Linking SEA and City Development Strategy (CDS) in Vietnam

1. IAIA’07 - Seoul, Korea, June 2007 Linking SEA and City Development Strategy (CDS) in Vietnam Maria Rosário Partidário, Michael Paddon, Markus Eggenberger, Minh Chau, and Nguyen Van Duyen

2. SEA concept • Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): • A strategic decision support process with the capacity to enable the inclusion and integration of environmental and sustainability issues right from the beginning of decision making processes • Facilitates decision-making by involving key actors and ensuring a long-term and large scale perspective by means of considering development options

3. SEA context – critical factors - Strategic reference framework Environmental factors Strategic factors Participation CULTURAL Analysis of Trends Follow-up Monitoring actual changes Objectives achievement Performance evaluation Conformance with strategic intentions Analysis of context Identification and analysis of strategic impacts Criteria and indicators for strategic assessment for each critical factor ANALYTICAL ANALYTIC Implementation and review Scenarios Assessment of options based on strategic impacts Specific criteria and indicators, per critical factor View points, Participation Options Choice Reporting and Quality control Based on Partidário SEA methodology to Spatial Planning Portugal, 2003 POLITICAL

4. CDS concept • An approach to strategic planning at a city level. • Aims at creating a collective city vision and an action plan to improve governance and management; increase investment to expand employment and services; and promote systematic and sustained programmes to reduce poverty • Successful CDSs should enhance: • Urban performance as measured by economic growth (linked to improved livelihood opportunities), • Poverty prevention and alleviation and • Improvement in environmental and public health (including poor and informal urban communities

5. The CDS Process and Building Blocks Cities Alliance / M. Paddon

6. We asked the question: Is SEA the right tool for CDS? • How to improve integration of environmental and sustainability issues in CDS? • Is SEA the right instrument in support of integration?

7. SEA + CDS shared principles • Flexibility • Adaptation (to specific cases - no standard way of doing) • Transparency (fully engaging participation) • Subsidiarity (ownership through community / stakeholders engagement) • Sustainability-driven • Process-driven

8. Questions SEA helps answer • What are the opportunities and risks for each CDS strategy/option/actions in terms of environmental and sustainability consequences? • What CDS approaches or measures need to be put in place to meet intended environmental and sustainable policies? • Have the public’s environmental and sustainability concerns been taken fully into account? • Have cumulative processes with potential negative impacts been analysed and considered? • Have majorenvironmental and sustainability policies been acknowledged in the CDS?

9. Making SEA fit the CDS process

10. CDS + SEA broad building blocks

11. SEA benefits to CDS process • Focus on key environmental issues • Assess and discuss options re sustainability object and targets • Trade-offs and synergies between CDS strategy options and environmental/sustainability concerns • Consideration of cumulative impacts of CDS strategies • Guidelines for planning, management and operation based on risks and opportunities • Avoid costly mistakes by late consideration of environmental and sustainability issues • Improve the credibility of CDS, leading to better commitment

12. Process of CDS in Nam Dinh Vision for Nam Dinh city Identify strategies for Nam Dinh city to 2020 Criteria for Choosing Priority Strategies Current situation assessment Identify Strategies in Priority to 2010 for Nam Dinh Consultations with Stakeholders Design the action plan for Strategy’s implementation • Enterprises • Women, Youth Unions • Ward civil servant • Father land • Citizens in rich area • Citizens in pour area • Police, veterans • Civil servant in different depts. • Business Association • Participants from Culture, Education, Sports, Healthcare sectors • Pupils from Primary and Secondary Schools Criteria for Choosing Priority Actions Identify the Actions in Priority for Nam Dinh for 2006-2007 Active participation of all staff of 12 departments and leaders Implementation and Monitoring

13. Extensive Consultation and Participation Developing Nam Dinh CDS • CDS Task Force workshops • CDS Task Force Executive Team work sessions • 12 stakeholder workshops on City Vision • 12 SWOT workshops with stakeholders • Economic analysis by CIEM consultant • ~ 25 direct interviews with leaders of province, city, municipal and provincial party committees and some provincial departments • 24 workshops with 12 municipal departments on CDS methodology • Workshops on to set criteria for selection of priority action plans • 24 workshops on mobilizing civil servants for developing action plans • Workshops with city leaders on action plans • 6 Presentation workshops for City leaders and Province and Party leaders