Rapid Assessment & Action Plan Tool
Advancing WSUD: A Rapid Assessment of Institutional Capacity in Local Government Agencies.
Andre Taylor was contracted to develop a suite of resources and tools for the delivery of a four phase process that can be used by council officers to conduct a rapid assessment of their organisation’s Institutional Capacity, a major barrier to the adoption of Water Sensitive Urban Design at the local council level.
Specifically, the Rapid Assessment and Action Plan Tool provides a do-it-yourself framework for council officers to:
- Assess whether the necessary elements of Institutional Capacity are present within their organisation to drive the uptake of WSUD;
- Prioritise capacity building initiatives to improve your organisation’s Institutional Capacity in this regard;
- Develop a prioritised action plan (management strategies) to build this capacity.
Facilitated by Col Freeman from the Lower Georges River Sustainability Initiative; the project was assisted by the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority via the Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Program. The project was initially piloted with Hurstville, Kogarah and Rockdale Councils and later adapted and replicated by Sutherland and Bankstown Councils via the Mid Georges River Sustainability Initiative. Read More >
A review by the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute of Sustainable Futures together with feedback and evaluations from participating council officers were integrated into numerous product revisions to ensure councils could be confidant the process and associated resources had been refined to suit their needs and wants. Furthermore, we wanted to ensure the process could be applied and adapted by organisations across a range of councils within the Sydney Metropolitan region and more broadly across Australia.
Based on feedback from council officers who participated in both the pilot projects and reviews, we are confident the following resources and tools provide a tried and tested support framework that will empower council officer’s ability to implement WSUD by building Institutional Capacity thereabouts.
It is recommended that you start by reading the Guideline, which clearly details how to use the other products. You may like to consider delivering the initiative within your own council individually or in partnership with adjoining or catchment based councils within your region.
 Guideline for Using the Rapid Assessment
& Action Plan Process Read More > Providing guidance on why assessing Institutional Capacity is important for those councils who wish to build capacity and commitment within their organisations for the uptake of WSUD; the Guideline also provides direction on how to implement the process and cross references the following resources and tools.  Lead Facilitator Workshop Introductory Slides
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A Lead Facilitator is needed for both workshops. These slides should be used at the beginning of Workshop 1. Ideally, the Lead Facilitator would have the following attributes:
- Experienced workshop facilitator;
- A good understanding of how local government operates;
- A sound understanding of WSUD;
- A strong general knowledge of the elements of institutional capacity that are needed to advance sustainable forms of urban water management;
- Knowledge of some of the strategies other agencies have used to build this form of capacity.
 Small Group Facilitators Background
Briefing Notes Read More >
Small Group Facilitators would not need specifialist WSUD knowledge. Ideally however, they would be experienced in small-group facilitation works and be seen as independent and/or impartial by workshop participants. These notes provide direction to Small Group Facilitators to aid the Lead Facilitator’s delivery of the Workshops.
 Project Background Briefing Notes
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Providing an overview of the overall project’s aim and objectives, this document should be forwarded to workshop attendees to outline the processes that will be followed; associated outcomes; who should attend the two workshops; and also introduces some key terms and concepts that underpin the project’s development and delivery.
 Agenda Rapid Assessment Workshop 1
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Detailing Workshop 1’s Agenda, the document should be distributed to identified workshop attendees. The Workshop generates assessment data that forms the basis for the development of a local action plan to improve Institutional Capacity.
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 Rapid Assessment Process Work Sheet
Read More > The five work sheets briefly describe elements of Insitutional Capacity that are needed in and around a council to successfully drive the adoption of WSUD. The worksheets are used by small multi-discplinary groups (five to six staff) coordinated by Small Group Facilitators to conduct a rapid self assessment of their organisation’s Institutional Capacity. The identification of prioritised capacity building initiatives is the first step in developing a prioritised action plan to drive WSUD within the participating council.  Agenda Rapid Assessment Workshop 1
Feedback Form
 Agenda Rapid Assessment Follow-up Workshop
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Detailing the Follow-up Workshop’s Agenda, the document should be distributed to identified workshop attendees. Ideally, attendees should have attended Workshop 1. The Workshop reviews assessment data from Workshop 1; identifies management strategies; and facilitates an agreed way forward to implement them.
 Agenda Rapid Assessment Follow-up Workshop– Feedback Form
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