emerging conflicts as early as possible and to
seek consensual solutions to them. The extensive
and continuous participation of relevant stakeholders serves the holistic and transparent balancing of different goals.
2. Analysis: Analysis is used to describe the
current state of a municipality. On the one hand,
statistical data (quantitative analysis) and, on the
other hand, existing local concepts and strategies,
projects, (international) city or project partnerships, as well as political decisions (qualitative
analysis) are used and evaluated. The analysis
and merging of the quantitative and qualitative
data lead to a gap analysis. So far, non-treated or
only insufficiently treated fields in the context of
an SD and the SDGs are to be systematically
recorded. This process can be summarized with
the following question: Which fields of an SD
and the SDGs are already covered well, which
are covered to a lesser extent, and which are not?
An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) is generated on the
basis of the gap analysis. The SWOT analysis
presents a positioning analysis based on input
parameters (trend developments and local activities), action options and thematic fields for the
implementation of SD within the context of the
Agenda 2030 at the local level.
3. Sustainability strategy: The sustainability
strategy is developed (or revised if a sustainability strategy already exists) in a participatory
process with different stakeholders from politics,
administration, civil society actors, science and
economy (see Fig. 3). The IMSS includes four
components, which become more concrete from
left to right (from guidelines to measures). Each
component is developed with the help of a fourstep participation process (see Fig. 4).
First, a draft is determined by all the actors in
the steering committee. This draft is processed
and condensed by the facilitator (LAG 21 NRW).
This revised version is sent to the core group,
which reviews the draft and, if necessary, revises
it. This check particularly includes feasibility and
relevance. In the final step, the revised draft is
discussed, revised and adapted by all actors in
the steering committee. To work out the individual components of IMSS, they are all run
through every four steps.
The central outcome of the whole process is an
action program that describes clearly defined
objectives and measures. It is supplemented by a
general mission statement and thematic guidelines. Moreover, the developed objectives are
compared with the goals of higher political levels
(SDGs, German Sustainable Development Strategy (DHNS) and Sustainability Strategy for
North Rhine-Westphalia (NHS NRW)). This step
serves to create vertical integration and the
development of consistent cross-level target
systems (Hoff 2018). The comparison occurs
particularly at the level of strategic and operational objectives. On this basis, common objectives and possible synergies between the different
political levels can be highlighted and promoted
directly.
4. (First) sustainability report and formal
decision: The IMSS is documented in a sustainability report. On the one hand, the report contains a detailed process description on the
development of each strategy and, on the other
hand, an action program. The first sustainability
report is formally adopted by the formal
decision-making bodies (committees and council). The formal decision promotes the political
legitimacy of the IMSS and, hence, is considered
as a basic principle in all fields of local
development.
5. Implementation and monitoring: After the
successful formal decision, the implementation
of the objectives and measures established in the
action program begins. The implementation
phase is accompanied by indicator-based monitoring, which is used to measure the degree of
success of the strategy.
6. Evaluation and update: In the sense of the
CIP, the strategy is updated in regular rotation.
The update is based on evaluation results, which
occur against the background of current developments (errors, trends, etc.), as well as the
degree of achievement of the formulated objectives. The evaluation results are recorded in
246
S. Eichhorn et al.
seek consensual solutions to them. The extensive
and continuous participation of relevant stakeholders serves the holistic and transparent balancing of different goals.
2. Analysis: Analysis is used to describe the
current state of a municipality. On the one hand,
statistical data (quantitative analysis) and, on the
other hand, existing local concepts and strategies,
projects, (international) city or project partnerships, as well as political decisions (qualitative
analysis) are used and evaluated. The analysis
and merging of the quantitative and qualitative
data lead to a gap analysis. So far, non-treated or
only insufficiently treated fields in the context of
an SD and the SDGs are to be systematically
recorded. This process can be summarized with
the following question: Which fields of an SD
and the SDGs are already covered well, which
are covered to a lesser extent, and which are not?
An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) is generated on the
basis of the gap analysis. The SWOT analysis
presents a positioning analysis based on input
parameters (trend developments and local activities), action options and thematic fields for the
implementation of SD within the context of the
Agenda 2030 at the local level.
3. Sustainability strategy: The sustainability
strategy is developed (or revised if a sustainability strategy already exists) in a participatory
process with different stakeholders from politics,
administration, civil society actors, science and
economy (see Fig. 3). The IMSS includes four
components, which become more concrete from
left to right (from guidelines to measures). Each
component is developed with the help of a fourstep participation process (see Fig. 4).
First, a draft is determined by all the actors in
the steering committee. This draft is processed
and condensed by the facilitator (LAG 21 NRW).
This revised version is sent to the core group,
which reviews the draft and, if necessary, revises
it. This check particularly includes feasibility and
relevance. In the final step, the revised draft is
discussed, revised and adapted by all actors in
the steering committee. To work out the individual components of IMSS, they are all run
through every four steps.
The central outcome of the whole process is an
action program that describes clearly defined
objectives and measures. It is supplemented by a
general mission statement and thematic guidelines. Moreover, the developed objectives are
compared with the goals of higher political levels
(SDGs, German Sustainable Development Strategy (DHNS) and Sustainability Strategy for
North Rhine-Westphalia (NHS NRW)). This step
serves to create vertical integration and the
development of consistent cross-level target
systems (Hoff 2018). The comparison occurs
particularly at the level of strategic and operational objectives. On this basis, common objectives and possible synergies between the different
political levels can be highlighted and promoted
directly.
4. (First) sustainability report and formal
decision: The IMSS is documented in a sustainability report. On the one hand, the report contains a detailed process description on the
development of each strategy and, on the other
hand, an action program. The first sustainability
report is formally adopted by the formal
decision-making bodies (committees and council). The formal decision promotes the political
legitimacy of the IMSS and, hence, is considered
as a basic principle in all fields of local
development.
5. Implementation and monitoring: After the
successful formal decision, the implementation
of the objectives and measures established in the
action program begins. The implementation
phase is accompanied by indicator-based monitoring, which is used to measure the degree of
success of the strategy.
6. Evaluation and update: In the sense of the
CIP, the strategy is updated in regular rotation.
The update is based on evaluation results, which
occur against the background of current developments (errors, trends, etc.), as well as the
degree of achievement of the formulated objectives. The evaluation results are recorded in
246
S. Eichhorn et al.