• Sanne Kristensen
  • Rikke Stæhr
The basic in making this report is the conflict between on one hand the systemic views on local Agenda 21-proces that set the stage for a cross-disciplinary work between the administrations in a municipality and on the other hand the bureaucratic structure of the municipalities in Denmark, that inhibits the actions of this cross-disciplinary work. In addition to that, it is only the second time the municipality is compelled to make a strategy, by which they have not many experiences. In the present report the following is investigated: How can it be insured that the preparation and use of the strategy of local Agenda 21 is cross-disciplinary internal in a municipality? To answer this problem formulation a case analysis will be conducted. The organisation of Aalborg Municipality will be analyst as regards to the preparation and use of the strategy of local Agenda 21. In that way both the process for Aalborg Municipality’s Plan- og Bæredygtighedsstrategi 2003 and the strategy now in process, Bæredygtighedsstrategien 2007, will be analysed. The general cross-disciplinary work in the municipality is also a big part of the analyze, because it can give an understanding of the mechanisms that exist in the municipality and influences on the co-operation. It can in that way be transmit to the process of local Agenda 21. The analysis of the preparation is based on interviews and documents from the municipality about the preparation. On that background it can be conducted that the process around Plan- og Bæredygtighedsstrategien 2003 bear the stamp that it mostly have been prepared by the Technical Administration, with support from two other administrations, the Mayor Administration and the Supply Companies. The three administrations, where the only one represented in the three groups, but there have been several problems as co-ordination between the groups and misapplication of resources in the groups. Aalborg Municipality has succeeded in the new process procedures, to avoid the elements of critic of the preparations of the strategy from 2003. There are still exceptions because there are only represented from three administrations out of seven, which do not support a wide strategy, but there are still opportunities for that in the thematic groups, that are not yet created. At the same time the topics have been limited to environment and resources and a questionnaire is only conducted in the Technical Administration, which is limiting for the cross-disciplinary work. It is in connection, with the questionnaire that the project group had a co-ordination with the municipality. It is in the use of the local Agenda 21-strategy that the theoretical perspective can be used to a higher degree. Here relevant organisation theory is being reviewed and analyzed. The chosen theories are bureaucratic theory, bounded rationality, the learning organisation, organisations culture and power theory, where the focus lay on factors that limits or promote the cross-disciplinary work. On that basic, the frame of analysis for the report is made and it is being used to analyse the use of Bæredygtighedsstrategien 2007 and the general cross-disciplinary work in the municipality. Based on that, it can be concluded that the technical administration does a lot of cross-disciplinary work inside the administration and that the challenges lay by the cross-disciplinary work between the administrations. It is also here the greatest wish of more cross-disciplinary work exist. All of the asked employees pointed at some barriers for the cross-disciplinary work and they can be split up into three parts, the size of the municipality, time and co-operation culture – caution announcement. The recommendations that the project group has prepared to Aalborg Municipality, is about elements which can insure that the preparation and use of the strategy of local Agenda 21 is cross-disciplinary internal in the municipality. The most imported recommendations are for the municipality to prioritize cross-disciplinary work, and that the management is a great part of that. In addition to that it is imported to involve all of the employees in the process, both the ordinary workers and those from another administration. That can be done by promoting the new Bæredygtighedsstrategi and be more aware of the capacity of colleges from others administrations. In the end it is important for the process to be open, and that formal things, such as summary and agendas are out on time. Follow up should be conducted to secure the process is running after the intentions. In the end of this report a discussion is made concerning if the recommendations can be proportions with the work of local Agenda 21 and the general cross-disciplinary work in other municipalities. Which they are to a certain limits.
SprogDansk
Udgivelsesdato2007
Antal sider126
Udgivende institutionSamfundsudvikling og planlægning, Aalborg Universitet
ID: 10194714