This is a presentation compiled by Michael Ewing, Coordinator of the Irish Environmental Pillar introducing the new local government reforms structures for public participation - PPNs

1. Public Participation Networks
Creating and promoting a Vision of
Well-Being
for
Our Communities
for
This and Future Generations
Michael Ewing
Coordinator of the Environmental Pillar

2. Public Participation Networks (PPNs)
and their
“Visions For Community Well-Being”
• The Plenaries of the County/City PPNs and the
Municipal District PPNs will commence their work by
going through a process to set out what they consider
is necessary to promote well-being in their community
for present and future generations.
• This statement will act as a guiding vision statement
for everything done by the group that drew up the
statement e.g. choosing representatives, taking
positions on issues, developing activities of any kind
etc.
• Well-being statements should be reviewed by the
PPNs bi-annually.
18/07/2014 2

3. 18/07/2014 3

4. Individual Well- Being
According to a study by the National Economic and
Social Council (NESC)
“a person’s well-being relates to their physical,
social and mental state.
It requires
that basic needs are met,
that people have a sense of purpose, and
that they feel able to achieve important goals, to
participate in society and to live the lives they value
and have reason to value”.
18/07/2014 4

5. 18/07/2014 5

6. Global to Local
Local communities can do much to develop and
protect well-being but they must do so in the
context of what is happening in the wider global
community.
18/07/2014 6

7. 18/07/2014 7

8. World
Population
18/07/2014 8

9. Species on the verge of mass extinction
18/07/2014 9

10. 18/07/2014 10

11. Community Well-Being
A society’s well-being requires that
economic, political, environmental,
cultural and social developments all be
sustainable.
It also requires a focus on inter-
generational justice to ensure the well-
being of future generations is promoted.
18/07/2014 11

12. 18/07/2014 12

13. 18/07/2014 13

14. Sustainability
• The Human race developed within and is entirely
reliant on the natural environment for its well-
being
• Human social structures initially evolved within
the limitations of the natural environment and
they must start to do so again in order to
flourish.
• Economic systems were developed within the
context of those social structures.
• There is a huge disconnect between the capacity
of the natural ecosystems to withstand abuse,
and the economic systems that are driving their
destruction.18/07/2014 14

15. 18/07/2014 15

16. Development of a Vision
• The development of a vision for the well-being
of our communities for this and future
generations can begin that search for a
sustainable future for all members of the
community.
• A shared vision is lacking at the national level,
but could grow from these local community
visions.
18/07/2014 16

17. What do we mean by
Sustainable Development ?
 The term was used by the Brundtland Commission,
1992 which coined what has become the most often-
quoted definition of sustainable development as
development that "meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs”.
It is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet
human needs while preserving the environment so
that these needs can be met not only in the present,
but also for future generations.
Brundtland noted"...the "environment" is where we
live; and "development" is what we all do in
attempting to improve our lot within that abode. The
two are inseparable."
18/07/2014 17

18. 18/07/2014 18

19. How do we now see the sustainable
interaction of the Pillars?
Sustainable development should tie together concern
for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the
social challenges facing humanity.
As early as the 1970s "sustainability" was employed to
describe an economy "in equilibrium with basic
ecological support systems.“
Ecologists have pointed to The Limits to Growth and
presented the alternative of a “steady state economy”
in order to address environmental concerns.
The use of ecosystem management goes mainstream
and ecological accounting is born.
18/07/2014 19

20. 18/07/2014 20

21. 18/07/2014 21
“ No subsystem can expand
beyond the capacity of the
total system of which it is
a part”
- Jonathon Porritt

22. 18/07/2014 22

23. Developing the Vision
•People working together with shared
understandings and expectations are what
provide a place of strong community.
•Doing so within a shared understanding based
on the limits to growth presented by the natural
environment creates a community that cares for
the needs of this and the generations to follow.
18/07/2014 23

24. Public Engagement and
Participation
•What? From engagement to participation
•Why? To enable whole community engage in
decision-making to improve well-being of this and
future generations.
•Who? All with a stake in the area or issues
18/07/2014 24

25. Guiding Principles
•Active Citizenship
•Resource Allocation and
Promotion of Equality
•Helping to engage with
issues affecting people
•Respect for individual
freedom
•Social Dialogue
•Participation
•Trust
•Accountability and
Transparency
•Independence
18/07/2014 25

26. PPNs - Key Principles of Working
• Implement and abide by good governance
structures.
• Work in an inclusive, respectful, transparent
and collaborative manner.
• Act as the vehicle to gather feedback and
input into policies and plans being developed
by local authorities, reflecting both areas of
disagreement and, where there is no
consensus, the range of views.
18/07/2014 26

27. PPN Structures
• The Public Participation Network (PPN) will be organised:
– At County/City level
– At Municipal District level
• Each PPN will have:
– County/City Plenary at County/City level which deals with
county/city level issues and is the ruling body for the County/City
PPN
– A Municipal District Plenary in each Municipal District which deals
with issues at a municipal level issues and is the ruling body for the
Municipal District PPN
– Linkage Groups which deal with specific issues
– A secretariat at county/City level that is a facilitation and
communication mechanism, but not a decision-making body.
18/07/2014 27

28. Municipal District PPN
• Each Municipal District will have a PPN.
• Develops its own vision for the wellbeing of its
community for this and future generations
• Has the freedom to engage as it sees fit in
whatever way it wishes to promote local
development and in this way it can harness local
capacity and strengthen local development in a
very real manner.
• Municipal District Plenary
18/07/2014 28

29. County/City PPN
• All registered organisations in the County/City
are members of the County/City PPN.
• They work together on agreed objectives
based on promoting the well-being of this and
future generations in this area.
• County/City Plenary
18/07/2014 29

30. Creation Set-up and Operation
of the PPNs

31. Council prepares a list of all
Community Groups in the county
18/07/2014 31

32. Community groups are asked to declare that
they are one of the following types
18/07/2014 32

33. The three Electoral Colleges form the Plenary of
the PPN. The Plenary of the PPN is the ruling
body of the County/City PPN.
18/07/2014 33

34. When a position arises on a council committee, the Council writes
to the Secretariat and asks them to nominate someone. The
Secretariat writes to all community groups and invites them to a
meeting. At the meeting an attendance list is taken
Local
Authority
Committee
18/07/2014 34

35. Attendance
Attendance
list becomes
Linkage Group
18/07/2014 35

36. PPN Linkage Groups
• Role is central
• How it works
• Communications protocols
• Each representative taking up a position for the
PPN must
– Represent the views of all the members of the
Linkage Group and not just those of their own
organisation.
– Abide by the communications protocols set out
above.
18/07/2014 36

37. Local
Authority
Committee
18/07/2014 37

38. The only exception is for the LCDC. Here, the
colleges are asked to meet separately and
nominate someone(s) to the LCDC18/07/2014 38

39. 2
Council asks each of the colleges to elect 2
people to the Secretariat
18/07/2014 39

40. Council calls a Plenary meeting of all community
groups in each Municipal District. The Municipal
District Plenary is the ruling body of the
Municipal District PPN.
18/07/2014 40

41. 3
18/07/2014 41
3
At each Municipal District meeting the attendees
are asked to elect 1 person to the Secretariat of
the PPN

42. 9
2
Secretariat now has 9 (or more) members. It is a
support/service mechanism for the PPN but is not
the decision-making body!
18/07/2014 42

43. 18/07/2014 43

44. Establishment of PPNs
• Pobal Committee
– Sean Healy
– Cormac Clancy
– Sean McLoughlin
– 2 County/City Council People
– 2 Pobal People
• Ensuring the guidelines are delivered on
• Guiding the drafting of the SI on Framework for Public
Participation
• Development of FAQs as a tool for driving the good
implementation
18/07/2014 44

45. Local Community Development
Committee
Local Government (Amendment) Act 2014
THE LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (SECTION
128E) REGULATIONS 2014, SI 234 of 2014

46. Context
• Putting People First
• Working Group Report on Citizen Engagement
with Local Government, Feb 2014
• Local Economic & Community Plan Draft
Guidelines, Planning subgroup on Alignment,
March 2014
• Guidelines for the establishment of Local
Community Development Committees (Non
Statutory) April 2014
18/07/2014 46

47. Local Economic & Community Plan
• LECP will be a 6 year plan
– The duration of the first LECP will be extended or shortened to
facilitate synchronisation with the RSES
• Prepared by the LCDC and the local authority
• 2 Elements
– A local economic element—prepared by local authority
– A community development element—prepared by the LCDC
The LCDC will be established as a committee of the local
authority . Local Gov Act 2014. The LCDC will be independent
of the local authority in the discharge of its functions.
18/07/2014 47

48. LECP Guiding Principles
• Promotion and mainstreaming of equality
• Sustainability
• Maximising returns from resources—avoiding
overlap and duplication
• Participative Planning
• Community consultation and Engagement
• Community Development Principles
• Accessibility and Ownership
18/07/2014 48

49. Shared & Separate Processes
• LCDC
• Prepare and Adopt
the community
elements of the
LECP
18/07/2014 49
• Local Authority—
Economic and
Enterprice SPC
• Prepare and adopt
the economic
element of the
plan
• Prepare and adopt
the overall LECP

50. Make up of LCDC: 15-17 members
9. (1) The private sector members of a Committee comprising 15 or fewer
persons shall include—
(a)a minimum of 2 persons representing community and voluntary interests
within the administrative area of the Committee,
(b) a minimum of 2 persons representing social inclusion interests within the
administrative area of the Committee,
(c) a minimum of 1 person representing environmental interests within the
administrative area of the Committee,
(d) a maximum of 3 persons representing local development or community
development bodies operating within the administrative area, subject to a
maximum of 1 representative per local development or community
development body,
(e) such number of persons representing local and community interests and
social partners as may be considered appropriate by the chief officer in
consultation with the Corporate Policy Group.18/07/2014 50

51. Joint Steering Group makeup
• Not to exceed 6 members
• Appropriate members from LCDC and local
authority as well as others considered
appropriate
• Members with appropriate skills, capacity and
experience
The JSG should agree and adopt processes and protocols
for meetings and decision making mechanisms
18/07/2014 51

52. Shared & Separate Processes
• Shared elements (community & economic)
– Scoping and agreeing content of the 2 elements
– Drafting the 2 elements
– Co-ordinated consultation processes
– Joint approval processes
Once complete the LCDC will consider & adopt the economic
element of the LECP and the local authority will consider and
adopt the community element.
The elected members may only make amendments to the
LECP in relation to consistency with the County/City
Development Plan and the Regional Spatial and Economic
Strategies
18/07/2014 52

53. Corporate Policy Groups
And
Strategic Policy Committees
Guidelines for
establishment and operation
Circular LG07 - 2014
18/07/2014 53

54. SPCs
It is the task of the SPCs, as committees of the council, to advise
and assist the council in its work.
SPCs have a major role in assisting and advising the council in
relation to functions of a strategic statutory nature, i.e. policy to
mirror the functions of a local authority, e.g. preparation of a
development plan.
They also have a function in other, non-statutory policy fields,
such as urban, village and rural renewal plans, policy related to
the development of work programmes and the establishment of
priorities such as integration of sustainability principles to
particular services,
18/07/2014 54

55. Size and Make-up of SPCs
Each SPC should have as a minimum a total membership of nine.
This will enable a range of opinions and perspectives to be
represented both from the elected members as well as from the
sectoral groups.
Particular care should be taken to avoid excessively large or
unwieldy committees; Nonetheless some flexibility in the level
of membership should be considered if particular local
circumstances indicate the need for greater membership. Each
SPC must have one-third of the membership drawn from
sectoral interests.
18/07/2014 55

56. SPC for Economic Development
and Enterprise
Specific consideration should be given to
inclusion of the Environment Sector on the SPC
for Economic Development and Enterprise in
view of the expertise available within the sector
in relation to sustainable development.
Nominations for places allocated to the
Ennvironment will come from the PPNs, but till
then from the Environmental Pillar nationally on
an interim basis.
18/07/2014 56

57. Thank You
Go raibh maith agaibh
www.environmentalpillar.ie
18/07/2014 57