|APPENDIX 23
Memorandum from the Improvement and Development
Agency (IDeA)
On the subject of how the government is using
both formal and informal learning avenues in the delivery of it's
sustainable development strategy.
IDeA supports self-sustaining improvement from
within local government. The Agency was created by local government
for local government. The Local Sustainability team at IDeA has
been established to enable councils in England and Wales to demonstrate
continuous progress towards local sustainability.
The team has close working arrangements with
key national organisations which have a significant presence in
the field of education for sustainable development. This response
has been formulated with their knowledge and agreement.
OUR FIRST
POINT
We have become increasingly conscious of the
large number of agencies which provide educational materials and
other services under the general heading of education for sustainable
development (ESD). This would not give rise to concern if such
provision was formulated within the context of a comprehensive
and coherent national strategic framework. This unfortunately
is not the case and the work programmes of many of these agencies
are weakened because of the resulting competition, lack of co-ordination
and potential duplication. The lack of a universal definition
and the emergence of differing perspectives on focus and priorities
have resulted in this situation.
We have been in discussion with a number of
agencies about this matter, mainly because we arguably have a
duty to provide a role in the development of programmes and the
guiding of local authorities and schools to the most appropriate
provider, in effect a signposting role. We were on the point of
bringing together a number of these agencies to discuss how we
might move in this direction when we became aware of the interest
of the sub committee of the Environmental Audit Committee. The
agencies which have indicated they would like to work with us
towards this end include ENCAMS which run the ECO Schools network
and other programmes, WWF with their extensive ESD programmes,
Groundwork which have many working links to schools throughout
their network of Trusts and Global Action Plan. These organisations
see IDeA as an honest broker in what is a very fractured and competitive
field.
We have also had discussions with the University
of Westminster who through the Environment Resource and Information
Centre (ERIC) has a considerable track record of both service
to the sustainable development field and to education and training
for sustainable development in particular.
We are also currently developing a compact with
the Sustainable Development Commission which will relate to the
content and delivery of ESD.
OUR SECOND
POINT
Revolves around a very fundamental question—what
do we mean by sustainable development? There are many definitions
but until this question is addressed and some consensus reached,
the comprehensive strategic framework, which we feel to be essential
before progress can be made, is unlikely to be formulated and
accepted.
Our own programme of work, to mainstream local
sustainability within the new local authority structures, is based
upon the concept of a sustainable community and the key features
of which collectively produce an acceptable quality of life for
the members of that community. These features embrace social,
economic as well as environmental issues including housing, jobs,
access to local facilities, safe and clean local environments
and social engagement. We are also pursuing several cross cutting
themes such as climate change. This is a wide but we believe a
realistic definition of local sustainability and to this end welcome
your extensive range of educative functions for potential investigation.
OUR THIRD
POINT
Is that we believe there is a need for a comprehensive
mapping exercise. The work of the Environmental Audit Committee
is restricted, as we understand it, to Government Departments
and Non Departmental Government Bodies. Much ESD capacity is outside
of this restricted remit. Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
have pioneered imaginative forms of ESD but often lack the resources
or capacity to deliver them to those who might benefit.
The mapping of NGO involvement in this field
(and the associated identification of areas of duplication, potential
complementarity, and rationalisation) is urgently required to
both promote a more efficient distribution of public funding and
the route map for local authorities and schools who increasingly
will be seeking resources to fulfil curriculum requirements. One
of the tasks that we might perform in partnership with other agencies
would be around this role. If we were to provide a signposting
function for local authorities, we would need such a map. IDeA,
through it's Knowledge web site has the capacity to hold and disseminate
such information. We also of course, along with the LGA would
wish to play a part in building up a picture of local authority
work in ESD.
A mapping exercise would need to classify provision
in a number of ways including the target audience. Here we are
talking about formal primary and secondary programmes, formal
and informal education, further and higher education as well as
face-to-face and electronic delivery mechanisms.
OUR FOURTH
POINT
In conclusion is that while we value this timely
intervention, we suggest that the exercise is a complex one and
should proceed at an appropriate pace. We would like to play a
part in achieving the comprehensive picture which you are seeking
but would want to go further, to develop ways of presenting the
information in a form which will be of use to local authorities
and schools.
We would welcome further discussion on these
points.
February 2003
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