Study ‘Sustainability and common good in municipalities’ and common good focus report
corsus conducted the study ‘Sustainability and the Common Good in Municipalities’ for the Bertelsmann Stiftung in collaboration with the global association ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – and developed a Common Good Focus Report based on the findings.
The study ‘Sustainability and the Common Good in Municipalities’ has shown that an integrative implementation of sustainability and the common good in municipalities is possible and makes sense. The study describes and compares the fundamentals of sustainability and the common good, the instruments of sustainability management and common good balancing as well as selected practices in municipalities. In particular, it shows the possibilities and limitations of an integrative approach. Finally, it is concluded that the concept of the common good can be understood as a substantive supplement and further development of sustainability management. For example, corsus and ICLEI recommended the integration of an orientation towards the common good into municipal sustainability management, as only shared values enable the pursuit of public value or the common good in the municipality. The process of sustainability management therefore begins with a consideration of the common good, understood as the basis for a value-orientated sustainable development of the municipality.
In order to ensure sustainability management that is orientated towards the common good, the Common Good Focus Report integrates the five core messages (5 Ps: people, planet, prosperity, peace & partnership) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the values of the Economy for the Common Good (ECG). A joint matrix of the five core messages and the five ECG values illustrates this integrative approach and is used as the basis for a qualitative inventory. The inventory thus serves as a value-based positioning of the municipality and its political and administrative practice. The qualitative inventory is supplemented by a quantitative comparison using indicators. A subsequent analysis of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities/risks is used to identify potential and starting points for the municipality’s strategic orientation in relation to municipal issues – based on values. Working with the common good focus report, i.e. the starting point for analysing and taking stock of municipal practice, does not initially focus on concepts, resolutions, action plans or quantitative indicators in order to measure the achievement of the SDGs or sustainability goals, but rather asks about a value-oriented attitude of the administration and politicians in their interaction with stakeholders and about the driving force of the community. The Common Good Focus Report examines the premises and foundations of political and internal administrative decisions based on the integrated 5 Ps and ECG values. The starting point of the stocktaking is the prerequisites and motivations of administrative action and political decisions on which the coexistence of municipal society is based. This ‘mindset’, i.e. the mental orientation towards values, promotes the focus on a development of the municipality that is orientated towards the common good.
The municipality then analyses and determines which values it pursues in order to define the social, ecological and economic framework conditions for the common good and to constantly examine how a balance of interests can be achieved. After taking stock on the basis of the common good focus report, a corresponding analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks and a selection of the relevant topics and fields of action, strategy development is based on a value compass. Strategic and operational goals, which are backed up with measures, are developed in terms of their impact on the common good. The focus on public value can later be further implemented in the monitoring and updating of the strategy.
Duration: January 2020 to November 2022
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