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The Art of City Making The Belfast Experience

Peter McNaney

Chief Executive, Belfast City Council

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Overview• The Past• The Present : Facts and Figures• Some issues• Re-politicisation : a virtue or a vice• What is good governance in a divided society• Some examples of public value• Key leadership attributes of a public service• Creating a Value Creation Map• The Future : Opportunities and Leadership

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The Past

“We Belfast people are proud of our city and its many activities. We are in the very front of the race of civic development...and we have a laudable ambition to keep there...”

Belfast Newsletter 1899

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Daniel Defoe there were seven different and more subtle categories: 1. The great, who live profusely.2. The rich, who live plentifully.3. The middle sort, who live well.4. The working trades, who labour hard, but feel no want.5. The country people, farmers etc., who fare indifferently.6. The poor, who fare hard.7. The miserable, that really pinch and suffer want.

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The Present2008

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BELFAST 2008

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Recent context…

Industrial decline since the 1950s

A period of civil unrest known as ‘The

Troubles’ began in 1969

Government by ‘direct rule’ from London

Economic slowdown and a migration

away from Belfast to surrounding areas

from the 70’s

Devolved government: re-established 8

May 2007

New investor confidence in NI

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Belfast: a city in transition Huge physical progress: major

infrastructure programme throughout 1990s & ongoing

€5 billion of investment & 35,000 new jobs in last decade

Fastest growing economy in UK

Lowest unemployment on record

Tourist Boom - 6.8 million visitors in 2006, spending £324million

New landmark developments: Victoria Square, Cathedral Quarter, North Foreshore, Titanic Quarter

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Laganside

Clarendon Docks

Layon Place

Cathedral Quarter

Donegall Quay

Mays Meadow

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Belfast: a tourist destination

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Visitor numbers for Belfast 1994-2005

  1994 1999 2005

Visitor 600,000 1.6m 6.4m

O/N Visitors 200,000 500,000 926,000

Day Trippers 400,000 1.1m 5.2m

Spend £40m £110m £285m

Rooms 900 1,500 2,700

Jobs 4,000 7,000 14,000

% of NI Tourism 17% 22% 45-50%

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Facts and Figures2008

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BELFASTWhere are we now?

Who are we?•277,391 650,000 in BMAP•21.6% U16 18% pensioners•7500 recorded migrants since 2005

Where do we live?•Population is highly polarised•80% in majority of neighbourhoods•42 peace walls•Home ownership 55%

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BELFASTWhere are we now?

Economy•182,957 employed in the City•½ of all foreign owned firms based in the City•37% Public Sector•Only 7% manufacturing•Unemployment 3.9%•Fallen by 6% since 1991•High level of Economically Inactive

Education•2001/2 42% of School Leavers achieved 3 A levels or more – 7% leave school with no qualitications•24.9% Working have degrees•26.9% Working no qualifications at all – 70% over 40

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BELFASTSocial Inclusion

Economy•9 out of the 10 most deprived wards are in Belfast in terms of multiple deprivation•12 out of Belfast’s 51 wards account for 40% of the unemployment•Third of unemployed have been claiming benefit for over one year

Health•Belfast has the 10 worse wards in NI in terms of health•Death rate from heart disease, strokes and cancer is one of highest in Europe

Education•8 out of 10 of the most deprived wards in NI in terms of education, skills & training

Environment•Air Quality Poor Waste will double by 2020•21% recycling rate Energy•Transport

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How does Belfast compare?Michael Parkinson – State of English Cities

Parkinson’s essential features of urban competitiveness

Economic diversity

Skilled workforce

Connectivity

Strategic decision making responsibility

Innovation in organisations

Quality of life

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How does Belfast compare?

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European innovation scoreboard 2002: EU Regions

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How does Belfast compare?

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Percentage of working age peoplequalified to Degree level (2001)

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Working age populationwith no qualifications 2001

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Skilled Workforce

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How does Belfast compare?Quality of Life/Population

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Some Issues 1How does Belfast compare?

Fragmented Governance• 55 strategies• Too many single focused agencies leading to fragmentation

and dilution of limited resources.• - Substantial division between:• - local and national government• - city and the metropolitan area• - city and rest of the region• - within the city itself• Mismatch between strategy and delivery.• Lack of trust and ownership.• No commonly agreed development framework for the city.• Lack of belief and leadership.

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Some issues 2What is hindering our

competitiveness? Fragmented governance – Review of Public Administration Public Sector dominance & lack of entrepreneurship Under populated city centre (although depopulation has

been arrested) Slow planning process Deprived Neighbourhoods Lack of connection to growing prosperity Skills/Employability City v region Learning to share and integrate Learning to govern

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Re-PoliticisationA virtue or a vice?

• Return to devolution• What does it mean for us?• What is politics?• What is the value of representative

democracy?• What is good governance?• What skills do we need to make it work

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What is the value of representative democracy?

• Connection to the citizen• Virtues of bureaucracy -v- drawbacks• Fairness• One size fits all• Slowness – wait your turn• Professional judgement, eg A1 -v- M1,

and political vision

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Virtues of representative democracy

• Politics understands symbolism• Politicians can overarch

professional disagreements• Politicians demand action• Political choices are difficult to

criticize at Audit• Winston understood:

“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other

forms that have been tried from time to time.”

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What are the necessary ingredients for good governance?

•Legitimacy– Must be fair– Recognise true nature of differentiated choice– Must be VFM

•Accountability– Must be connected– Must be answerable and responsive– Must have ethical framework

Consent to be governed by the citizen

Shared responsibility for social outcomes

Co-production and public valueEg Upper Springfield Safer Neighbourhoods, Brighter Belfast, Falls

Leisure Centre, Gasworks site, Grove Wellbeing Centre, Connswater Greenway

+

=+=

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Gasworks

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Gasworks

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Gasworks

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INTEGRATED PUBLIC SERVICESGrove Health & Well-Being Centre

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Imagine BelfastVision

A Good Vision• Must touch the heart and not just the mind.

It must create a City to which• Its citizens can identify• In which they share a sense of pride• To which they are willing to commit.

The Poem

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The PoemThe Cure of Troy

So hope for a great sea changeOn the far side of revengeBelieve that a further shore is reachable from hereBelieve in miraclesAnd cures and healing wells.

Seamus Heaney

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Key Leadership Attributes in the Public Sector

• What do our staff want?• “Leading change in the public sector” – Chartered

Management Institute survey• Key findings

– Clarity of vision– Integrity and Values– Sound Judgement

• Only 30% saw those skills in their leaders

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Key Leadership Attributes in the Public Sector contd…

• Challenges– Low rating given to leading innovation – 20%– Low priority given to leadership development– Greater priority needed to develop leaders with capacity to

manage the political dimension– Those developing policy/targets need to reconnect with

frontline – those directly engaged in service provision– Must be revitalisation of the values agenda – commitment

to public service and authority to make a difference– Highest morale exhibited by staff authorised to do this and

recognised for their contribution

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Key Leadership Attributes in the Public Sector

Key roles• Civic entreneurship – solving problems by

drawing on the resources and capabilities of others

• Managing risk – pushing the boundaries of aspiration and being aware that public, media and politicians often want someone to blame

• Managing legitimacy – win consent, persuade, explain, share responsibility

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Emerging Strategic Objectives (1) The Council takes a leading role in improving quality of life now and for future generations for the people of Belfast

by making the city a better place to live in, work in, invest in and visit

(2) Providing leadership and strategic direction for shaping, developing and

managing the city

(3) Meeting the needs of local people through the Effective Delivery of Quality

and Customer-Centric Services

Strong

Leadership

Economic Growth

&Wealth Creation

Community Cohesion

& Well-being

Environmental Sensitivity

&

Sustainability

An Organisation Fit to Lead and Serve

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Working to improve the health and well-being of people in the city Working to make areas safer Promoting good relations between communities by:-

o securing shared city space,o transforming contested space,o developing shared cultural space, and o building shared organisational space

Working to improve the experience of young and older people living in the city Providing high quality facilities that make it easier for people to access services Providing modern, fit-for-purpose leisure facilities as part of a wider Leisure

Strategy for the city Working to ensure that people across the city are treated with respect and have

the same life opportunities

Community Cohesion and Well-being 

Building stronger relationships between communities and individuals.

Promoting and improving the well-being of communities and individuals.

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Why These Strategic Objectives?

• 86% of people believe BCC is important to the everyday lives of the residents of Belfast• 56% believe BCC is the organisation best placed to shape the future development of the city• 59% agreed that BCC should take a lead role in promoting community relations in the city

• activities for teenagers (41%)• cleaner streets (29%) • facilities for young children (25%)• access to affordable, decent housing (18%)

• making local areas safer (54%)• making local areas cleaner and greener (42%)• creating a clear vision for the city’s future (37%)• promoting good relations (34%)• helping to create a better city for children (29%)

What should the Council’s

priorities be?

Top 4 things that would most help improve quality

of life:

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The Future Opportunities and Challenges

Leadership• People change things• Values matter – but only when consistent

with actions• Incentivize - Innovation - Delivery -

Integration - Engaging citizens in solutions• Invest in staff development – learn how to

learn• Remove the fear

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What we need to do“The sense of danger must not disappearThe way is certainly both short and steepHowever gradual it looks from hereLook if you like but you will have to leap

Tough minded men get mushy in their sleepAnd break the by-laws any fool can keepIt is not the convention but the fearThat must be made to disappear.”

W H AudenLeap before you look

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A successful Belfast – key challenges

Energy

Skills

Common Purpose

Adaptive Capacity

Good Relationships

Ambition and Will

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• Recognize – those who take responsibility

• Remember our motto

• It’s the stuff of leadership

The Future Opportunities and Challenges

Leadership

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Pro Tanto Quid RetribuamusFor so much, what shall we

give in return