Transitions theory is a body of interdisciplinary research that the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities draws on to assess a city’s water sensitive transition. E2Designlab modified the WSC Transition Framework to assess an organisation’s capacity to deliver and stabilise Integrated Water Management / WSUD in mainstream practice.
The outcomes-based evaluation framework sets out five enabling factors that underpin a successful WSC transition. The enabling factors are champions, platforms for connecting, knowledge, projects and applications, and tools and instruments. Together, these five factors are mapped against six transition phases.
A series of council specific indicators and measures were developed to ensure that an objective and repeatable assessment of organisational needs could be undertaken. Surveys and face to face discussions with council staff have provided us with the data to measure the extent to which a series of indicators, associated with each transition phase and enabling factor is present.
The findings help the industry to identify where to strategically invest in actions to embed water sensitive practice based on the individual needs of the organisation.
A total of 14 councils have been assessed.