Local Government Policy Awards
Local Government Policy Awards
Children • Health • Environment
The Children’s Environment and Health Local Government Policy Awards originated following the Environment and Health Advocacy Forum – an event organised by PHAIWA in March 2009.
The Environment and Health Advocacy Committee was formed following the Forum and has 22 members from across Western Australia.
One of the Committee’s first duties was to prioritise the advocacy consensus targets developed from the Forum. The area of children’s environment and health was allocated the highest priority.
Subsequently a range of ideas focusing on how to advocate for improved children’s environment and health were canvassed and it was agreed that targeting the Local Government sector would be most suitable given that many of the settings where children congregate come under the jurisdiction of Local Government.
Why a report card?
Although report cards have not often been used to assess policy, they have proven to be effective in evaluating program quality, promoting program improvement and informing and advocating for programs in many settings including schools, urban planning and health services. This project employs the report card as an innovative advocacy tool that acts as both an effective evaluation mechanism of local government corporate strategy and an instrument to promote positive change in the local government sector.