+ COMMUNITY is a multilevel governance framework to facilitate the development of policies and project by gathering together public and private stakeholders
The Department of Environmental protection and valorization of the Metropolitan City of Milan is divided into 3 main sectors:
- Air quality, noise and energy
- Waste, reclamation and environmental integrated authorizations
- Water resources and extractive activities
The competencies of the Metropolitan City in the environmental field are primarily authorization procedures; in particular there is an increasing number of authorizations that need advice resulting from more environmental media and by different parties and institutions.
In this perspective the Environmental Dept. has promoted +COMMUNITY, a program for administrative simplification which gathers public, private and non-profit entities operating on sustainability, usability of environmental resources and equity in the distribution of environmental goods.
Developed in July 2015, + COMMUNITY is a multilevel governance framework which goal is:
• To facilitate the development of policies and project proposals, that fall under the jurisdictions of CMM, by gathering together all relevant public and private stakeholders,
• To share the best partnerships resources to spread and increase the skills of the metropolitan territory and the responsibility on the common good.
• To be an institutional laboratory that aims to improve the governance, to simplify work processes, languages and relationships with citizens and business.
Resources needed
The cost of staff involved in +Community activities is provided "in kind" by each relevant member; costs related to organisation of events (communication material, room rental, etc.) is covered by the member that hosts the event using own resources.
Evidence of success
+COMMUNITY promotes the responsibility for the common good between its partner; it makes the knowledge of each partner available for free so as to share and improve services for the citizenship; it operates as an institutional laboratory to promote a cultural, technological and managerial renovation process; it promotes a culture of rational use of environmental resources.
+COMMUNITY operates as an institutional lab to increase local governance.
Potential for learning or transfer
+COMMUNITY is a flexible program that can also shape the content,
based on the composition of the partnership. This means that this working body can enlarge its scope according to the topics of interest.
Furthermore it represents a good example of multilevel governance as it involves private and public subjects that want to share experience and good practices to be transferred into initiatives and plans of public benefit.
It's a light structure based on members' will and the people participating to the meetings and working group are technicians and experts that can offer an added value to institutional stakeholders.
Last but not least, +Community operates as a lab in which new projects and strategies can emerge, also for further development at international level.
Tags: Low-carbon, Strategy, Urban, Administration, Awareness, Engagement, Good practice, Governance
