Measuring sustainability : learning by doing

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Measuring the sustainability of development is crucial to achieving it, and is one of the most actively studied issues in the area. To date, most studies of measurements or indicators have been largely theoretical.

However, this book, a follow-on to Bell and Morse's highly influential Sustainability Indicators (1999), presents valuable practical advice on how to develop measurements that will work in real-life development contexts. It describes and analyses how to derive, validate and apply indicators in the course of an actual development project - in this case the Mediterranean Action Plan in Malta.

The authors explain the trade-offs and constraints involved and how it is possible to combine the open-ended and flexible perspectives of sustainability with the more linear processes and fixed targets of specific projects through the use of pragmatic and reflective methodologies.

Author Notes

Stephen Morse is Reader in development studies at the University of Reading in the UK.

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes	p. vii
Preface	p. x
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. xv
1 The Brave New Frontier of Sustainability: Where are We?	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
What is sustainable development?	p. 2
Gauging progress	p. 13
Multiple perspectives	p. 18
Public participation: talk and action	p. 22
Summary	p. 27
2 Sustainability Indicators: A Brief Review	p. 29
Introduction	p. 29
Indicators of sustainable development	p. 30
Integration of sustainable development indicators	p. 39
The reference condition	p. 46
Using indicators of sustainable development	p. 48
Summary	p. 57
3 Systemic Sustainability Analysis and Prospective	p. 58
Introduction	p. 58
Personal background to the field work	p. 60
The importance of the subjective	p. 65
Background to CAMP Malta	p. 66
Technical specification for SSA	p. 71
Familiarizing the Maltese SSA team	p. 74
What are SSA and SPSA and how are they different?	p. 79
SSA and Blue Plan approaches	p. 86
4 Doing SPSA: Some Reflective Experience	p. 91
Introduction	p. 91
Stage 1 Find out how things are: reflection	p. 93
Stage 2 Understand the context for sustainability indicators: reflection/connection	p. 97
Stage 3 Gather the stakeholders in the sustainability indicator process: reflection/connection	p. 100
Stage 4 Get clear on methods: connection	p. 105
Stage 5 Identify the stakeholder coalition: connection	p. 110
Stage 6 Identify and agree the main SIs: connection/modelling	p. 114
Stage 7 Identify and agree the band of equilibrium: modelling	p. 114
Stage 8 Develop the AMOEBA in a collaborative manner: modelling/doing	p. 114
Stage 9 Think about how the AMOEBA extends over time: modelling/doing	p. 123
Stage 10 Unpack and understand the AMOEBA--futures: modelling/doing	p. 123
Stage 11 Responding to 'good' and 'bad' AMOEBA--policy implications: doing	p. 126
Stage 12 Making changes to the SI mix in the light of practice: doing/reflecting	p. 131
5 New Frontiers of Practice	p. 135
Introduction	p. 135
New ways of thinking about sustainability indicators	p. 139
Other dimensions to sustainability indicators: a new synthesis (Kolb learning cycle)	p. 143
Applying the learning cycle in sustainable development	p. 157
Summary	p. 160
6 The End of a Journey?	p. 162
Appendix 1 Systemic and Prospective Sustainability Analysis (SPSA) in Malta	p. 166
Notes	p. 174
References	p. 177
Index	p. 187

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Table of Contents