Social Planning Techniques

1
Social Planning Techniques

• What is Social Planning ?
• Week 1

Rochelle Woodley-Baker Course Co-ordinator 2007
2
Menzies, Ground Rules 1993A Social Planning
Handbook for Local Govt. NSW.

• Social Planning is the process of investigating
  and responding to the needs and aspirations of
  the people who live or work in a community.

3
Social Planning Guidelines for QLD LG 1996

• Social Planning is an organised process for
  investigating and responding to the needs and
  aspirations of people and communities. In
  practice, it is based on a set of values,
  techniques and skills that contribute to better
  communities and quality of life.

4
PIA - Social Planning Chapter

• Social planning plays a pivotal role in creating
  liveable communities, vibrant economies,
  sustainable places, diverse cultural expression
  and social cohesion. 

5
PIA - Social Planning Chapter

• Social planning involves planning for the needs
  and aspirations of people and communities through
  strategic policy and action, integrated with
  urban, regional and other planning activities. 

6
PIA - Social Planning Chapter

• Social planning is founded on the principles of
  social justice (equity, access, participation and
  rights) and aims to enhance community well being
  and effectiveness.

7
City of Onkaparinga Social Development Policy
1998

• Social planning embraces a planned approach to
  enhancing the quality of life of community by
  identifying needs facilitating the timely,
  coordinated and accessible provision of human
  services, and community facilities and involving
  the community in the planning and development of
  the area.
• .

8
Put simply

• It is about planning to improve wellbeing and
  quality of life in local communities.

9
Social planning is

• People focussed while physical or environmental
  planning is place-focussed, but clearly the two
  interact.
• A vital input into environmental and physical
  planning, particularly in examining the social
  impacts of changes to the built environment.

10
Social Planning Process
11
Social Planning Process

• Characterised by being
• Strategic
• Consultative
• Participatory
• Negotiated
• Developmental

12
History of Social Planning
13
A brief history

• Councils have been involved in social/community
  planning since the beginning of local government
• The level of social planning has varied across
  the states and this has been largely to do with
  state constitutions and size of councils

14
SA history

• 1975 LG general revenue sharing was introduced
  which saw the commencement of LG in human
  services
• 1980-1985 Rapid growth of Councils involvement
  in providing human services and the development
  of community services teams aged care, housing
  community care, neighbourhood houses etc

15
SA history

• 1985 to present
• SA led the way through green field sites with
  first social plan developed by SAULT Golden
  Grove/TTG
• Review of Planning Strategy for Metropolitan
  Adelaide equity, access and social aspects were
  critical elements in the Planning Strategy
  providing a strong framework for social planning
  in SA

16
Integrated Local Area Plans ILAP

• ILAP stimulated the development of social
  planning by making the connections between
• Development
• Environmental
• Economic
• Social and cultural

17
Today

• Social Planners or community planners are now
  part of LG
• They are very active in the development of urban
  regeneration projects, green field development,
  population based planning, such as, ageing,
  youth, children, migrants, disabilities or issues
  such as cultural development, recreational
  planning, social infrastructure etc.

18
Key Principles
19
Key principles that are central to social
planning

• Equity
• Access
• Choice
• Advocacy
• Communication and Consultation
• Participation
• Timeliness
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Collaboration and Cooperation

20
Equity

• Means fair distribution of resources, political
  power and opportunities to participate in the
  life of the community.
• It is important to recognise the difference
  between equity and equal
• Equal means being the same
• Equity means being fair, not assuming that
  everyone starts from the same point or has the
  same capabilities.

21
Access

• Means fair and equal access to a range of quality
  services essential to achieving and maintaining a
  reasonable quality of life.

22
Choice

• People should be able to choose from a range of
  options and alternatives in housing, education,
  and employment opportunities as well as community
  support services etc

23
Advocacy

• LG has a legitimate role and is well placed to
  advocate and lobby for the needs and aspirations
  of the local community

24
Communication and consultation

• Implicit in any definition of social planning is
  an understanding that decisions which relate to
  quality of life issues must be informed by
  community involvement and the views of those
  people who will in some way be affected by the
  decisions

25
Participation

• Creating opportunities and a range of options for
  people to actively participate in civic, social
  and political life, and to influence decisions

26
Timeliness

• Means planning in advance so that services and
  resources are available in a timely manner, that
  is, when they are needed

27
Adaptability and flexibility

• Plans and program implementation should be
  flexible to accommodate changing community needs
  over time

28
Collaboration and cooperation

• Planning and provision of services should be
  integrated, where possible, and be coordinated
  between, or in partnership with, government
  agencies, non-government agencies and the
  community.

29
Role of Social Planner
30
Role of Social Planner

• LG strategic planning process
• Social Impact Assessment
• Developing local area or regional social plans
• Population planning eg youth, aged
• Evaluating programs
• Green field human service planning
• Planning and facilitating a community forum