South African Cities Network: Urban Indicators Theme

SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES NETWORK: URBAN INDICATORS THEME

WORKSHOP SUMMARY: Cape Town, 11 June 2002

1.BACKGROUND

The South African National Government and the nine largest citie[s] 1 in South Africa have established the South African Cities Support and Learning Network (`Cities Network’).

One of the areas of focus of the Cities Network is an Urban Indicators project, which the City of Cape Town (CCT) has been asked to host. To ensure broad agreement around the objectives as well as the role and modus operandi of the project, the Strategic Information Directorate of the City of Cape Town convened an initial workshop of relevant stakeholders on 11 June 2002.

The aims of the workshop were:

1)to introduce the SA Cities Network Programme and the Urban Indicators project to relevant stakeholders

2)to assess the current status with regard to work that has been done or is planned with regard to urban indicators and benchmarking

3)to begin discussion around the objectives and work programme for the indicators project

1. THE SA CITIES NETWORK PROJECT - Andrew Boraine

• The establishment of the Cities Network was motivated by:

-economic viability of major cities in SA is critical to national economic performance.

-70% of SA's population live in urban areas

-since many of the problems in cities (eg unemployment, crime) relate to all 3 spheres of government there is a need for partnership across all 3 spheres to improve management of cities.

-because cities share similar problems there is a need for shared learning and co-operation between cities

• The objectives of the network

-To promote good governance and management of South African cities;

-To analyse strategic challenges facing South African cities, particularly in the context of globalisation and national economic development;

-To collect, collate, analyse, assess, disseminate and apply the experience of large city government in a South African context;

-To promote a partnership between different spheres of government to support the governance of South African cities.

• The following 5 themes have been identified by the SA Cities Network

-Economic development

-Equitable delivery of services

-City level responses to HIV / AIDS

-Transport planning and management

-Urban indicators

• Urban Indicator Project motivated by:

-Indicators help with more effective and equitable allocation of resources

-The project will help strengthen links between urban policy and management

-Cities need to be information driven cities

-The project will help promote transparency and accountability in government

• Key objectives of the Urban Indicators Project

-To enhance city / local capacity planning, monitoring and decision making at city and sub city level

-Allow for comparison (national and inter city comparison)

3.CURRENT STATUS OF WORK DONE

• The following presentations related to indicator-related work completed or underway in the major cities:

-Urban Indicators Research Programme: a partnership between Buffalo City and the Institute of Social and Economic Research.

(Robin Richards, ISER, Rhodes University)

-Quality of Life Research Programme.

(Brian O’Leary, Urban Strategy, Ethekwini)

-Monitoring the State of the Environment.

(Craig Haskins, City of Cape Town)

-Examining intra-city differential: levels of living indicator and segmentation analysis.

(Keith Smith, City of Cape Town)

-The use of Socio-economic data to inform the CDS.

(Tjaart van der Walt – City of Johannesburg)

• A number of relevant initiatives at national government level were noted, including:

- Department of Housing's Indicators project

- Dept of Finance indicators to determinine resource allocation

-Department of Provincial and Local Government's performace indicator project

• Representatives from Statistics SA presented an overview of national surveys and datasets (incl. Census, Household Surveys and Labour Force Surveys) as well as the sampling procedures used.

4.ISSUES RAISED IN PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1The use/value of indicators

• The development of indicators needs to be integrated with broader processes, such as the needs of the IDP, setting of budgeting priorities, performance management.
• However, indicators are often not used to drive strategy since:
• users are often not aware of or do not understand the use or value of indicators.
• information and indicators are not always communicated in an appropriate way. Information should be presented in a way that facilitates its use in strategic planning. Reporting systems should vary to suit the target audience/users (e.g. “easy readers” rather than technical documents)
• Users – and all stakeholders – need to be made familiar with data collection methods and the assumptions underlying analysis and presentation of information.
• Urban indicators need to be developed through a multi-stakeholder, consultative process. This is important to ensure “buy-in” and to minimize conflict in their use. This must include councilors, officials, and the public to broaden ownership of process while maintaining scientific credibility

4.2Data Sources and Availability

• A number of potential data sources were identified. These included:
• Specially-commissioned surveys
• Data routinely collected by local government
• External sources (particularly StatsSA).
• The benefits of one-off surveys compared to ongoing data collection were raised. Cost of data collection was raised as a concern.
• Indicators regarding urban economic development not well developed. This is partly due to the lack of data, which can only be collected locally.
• Uneven distribution of skills and availability of data evident among LG bodies.

4.3Strategic Analysis of Indicators for intercity and intracity comparisons

• It was evident that different approaches and indicators are being used. However, agreement should be reached on a small number of selected indicators to be used to measure poverty in South African cities. There is a need to develop a hierarchy of indicators, constituting “core” indicators (essential) and “other” indicators (specific to city/need/sector).
• The City Development Index (CDI) was identified as a potential tool for doing this. The CDI was devised by UN-Habitat to allow comparisons of the levels of development between cities (as opposed to the Human Development Index, which measures development at a national level).
• The development of city-wide indicators has pitfalls, as these conceal wide variations in the nature and severity of poverty within the city. It is important to highlight intra-city differentials.

4.4Need for shared learning/co-operation

• Presentations highlighted benefit of sharing methodologies and approaches between cities
• Number of initiatives at national level that have implications for cities that local authorities need to be part of.
• StatsSA conduct a number of surveys at a national level but the sampling units used (magisterial districts) limit the usefulness of the data by local government.
• Should also develop links and share experiences with other cities e.g. . local authorities in Brazil and India are involved in urban indicator projects.
• Suggested that cities consider joining the Global Urban Observatory Network in order to benefit from UN Habitat’s expertise in data collection, management, analysis, and use of indicators in strategic and local action planning.

5.WAY FORWARD

5.1.A working group consisting of one representative per local authority will be set up to co-ordinate the work of the project. The working group will meet on a quarterly basis.

5.2 The City of Cape Town will draft a concept document that will place urban indicators in a wider context including globalization, the IDP, and other local government imperatives.

5.3The CCT will formulate a draft business plan to be discussed by the working group.

5.4.The business plan of the project should include the following.

-an audit of urban indicator work currently underway in the nine cities and other levels of government. This should also include identification of currently unused but routinely-collected data which could be used in indicator development. This should be a high-level audit taking approximately one month.

-liaison with national departments and other relevant bodies to identify areas of co-operation and partnership. A meeting with StatsSA in order to explore the potential for partnership with them, and to present a multi-city request for the provision of data in spatial units that are relevant to local government needs.

-developing a common set of indicators that will allow for intercity and intracity comparisions. This will include calculation of the City Development Index for each of the cities in the Network.

-initiate links with international cities to share lessons learnt and best practices in linking urban indicators to policy initiatives. Possible national workshop with input from international cities.

5.5.Where necessary, the convening team to outsource work to appropriate consultants.

Annexure 1: Workshop Agenda

AGENDA FOR URBAN INDICATORS WORKSHOP TO BE HELD

ON 11 JUNE

Morning Session - Chairperson : Andrew Boraine

10:00 – 10:10Welcome and Introduction.

10:10 – 10:30Background to SA Cities Network and Indicator Project. (Andrew Boraine)

10:30 – 11:10Presentation on Local Government Initiatives

Urban Indicators Research Programme: a partnership between Buffalo City

and the Institute of Social and Economic Research.

(Robin Richards, ISER)

Quality of Life Research Programme.

(Brian O’Leary, Urban Strategy, Ethekwini)

Monitoring the State of the Environment.

(Craig Haskins,City of Cape Town)

11:10 – 11:30TEA

11:30 – 12:00Presentation on Local Government Initiatives (continued)

Measuring intra-city differential: levels of living indicator and

segmentation analysis.

(Keith Smith, City of Cape Town)

The use of Socio-economic data to inform the CDS.

(Tjaart van der Walt – City of Johannesburg)

12:00 – 13:00Discussion / Input from other cities.

13:00 – 13:45LUNCH

Afternoon Session - Chairperson : Glen Stavridis

13:45 – 14:30National Initiatives that have implications for cities.

-National data sets and their relevance to cities.

(Zeenat Ishmail – Statistics SA)

-Compiling urban indicators.

(Department of Housing)

-Use of indicators in performance management.

(Kadimo Masekoane,Department of Local Government)

-(Memorandum from Dept of Finance to be distributed)

14:30 – 15:15Discussion of key issues that programme should address.

15:15 – 15:45Summary of key issues and proposal on Way forward .

Annexure 2: List of Attendees

Cities Network Urban Indicators Workshop 11 June 2002 – Cape Town

In attendance:

Apologies for being unable to attend:

Representatives from City of Tshwane

[s]1 Buffalo City (East London); Cape Town; Ekurhuleni (East Rand); Ethekwini (Durban); Johannesburg; Mangaung (Bloemfontein); Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg); Nelson Mandela (Port Elizabeth); Tshwane (Pretoria).