ABSTRACT
Strategies may be international, national, or local, and they may be sectoral or multi-sectoral. This handbook covers national multi-sectoral strategies. In many countries, economic and environmental strategies are unintegrated, each being undertaken parallel to the other. The number of partially integrated strategies is growing as environment strategies address economic and social concerns, and development plans pay more attention to environmental factors. Although integration is increasing, no fully integrated sustainable development strategy yet exists.
A national sustainable development strategy should build on existing strategy initiatives such as a national conservation strategy, environmental action plan or development plan, or a sectoral or subnational strategy. Only in exceptional circumstances will it need to start from scratch.
Conditions required before developing a multi-sectoral national strategy include: a defined need and purpose; a location for the strategy’s steering committee and secretariat where they can have the greatest influence on the national development system; high level support; the commitment of key participants; and a conducive political and social climate.
Necessary conditions that can be generated during the strategy process include: wide understanding of the concepts of sustainable development and the strategy, and of the need for both; clear goals and objectives; a body of well trained, experienced and committed people to drive the strategy; adequate resources; and effective communications.
Many of these conditions can be developed by working on a strategy which is less ambitious than an NSDS, such as a sectoral, regional or local strategy. The feasibility and scope of an NSDS can be determined by assessing whether the conditions can be met (and how to meet them), where change is most needed, how the strategy would relate to the decision-making system, how existing strategy processes can best be enhanced, what resources would be needed, and how they could be provided.
