In the early 90’s new ground was broken at Mosman Council in the corporate planning arena with the development of its strategic and business plan now well known Australia wide as MOSPLAN. The innovative approach to the development of MOSPLAN was acknowledged in 1993 when it was awarded the Management Excellence Award by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Mosman’s General Manager, Viv May was behind marketing the concept to over 120 Councils Australia wide. Always a live and responsive document, it is barely recognisable as the same document today. “You never stop listening and learning in our industry,” Viv May said.
“MOSPLAN has evolved as much as a process as well as a document and is now owned by the Mosman community and is recognised as clearly enunciating the programs and direction of the Council.”
The transparency and accountability which underpin the Mosman Council way have recently added an extra dimension to the Management Plan. External and industry benchmarks have been added to the full complement of performance indicators.
“If you want to be truly competitive and be accepted as a private sector partner you must be prepared to expose yourself to that sector, measure your results and better your practices,” Viv May said. “You are kidding yourself if you only measure within the Local Government cocoon and ignore the external environment.”
Building on the resident ownership of MOSPLAN and Council’s tradition of involving and consulting the community, the recent NSW legislative changes requiring Social/Community Plans presented a new challenge for Mosman.
“We all know that community consultation is hard and time consuming,” said Kay Clarke, Council’s Director of Community Development. “However, it is extremely important for informing our senses about different community service issues and our community make up and for tracking changing community needs and expectations.
“To revamp the traditional style of Social Plan we already had, and enhance our approach, which had become a bit too focussed on data and statistics, we thought that this time we must genuinely engage our residents and business people in the debate on our new Social/Community Plan.” The answer was Community Conversations.
The benefits abound
Mayor Jim Reid said that together with traditional methods of consultation, Community Conversations build on strategies such as street, neighbourhood and ward meetings already in place. “If a resident wants to be heard, there is a smorgasbord of opportunities at Mosman” he said.
General Manager, Viv May, is more satisfied now with the way the organisation is successfully integrating all its planning instruments and legislative requirements into MOSPLAN.
“The Environmental Management Plans, currently under development, are well integrated with the Natural Environment and Public Safety Programs,” he said.
“They meet Council’s overall environmental objectives and legislative requirements, and there is now a better checking mechanism to ensure they stay in tune with community expectations.”
Liz Davis, who also has a strategic HR role, summarises the key strength as being, the high level of integration of MOSPLAN with the other issue specific Plans, and with budget processes, job descriptions and employment contracts throughout the organisation.
Community conversations
A much more relaxed method of consultation was devised which Mosman called Community Conversations.
“We used the usual means of promotion, including invitation by way of advertising, production of leaflets and posters, media releases and the like, but we dramatically improved this approach by sending personal letters to hundreds of residents and business people inviting them to attend small gatherings held to converse on issues facing a range of target groups,” Kay Clarke said.
“Each person was asked to let others know and to suggest others to whom we should write.” The result was 18 very successful Community Conversations. They were held at round tables and in lounge room style settings. The Councillors and staff present were at the same level (literally) as the other participants.
Kay said that each gathering was relaxed, but nevertheless, the participants knew it was important to reach conclusions and agree on priorities. There was without exception, thoughtful discussion and debate coupled with laughter, sharing of experiences and an air of being among friends.
“Importantly, the divide and rule perception that facilitators often bring to such a process, was just not present,” she said. Nick de Brett, responsible for social planning and community services management, was particularly pleased with the high levels of resident involvement.
“The issues raised at the Community Conversations were prioritised by those involved, included in the Social Plan and integrated with MOSPLAN affecting almost every Program,” he said. “It was an exhilarating process for us all.”
Liz Davis, responsible for driving the strategic planning processes within the Council, noted other peripheral outcomes of the process. “It was obvious that people appreciated being heard, and undoubtedly the process built networks among our community groups,” she said.
“But from another perspective, it resulted in an opportunity for Council to explain to our community the type of constraints that are on us from competing demands and from other levels of government. “People better understood the balancing act we are often doing.”
The current edition of MOSPLAN integrated with Mosman’s new Social/Community Plan based on the new consultative technique, Community Conversations, is available from Council at a cost of $200. You will receive a hard copy and electronic version of MOSPLAN and the Social/Community Plan.
Further information may be obtained from:
Post: Mosman Council, PO Box 211 SPIT JUNCTION NSW 2088
Fax: (02) 9978 4132 Email: m.olive@mosman.nsw.gov.au Telephone: (02) 9978 4095
