Report for Community Services Committee September 23, 2002 Meeting

Report for Community Services Committee September 23, 2002 Meeting

The Vision for Social Well-Being and Sustainability of Communities Final Report (Further Analysis & Future Priorities).

Recommendation:
  1. That Attachment 1, “Edmonton City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life – Analysis of Indicators” be received for information.
  2. That a process to strengthen and help implement Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life, (as outlined in Attachment 2), be approved.

Report Summary

This report provides further analysis of the information contained in the January 3, 2002, progress report on Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life. It also recommends a process through which Council can review its Vision, set priorities for the future and determine goals or standards.

Previous Council/Committee Action

At the City Council meeting held on

February 12, 2002, the following

motion was passed:

  1. That the January 3, 2002 Community Services Department report be received for information;
  2. That Council reaffirm City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality Of Life; and
  3. That for the September 9, 2002, Community Services Committee meeting the Administration, through the Senior Management Team provide further analysis of the results described in Attachment 1 of the January 3, 2002, Community Services Department report and include priorities for the future, and standards or goals that Council might consider for 2003.

At the Council meeting held on September 26, 2000, the following motions were passed:

  1. That Edmonton City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life be approved.
  2. That the Vision Statement be brought forward to the first City Council meeting in January 2002 for review by the newly-elected City Council, with recommendations from the Administration regarding a review of the progress and any further steps that may be required.

Report

  • “Edmonton City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life – Analysis of Indicators” (Attachment 1), provides a detailed analysis of the eight measurement areas (Population Resources, Community Affordability, Quality of Employment, Quality of Housing, Community Stress, Health of Community, Community Safety, and Community Participation) and over 40 indicators in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) report, “Quality of Life in Canadian Communities.”
  • For each indicator, where possible:

a) the Edmonton trend is identified; b) a comparison is made with other municipalities participating in the FCM Quality of Life Reporting System project, showing Edmonton’s position in the range; and

c) historic change in relation to the participating municipalities.

Where information for all three factors is available, the score can range from minus three to plus three. The ratings of the indicators suggest some potential priority areas as well as some areas requiring further exploration.

  • Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life states the three most significant short to mid-term challenges as:
  1. “Determine the type and level of programs and services the City of Edmonton should provide.
  2. Identify which organizations, agencies and communities contribute to Edmontonians’ social well-being and quality of life, and sort out how they and the City of Edmonton can most effectively and efficiently work together.
  3. Persuade provincial and federal governments to reinvest in social programs and services.”
  • Implementation of Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life is identified as a Strategy in the 2003-2005 Corporate Business Plan.
  • To implement its Vision, Council could begin a process by determining how to proceed with addressing the Key Challenges. Senior Management Team recommends an approach (Attachment 2) which would help members of Council review and renew their understanding of the Vision as well as explore ways to achieve the Vision. The process includes an information workshop for first term members of Council and interviews with all members of Council, followed by a workshop for all members of Council. The process would be facilitated by an outside consultant.

Justification of Recommendation

  1. Attachment 1, “Edmonton City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life” provides a detailed analysis of the measures and indicators in the January 2002 Community Services Department report, as directed by Council.
  2. The steps outlined in Attachment 2 will assist Council members in addressing the three most significant short to mid-term challenges identified in the Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life. Addressing the three challenges would better enable Council to lead in implementing its Vision.

Budget/Financial Implications

The estimated cost of a Consultant to facilitate the process would be up to $13,000.00.

Background Information Attached

  1. Edmonton City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life – Analysis of Indicators
  2. Process for Addressing Most Significant Short to Mid-term Challenges

Background Information Available on Request

  1. Edmonton City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life
  2. Edmonton City Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life – Progress Report
  3. Quality of Life in Canadian Communities. Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Others Approving this Report

  • Senior Management Team

(Page 1 of 3)

Attachment 2

Process for Addressing Most Significant Short- to Mid-term Challenges.

Step / Action / Involvement
Step 1 /
  • Council appoint members to lead the process.
/ Members of Council
Step 2 /
  • Community Services Department be directed to support Council in this processes.
/ Administration
Step 3 /
  • A consultant be engaged to help facilitate Council’s work through the next steps.
/ Consultant
Step 4 /
  • Brief orientation to the Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life and the process that led to its development.
/ First term members of Council
Consultant
Step 5 /
  • Interviews with each member of City Council to collect input on the following:
  • General impressions of Council’s Vision for Social Well-Being and Quality of Life
  • Ideas to generally strengthen the commitment to and ability to use the Vision
  • Vision related issues/challenges/ opportunities
  • Potential future actions.
/ All members of City Council
Consultant
Step 6 /
  • A workshop/meeting for all members of Council to develop common direction for future action on the Vision.
  • Initial workshops/meetings with the broader community to determine areas of focus
/ All members of City Council
Consultant
Step 7 /
  • A report which recommends future steps for implementing the vision based on the results of the interviews with Council and on the workshop/meeting ‘hosted’ by Councillors with the broader community.
/ Consultant

Attachment 2 - Page 1 of 1