Integral City Managers

Plan Strategically for the Global Village

Integral City Managers develop strategic plans for the global village that are systemic, systematic, logical and inclusive.

In the process the City goes beyond best practices and continuous quality improvement by developing leadership skills, at all levels of the community, including planning staff, city management, elected officials, community sectors and citizens at large. Here are 9 key steps for developing a plan for the healthy Global Village.

9 Key Steps to Develop the Global Village:
Official Community Planning (OCP) Process

1. Develop a Vision of a Healthy City of the Future
   
   "A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential (WHO, 2003)."
   
   
2. Facilitate Short and Long Term Learning with Staff Throughout the Process.
   
   City Manager and Facilitators with City Staff establish the foundations for the practice of Community Planning and implementation throughout the OCP Process. Agree on how to integrate the planning process with city strategic planning, roles, relationships and responsibilities; how to assess the success and status of previous OCP's; and how to facilitate organizational and community learning.
   
   
3. Design General Planning Process Principles
   
   
   • Create a context and scope for Multiple Scales of OCP planning from macro to micro: Region, City, Neighborhood, Organization, Team/Group, Individual.
   • Map out the scope of geological, ecological, structural and human factors in the process.
   • Design the OCP planning process using four healthy city planning lenses:
     1. Economic, Government and Workplace Resources
     2. Cultural, Family and Relationship Supports
     3. Personal Development and Educational Capacities
     4. Healthy Physical Life Resources
   
   
4. Conduct a CultureScan
   
   Scan the environment for cultural drivers, blocks, capacities for change, and desired futures, with "fresh eyes" from the Facilitating Team and a Sapient Circle (of knowledgeable but outside observers).
   
   
5. Create a Systemic Process
   
   Engage the city as an Integral Living System interconnected through representatives from Environment, Economic and Social/Cultural interests.
   
   
6. Develop a Systematic Approach
   
   Integrate research and planning methodologies; data gathering; current data bases, maps and strategic plans; and create a transparent accountable process. Agree on deliverables and how team will achieve them.
   
   
7. Ensure a Logical Planning Procedure
   
   Develop a Plan to Plan; assess the Change State and readiness; map the Executive, Strategic and Operational Functions; document the OCP; and select vital signs monitors for long term implementation management.
   
   
8. Design in Inclusivity of key Actors/Agents
   
   Employ a Participatory Action Research Methodology that includes City Planning Team, City Directors, Elected Official Committee(s) / Stakeholders, Key Community Groups
   
   
9. Integrate OCP with Strategic Plan
   
   Integrate and align the city's OCP with its strategic operational plan.
   
   

For more ideas and references check out the Internet Resources at the Integral City Discovery Zone, Intelligent Book Shelf and Integral City Shopping Cart.

For other aspects of City Managers click on these links:

• Develop Leadership Capacities
• Negotiate Diversity
• Meshwork Effectively With Elected Officials, Staff, Agencies and Others
• Plan Strategically for the Global Village

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