Bolivia); Cámara Nacional de Industria (consultant, Bolivia); Guillermo Vivado (European
Union, Bolivia); Terry Vojdani (Bolivia); Seth Vordzorgbe (Devcourt Ltd, Accra, Ghana); Taizo Yamada
(JICA, Philippines); Mai Yamamoto (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan); Asif Ali Zaidi (IUCN Pakistan);
Maheen Zehra (IUCN, Pakistan).
Finally, the compilers are grateful to several IIED colleagues for their inputs and help:
Acknowledgements v
Contents ix
List of figures, tables and boxes xvi
Preface xxii
Acronyms and abbreviations xxiii
5 Analysis 114
Approaching and organizing the tasks of analysis 114
Introducing the main analytical tasks in NSDS processes 114
Challenges in analysis for sustainable development strategies 115
Effective strategies depend on sound information 115
Sustainable development is complex and difficult to analyse 115
Capacities to analyse sustainable development are often weak 115
There are dangers in relying on narrow, non-local, out-of-date or unreliable information 116
Basic principles for analysis 116
Engage and inform stakeholders within democratic and participatory processes 116
Use accessible and participatory methods of analysis 117
Include roles for independent, ‘expert’ analysis 117
Develop a continuing, coordinated system of knowledge generation 118
Agree criteria for prioritizing analysis 118
Ensure the objectives of the analysis are clear 119
Agree the types of output from the analysis, and who will get them 120
An introduction to methods available for analysis 120
Analysing stakeholders in sustainable development 120
Why stakeholder analysis is important 120
Identifying stakeholders 124
Using an issues-based typology 124
Ways to identify stakeholders 125
Stakeholder representation 125
Identifying stakeholder interests, relations and powers 126
Identifying stakeholders’ interests 126
Analysing the relationships between stakeholders 127
PAGE XII CONTENTS
7 Communications 226
Introduction 226
Shifting values, attitudes and styles 227
Establishing a communications and information strategy and system 230
An information, education and communications strategy and action plan 233
Coordination of information 234
Internal coordination – focus on creating a shared information base 235
External coordination – using a wide range of methods 235
Choosing the medium, and developing complementary information products 236
Documents and audio-visual material 238
Events 240
Managing dialogue and consensus-building during meetings 242
Establishing networks, or making links with existing networks 242
Establishing databases, or making links with existing databases 245
Use of electronic media 246
Electronic democracy 247
Mass media 249
Monitoring the communication process 250
Appendix 327
References 331
Index 348
List of Figures, Tables and Boxes
Figures
1.1 User’s road map to the resource book chapters 3
2.1 Interactions between watershed management problems in the Densu River and Weija Reservoir area, Ghana 11
2.2 The systems of sustainable development 12
3.1 Rationale for a systematic approach to sustainable development strategies 32
3.2 Constellation of mechanisms contributing to a sustainable development strategy 32
3.3 Developing Malawi’s National Forestry Programme 49
3.4 Bombardment by strategic planning requirements: illustrative examples of international conventions and initiatives,
and national frameworks, that typically challenge a country 70
4.1 Constellation of mechanisms contributing to a strategy for sustainable development 75
4.2 The continuous improvement approach to managing sustainable development strategies 75
5.1 Stakeholder groups’ size, potential and power to contribute to sustainable development 131
5.2 Gross domestic product versus Genuine Progress Indicator: United States 1950–1999 (in 1996 US dollars) 134
5.3 Environmental weight declines as the number of human ‘subsystems’ increases 137
5.4 Group Barometer of Sustainability, showing the well-being of North and Central America 139
5.5 Individual Barometer of Sustainability, showing the well-being of Canada 139
5.6 The Dashboard of Sustainability: an example for Canada 141
5.7 Sustainable livelihoods framework 147
5.8 Simple policy influences map concerning deforestation 148
5.9 Problem tree 149
5.10 Causal diagram of cause and effect linkages relating to poverty 151
5.11 Example of a systemic arrangement of parts 157
5.12 Sustainability components arranged hierarchically 158
5.13 Mechanisms for sustainable development: an analytical framework 161
5.14 Mapping the type/intensity of participation in strategy mechanisms 168
5.15 Institutional mapping: relationship chart of the entries involved in the implementation of the Sarhad Conservation Strategy 172
6.1 The leadership continuum 182
6.2 National and local participation experience 183
6.3 The sustainable development ‘triad’ 186
6.4 Identifying partners for stakeholder and working groups 199
6.5 Land use map made by an indigenous surveyor and villagers of the Marwa sub-region, Panama 210
7.1 The communication pyramid 227
8.1 Decision tree for a strategy to reduce women’s time spent in gathering fuelwood 269
8.2 Rights- and risks-based negotiation process 279
8.3 Annual plans for integrating sustainable development into business 285
10.1 The driving force–state–response monitoring framework as applied to sustainable agriculture 321
L I S T O F F I G U R E S , TA B L E S A N D B OX E S PAGE XVII
Tables
2.1 Commercializing environmental services 16
2.2 Classification of national and regional government authorities (in Box 2.5) 19
2.3 Sub-national/local government authorities 20
3.1 Basic comparisons between developed and developing country strategy processes 37
3.2 Examples of National Councils for Sustainable Development and similar multi-stakeholder fora for sustainable development 54
3.3 Example of a draft CDF matrix from Vietnam 57
3.4 Comparison of strategies at different levels in Pakistan 65
4.1 Scoping some of the main benefits of preparing a national conservation strategy in Barbados 80
4.2 Checklist of key stakeholder groups in an national sustainable development strategy 86
5.1 Information-gathering and analytical tools to help strategy decision-making 121
5.2 The limits of participatory and economic analysis 123
5.3 Stakeholder power analysis of a particular issue (or policy or institution): suggested table for comparisons 129
5.4 Mapping power and potential of stakeholders: Malawi’s National Forestry Programme 130
5.5 Three main approaches to measuring and analysing sustainability 134
5.6 Indicator-based assessments of sustainability 136
5.7 Genuine domestic savings: accounting for depletion of human, physical and natural capital. An example from Pakistan. 143
5.8 Calculating annual consumption of biotic resources: Costa Rica (1995) 144
5.9 Comparing SEA and EIA 150
5.10 Illustrative framework of parts and aims for indicator-based assessment (human subsystem only) 156
5.11 Illustrative performance criteria for the indicator, life expectancy at birth 160
5.12 Component mechanisms in NSDS, and how to analyse them 163
5.13 Questions asked about strategy quality by the OECD DAC initiative 166
6.1 Types of participation in local-level development 180
6.2 Levels of participation in policy processes 181
6.3 Examples of institutional channels for decision-making and action by sector and level 184
6.4 Illustrative comparison of strategies with high and low intensities of participation 197
6.5 Stakeholder interests and roles: the case of Guyana’s National Biodiversity Action Plan 201
6.6 Examples of likely existing structures/institutions and methodologies for participation 202
6.7 Rights and obligations of OTBs (in Box 6.14) 203
6.8 Examples of participatory methodologies for strategy tasks 206
6.9 Techniques of participatory learning 209
6.10 Potential resources from organizations in the development triad 217
7.1 Examples of mass and alternative media forms 236
7.2 Public concern survey on the environment in St Helena 241
7.3 The choice of electronic media will be determined by access costs and speeds to the internet 247
7.4 Users of the internet (February 2000) 247
7.5 Examples of possible indicators to use in monitoring and evaluating a strategy website 251
8.1 Examples of the framework of linked strategic decisions 256
8.2 Choicework table for mobility 281
8.3 Diagnostic for alignment of business processes with sustainable development principles 284
8.4 Annual plans for integrating sustainable development into business 285
10.1 Example matrix for linking impacts with strategy mechanisms 326
10.2 Data for monitoring, sources and timing: examples from a poverty alleviation strategy 327
10.3 CSD list of indicators of sustainable development (September 1996) 328
PAGE XVIII L I S T O F F I G U R E S , TA B L E S A N D B OX E S
Boxes
1.1 The OECD DAC donor-developing countries dialogues project 1
2.1 The Global Environment Outlook project 7
2.2 Sustainable development – a guiding vision to tackle interacting problems 12
2.3 Agenda 21 on national strategies for sustainable development 13
2.4 Key multilateral environmental agreements 14
2.5 Governance structures in flux 19
2.6 Decentralization 21
2.7 Decentralization in Indonesia 22
2.8 Some challenges of globalization for sustainable development 23
2.9 International development goals 24
2.10 The millennium development goals 25
2.11 Selected reviews of, and guidance on, strategic planning for sustainable development 26
2.12 Affirming the need for a strategic approach to sustainable development. 29
3.1 Key principles for sustainable development strategies 33
3.2 Elements of a national sustainable development strategy 36
3.3 Five-year planning in India and China 39
3.4 Civil society involvement in recent national plans in Thailand – and their alternative agenda 40
3.5 Harmonizing national development plans in Morocco 40
3.6 The Bangladesh Flood Action Plan 40
3.7 National human development reports 41
3.8 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, India 43
3.9 Examples of effective principles in national action programmes to combat desertification 45
3.10 Experience of non-Annex 1 (developing) countries in developing national communications for climate change 47
3.11 The tropical forest action plan – a non-strategic approach 48
3.12 The National Forestry Programme, Malawi 51
3.13 Pakistan’s NCS – a strong basis for a national strategy for sustainable development 52
3.14 National Councils for Sustainable Development 53
3.15 National Visions 55
3.16 Progress with PRSPs: key points of the comprehensive review by the World Bank and IMF 59
3.17 Civil society opposition to PRSPs and NGO views 62
3.18 The DEAP mechanism in Zimbabwe 63
3.19 Local Agenda 21 64
3.20 Relations between Pakistan’s national, provincial and district conservation strategies 65
3.21 Decentralized planning in Ghana 67
3.22 Village level planning in Iringa Rural District, Tanzania 68
3.23 The Uganda PRSP 71
3.24 The Eastern Caribbean Environmental Charter: principles relevant to strategies for sustainable development 72
4.1 Illustrative steps for starting, managing and continually improving a strategy for sustainable development 78
4.2 Membership of steering committee for Balochistan Conservation Strategy, Pakistan 82
4.3 The Netherlands’ National Environmental Policy Plan – a response to public pressure 83
4.4 Strategy survival through changes of government 84
4.5 Covenants with industry in The Netherlands 89
4.6 Checklist of skills required to manage and coordinate a strategy 91
4.7 Capacity requirements for an effective NSDS 92
L I S T O F F I G U R E S , TA B L E S A N D B OX E S PAGE XIX
4.8 Unimplemented state environmental action plans in Nigeria: a failure of undefined roles 97
4.9 The role and functions of NGOs 101
4.10 The development of El Salvador’s National Sustainable Development Strategy: a diversity of contributing mechanisms 103
4.11 Building on what exists: links between poverty reduction strategies and other strategic planning processes 106
4.12 Initiating bottom-up strategy approaches in Pakistan: complementing provincial and district strategies 107
4.13 Departmental strategies for sustainable development, Canada 109
4.14 Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy: coordination through ‘Focal Points’ 110
4.15 Linking strategies to budget processes 111
5.1 Poverty of environmental information in Southern Africa 116
5.2 Future of the Environment Survey Office – providing analysis for The Netherlands’ Environmental Policy Plan 118
5.3 Signals that an issue might be a priority for analysis and action 119
5.4 Basic steps in stakeholder analysis 124
5.5 Policy communities in Pakistan 128
5.6 ‘Who counts most?’ The tricky issue of stakeholder priority 132
5.7 What is an indicator? 136
5.8 The quest for a single indicator of sustainable development 138
5.9 Examples of sustainable development indicator initiatives 140
5.10 The use of GIS in achieving Regional Forest Agreements, Australia 142
5.11 Ecological footprints: some examples 143
5.12 The Human Development Index 146
5.13 Some principles for strategic environmental assessment 152
5.14 Strategic environmental analysis (SEAn): the AidEnvironment approach. The main step. 152
5.15 Lessons from strategic environmental analysis (SEAn) in Benin and Nicaragua 153
5.16 Agenda 21 as a basis for analysis 158
5.17 Selecting indicators 159
5.18 SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) 168
5.19 Futurology: experience from India 172
5.20 Global scenarios 174
5.21 European scenarios 175
5.22 South African scenarios 176
6.1 Participation traditions in Central and South America 178
6.2 Participation – a loaded term 179
6.3 Some perceptions of participation in the Bangladesh Flood Action Plan and in rural planning in Tanzania 179
6.4 Community-based Turtle Conservation Programme, Trinidad 183
6.5 Structures for ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ participation 185
6.6 Why existing strategies continue to be mainly top-down 188
6.7 The political dimensions of participation 190
6.8 Agenda 21 on participation 192
6.9 The benefits of participation in strategies 194
6.10 The costs of participation 195
6.11 Key constraints to participation: the experience of Joint Forest Management, India 196
6.12 Checklist for partner selection in Local Agenda 21s 200
6.13 Transparency in the selection of stakeholder representatives 200
6.14 The Popular Participation Law, Bolivia 203
6.15 Enshrining participation in legislation: principles of the Eastern Caribbean Environmental Charter 205
6.16 Sectoral collaboration for environmental management in Trinidad and Tobago 207
PAGE XX L I S T O F F I G U R E S , TA B L E S A N D B OX E S
In 1992, Agenda 21 called for all countries to develop national sustainable development strategies (NSDSs). These are intended to
translate the ideas and commitments of the Earth Summit into concrete policies and actions. Agenda 21 recognized that key decisions
are needed at the national level, and should be made by stakeholders together. It believed that the huge agenda inherent in sustainable
development needed an orderly approach – a ‘strategy’. But Agenda 21 stopped short of defining such a strategy, or even of guidance on
how to go about it.
The United Nations (UN) held a Special Session to review progress five years after the Earth Summit. Delegates were concerned
about continued environmental deterioration, and social and economic marginalization. There have been success stories, but they are
fragmented, or they have caused other problems. Sustainable development as a mainstream process of societal transformation still
seems elusive. Strategic policy and institutional changes are still required.
The Rio+5 assessment led governments to set a target of 2002 for introducing NSDSs. The Development Assistance Committee
(DAC) of the OECD, in its 1996 Shaping the 21st Century publication, called for the formulation and implementation of an NSDS in every
country by 2005 (as one of seven International Development Targets). It also committed DAC members to support developing
countries’ NSDSs. But, again, no attempt was made to set out what a strategy would include or involve – in spite of growing
experience with a number of international and local strategic models. ‘How would I know one if I saw one?’ one minister asked.
During 1999-2001, members of the OECD/DAC Working Party on Development Cooperation and Environment worked in
partnership with eight developing countries to assess experience of country-level sustainable development strategies: Bolivia, Burkina
Faso, Ghana, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tanzania and Thailand. Through dialogues involving stakeholders from government, the private
sector and civil society, past and existing strategic planning experiences were analysed, key issues and challenges identified, and
principles for best practice developed. An iterative process involving in-country discussions and three international workshops in
Tanzania, Thailand and Bolivia, led to consensus on the final text of the Policy Guidance (Strategies for Sustainable Development: Guidance
for Development Cooperation (OECD DAC 2001a)). This Resource Book is the companion to the Policy Guidance. Both publications draw
from international experience of many strategic approaches to sustainable development over the past two decades.
The Policy Guidance sets out best practice in developing and operating strategic processes for sustainable development, and on how
development cooperation agencies can best assist developing countries in such processes, and includes a set of principles which underpin
the development of effective strategies in many developing countries (Chapter 3, Box 3.1).
In November 2001, a UN International Forum on National Strategies for Sustainable Development (held in preparation for the
2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, WSSD) agreed guidance on NSDSs which confirms almost identical ‘elements’ of
successful strategies (Box 3.2) for both developed and developing countries alike.
This resource book provides in-depth information on processes and methodologies. It was prepared by the International Institute
for Environment and Development (IIED), working in collaboration with members of the partner country teams (see above) and a
number of other organizations and individuals. It will be of value to a wide range of organizations, institutions and individuals in both
developed and developing countries aiming to bring about sustainable development.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Aims
This resource book provides guidance on how to develop, implement and assess national sustainable This guidance is
development strategies (NSDSs). It is based on an analysis of past and current practice, in both developed based on experience
and developing countries, to undertake comprehensive approaches to sustainable development. In particular, of past and current
it builds on dialogues and learning in the eight countries directly involved in a project on NSDSs practice in the
undertaken by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co- North and South …
operation and Development (OECD) (Box 1.1), as well as on the work of a wide range of organizations,
such as the Capacity 21 initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the World Bank, World Conservation Union (IUCN),
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and many other groups (see the extensive
References chapter at the end of the book and sources of further information at www.nssd.net).
There is a particular focus on tried, tested and practicable approaches that have been used successfully … emphasizing tried
in strategic planning processes. As such, the book’s basis is ‘real world’ conditions rather than presenting and tested
approaches that could only be realized in an idealized or dream world. But it is well recognized that many approaches
previous approaches to strategies have failed – and even the successful ones have not worked well in all
areas. We can learn from this: strategies need to experiment, wherever possible, with new ways of working;
experience is evolving rapidly; and new methods for some strategy elements are being developed or tested.
For instance, methods of participation, policy and scenario analysis and methods of monitoring and
evaluation, which have been used successfully in other contexts, seem to hold promise for strategies as well.
Innovative and cutting-edge approaches and methodologies that have potential are also included, although
examples of their successful use may not yet be available. In practice, in many countries, unsettled political
and social circumstances, difficult economic conditions and/or limited skills and capacity will determine
what is actually practicable.
Each country will Each country’s approach to developing its NSDS will be very different. In many countries it is likely to
need to adopt an require the coordination of a suite of different processes, some existing and others new. Other countries
approach tailored to may choose to prepare a single umbrella strategy. Whatever its format, a strategy will need to suit the
its own needs nation’s individual set of ecological, socio-cultural, economic and institutional conditions. Any form of
straitjacket is inappropriate, especially if imposed by external agencies. Governments should work in
partnership with civil society and the private sector to establish the right system.
I the nature of sustainable development strategies and current practices (Chapter 3);
I key steps in starting, managing and improving sustainable development strategies (Chapter 4);
I methods of analysis (Chapter 5);
I participation in strategies (Chapter 6);
ABOUT THE RESOURCE BOOK PAGE 3
Techniques
Decisions
10 How to keep knowledge up to date through 8 How to make decisions about strategy
monitoring and evaluation? objectives, plans and instruments? I need more information!
I What are the elements required? What sources were used in
I What is the typical scale of strategy decisions?
I How to monitor the strategy process? preparing this Resource Book?
I What principles and frameworks can help?
I How to monitor results of the strategy? (see References and www.nssd.net)
I What methods can help?
I How to ensure that monitoring info is actually I How to select instruments for implementation?
assessed?
Chapters 3–10 are aimed at anyone engaged in planning, managing or reviewing a strategy process. For ease
of presentation, they assume a logical sequence of steps, which might be followed if commencing a strategy
process from an absolute beginning. In practice, very few, if any, strategies will need to start from scratch
but should build on existing strategic planning processes and stages they have reached.
Finally, an extensive list of references is provided. Other sources of materials, as well as useful contacts
with addresses and websites, are provided on the strategies website (www.nssd.net) and will be of use to
those involved in NSDSs on a day-to-day basis as well as academics and researchers wishing to explore
NSDSs further.
PAGE 4 S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T S T R AT E G I E S
1 This chapter has benefited from review comments and additional material provided by Professor Michael Carley, Herriott
Watt University, Edinburgh
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Crisis and Decentralisation, paper presented to the United States – Indonesia Society, 20 July,
Washington, DC
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Adriaanse, A, Bringezu, S, Hammond, A, Moriguchi, Y, Rodenburg, E, Rogich, D and Schütz, H
(1997) Resource Flows: The Material Basis of Industrial Economies, World Resources Institute,
Washington, DC
Agarwal, A, Narain, S and Sharma, A (1999) Green Politics, Centre for Science and Environment,
New Delhi
AIDEnvironment (1997) Strategic Environmental Analysis: A New Planning Framework for
Sustainable Development, AIDEnvironment, Amsterdam
Anderson, R and Deutsch, C (eds) (2001) ‘Sustainable Development and the Environment in
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