A new approach to planning and reporting
A new planning and reporting framework for NSW local government has been introduced. These reforms replace the former Management Plan and Social Plan with an integrated framework. It also includes a new requirement to prepare a long-term Community Strategic Plan and Resourcing Strategy. The essential elements of the new framework are outlined in these Guidelines. Guidance to assist councils to implement the new framework is explained in the supporting Planning and Reporting Manual.
The Community Strategic Plan
The Community Strategic Plan is the highest level plan that a council will prepare. The purpose of the plan is to identify the community’s main priorities and aspirations for the future and to plan strategies for achieving these goals. In doing this, the planning process will consider the issues and pressures that may affect the community and the level of resources that will realistically be available to achieve its aims and aspirations. While a council has a custodial role in initiating, preparing and maintaining the Community Strategic Plan on behalf of the local government area, it is not wholly responsible for its implementation. Other partners, such as State agencies and community groups may also be engaged in delivering the long-term objectives of the plan.
Community Strategic Plan
* Each local government area is to have a Community Strategic Plan that has been developed and endorsed by the council.
* The Community Strategic Plan is to identify the main priorities and aspirations for the future of the local government area.
* The Community Strategic Plan must cover a minimum timeframe of 10 years.
* The Community Strategic Plan must establish strategic objectives together with strategies to achieve those objectives.
* It must address social, environmental, economic and civic leadership issues in an integrated manner.
* Council must ensure the Community Strategic Plan is adequately informed by relevant information relating to social, environmental, economic and civic leadership issues.
* It must be based on the social justice principles of equity, access, participation and rights.
* The Community Strategic Plan must give due regard to the State Plan and other relevant state and regional plans.
Community Engagement
* Each council must prepare and implement a Community Engagement Strategy based on social justice principles for engagement with the local community in developing the Community Strategic Plan.
The Resourcing Strategy
The Community Strategic Plan provides a vehicle for expressing long-term community aspirations. However, these will not be achieved without sufficient resources – time, money, assets and people – to actually carry them out.
The Resourcing Strategy consists of three components:
* Long Term Financial Planning
* Workforce Management Planning
* Asset Management Planning.
The Resourcing Strategy is the point where Council assists the community by sorting out who is responsible for what, in terms of the issues identified in the Community Strategic Plan. Some issues will clearly be the responsibility of Council, some will be the responsibility of other levels of government and some will rely on input from community groups or individuals. The Resourcing Strategy focuses in detail on matters that are the responsibility of the council and looks generally at matters that are the responsibility of others.
for more information see:
http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/dlghome/Documents/Information/IPRGuidelinesJanuary2010.pdf
