Work areas

Sustainable Development Policy and Governance

In 1992 Agenda 21 highlighted the need for 'institutional arrangements' to promote sustainable development. Since then there has been growing recognition of the importance of mainstreaming sustainable development into corporate and performance management. Many organisations have moved from having a few 'sustainable projects', to thinking about how their corporate management structures can best support sustainability across all their activities. CAG has extensive experience of helping organisations to develop and evaluate their arrangements for sustainable development governance.

 We offer:

• Advice and training on good practice in sustainable development governance
• Evaluation of sustainable development governance practice
• Advice and training on how to promote sustainable development through performance management tools, including Comprehensive Performance Assessment, Best Value, and environmental management systems
• Advice and training on how to promote sustainable development within scrutiny reviews
• Advice on when it is appropriate to use other sustainability tools

Some examples of our work include:

Reducing South East England's Ecological Footprint - A Route Map

CAG Consultants, with partners CURE, Cambridge Econometrics and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), recently undertook a study for the South East England Regional Assembly, SEEDA and WWF-UK. The study modelled the impact of current policies on energy, transport, food and other sectors in the region. It identified the type of policies required to halt current growth in the region's footprint, and explored the more far-reaching approaches needed to 'transform' the South East into a sustainable, 'One Planet' region which uses its fair share of the earth's resources. The study findings will inform work by local authorities and other partners in the region, and provide evidence for development of the region's single Integrated Regional Strategy. The Route Map summary report can be found on the SEERA website.

In depth review of the Sustainable Communities Plan

We were commissioned by the UK Sustainable Development Commission to undertake a review of the Sustainable Communities Plan. The aim of the project was to assess how effectively the SCP is delivering sustainable communities. It involved in-depth assessments of four areas covered by the SCP - two growth areas and two housing market renewal areas. The research into the four areas included collecting and analysing baseline and performance statistics; undertaking interviews with policy and delivery staff; and reviews of key strategic documents. The report can be viewed on the SDC website.

Greater London Authority

CAG undertook a Best Value Review of Sustainable Development for the Greater London Authority, evaluating the GLA's performance in the areas of sustainability appraisal, decision making and the role and remit of the Mayor's London Sustainable Development Commission.

Delivering sustainable communities through Local Area Agreements

We developed a guide to Delivering sustainable communities through Local Area Agreements for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. During the LAA round 2 we assisted five LAA areas to enhance the promotion of sustainable communities through their LAA. We also ran a workshop with Government Office LAA leads on the same topic. We subsequently revised the advice in the guide on delivering sustainable communities though LAAs, and this now forms part of the LAA toolkit available on IDeA Knowledge.

Every Action Counts evaluation for Defra

CAG have been contracted by the Sustainable Development Unit at Defra to design and carry out a formative evaluation of the Community Action 2020 programme between Autumn 2005 and Autumn 2008. This is involving exploration of the process as well as inputs, outputs and outcomes of this major behaviour change programme.

IDeA Knowledge web pages on sustainable development governance

We developed web pages for the Improvement and Development Agency on sustainable development governance. The pages summarise current thinking and research on SD governance as well as past and future trends, and include several case studies of good practice among UK local authorities.

Review of the Scottish Executive’s capacity to deliver sustainable development

We conducted an evaluation of the Scottish Executive’s SD governance for the Environment and Rural Development Committee of the Scottish Parliament. The study will inform the committee’s inquiry into how well sustainable development is delivered by the Scottish Executive. We also compared the Scottish Executive with examples of good practice from other national and sub-national governments across the world.

Effectiveness report for the National Assembly for Wales

We were commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government to assess how effectively the Assembly is fulfilling its statutory duty to promote sustainable development. The CAG study informed the review of the Assembly's Sustainable Development Scheme and Action Plan. Our report is available on the National Assembly’s website.

Defra Environmental Action Fund (EAF) 2002 – 2005

CAG undertook a summative evaluation of the Defra Environmental Action Fund (EAF) which ran from 2002 – 2005. The fund provided resources for voluntary and community sector organisations undertaking environmental projects, and so the evaluation involved interviews with many of these organisations.

Effectiveness of sustainable development tools

We prepared a report on the methodology and effectiveness of 21 sustainable development tools for the English Regions Network. See our report on the East Midlands Regional Assembly website. (With the Centre for City and Regional Studies, University of Hull.)

WWF/IDeA Mainstreaming Sustainable Development through Modernisation Resource Pack

We drafted a Resource Pack for local authorities on how to integrate sustainable development into community planning, executive structures, scrutiny, CPA and Best Value. We recently updated the resource pack for the IDeA.

How well is CPA addressing sustainable development?

We conducted research for WWF UK into how well Comprehensive Performance Assessments of English local authorities address sustainable development.

Audit of Aberdeenshire Council’s Sustainable Development Charter

We undertook a review of the Council’s sustainable development charter and associated targets and made recommendations for a new set of actions to integrate sustainable development into all areas of the Local Authority’s work.

Environmental management systems for local authorities and housing associations

CAG has a long history of supporting the introduction of environmental management systems into public and voluntary sector organisations. For example we:

• Drafted the first guide to the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) for Local Government – for the then Local Government Management Board
• Prepared further guidance on writing EMS procedures for the local government Improvement and Development Agency
• Assisted Stratford-on-Avon District Council to become only the third council in the country to becomes accredited under EMAS
• Assisted Vale Housing Association to become the first UK housing association to be accredited to ISO14001
• Assisted Sunderland Housing Group (a former local authority housing department) to introduce ISO14001.
• We facilitated an internal workshop for Leeds City Council to review their environmental management system and decide on its future direction

For more information contact:

Gerard Couper
01364 653003  
gc@cagconsult.co.uk

Susan Parham
020 7704 0018
sp@cagconsult.co.uk

Helen Chalmers
01691 828026
hc@cagconsult.co.uk