6. The System Fundamental understanding about how the system of planet earth works System conditions for success / Vision Principles of sustainability to develop a vision of success Strategy Guiding principles for action Action Implementation and planning Measure Level 1 Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2
A standard business planning framework based on backcasting from where you want to be (as opposed to forecasting based on existing trends)
If you are trying to do this planning within the context of what is sustainable in the real world, ie want to plan for a sustainable future, then you need to understand how the real world works – at least in broad system terms – and choose strategies and actions which don’t disrupt the functioning of that system - this is most easily done using a starting point of the principles governing that system. Once understand the system principles can develop a vision for your own organisation that complies with those system conditions (see last funnel diagram for the step by step process), develop strategies and actions that flow from that vision and the system conditions. Need to monitor progress against the system principles (eg are violations of the system conditions being reduced eg. were specified flows reduced or phased out) as well as monitoring actual outcome in the environment relevant to the action (e.g. are kiwi numbers increasing or decreasing, are people healthier or less healthy). From an organisational level also of course need to monitor success of specific actions – trick is to develop indicators that do really relate to the bigger objectives/goals – does improvement in t he indicator actually mean that we are getting closer to the goal.