TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 INTRODUCTION 28 Part 2: Practical to MEYP planning 6 7 8 9 12 13 13 14 14 16 How to use this document. Acknowledgements Part 1: Policy and planning context SECTION 1: ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECTION 2: WHAT IS A MUNICIPAL YEARS PLAN (MEYP)? Format / structure of an MEYP MEYPs as an element of local government integrated planning SECTION 3: KEY FOUNDATIONS FOR EARLY YEARS PLANNING Strategic area planning Social determinants of health 29 30 33 35 36 37 38 41 42 43 44 INTRODUCTION STAGE 1: PREPLANNING. 2: ASSEMBLING KEY BACKGROUND AND CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION STAGE 3: ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY 4: ANALYSIS AND IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITIES STAGE 5: DETERMINING THE VISION AND GOALS STAGE 6: DEVELOPING MORE SPECIFIC ACTIONS STAGE 7: DOCUMENTING THE MEYP STAGE 8: ENDORSEMENT STAGE 9: IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING STAGE 10: EVALUATION 17 18 19 20 21 23 25 26 Focus on outcomes for children SECTION 4: KEY INPUTS THAT CAN INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN MEYP Evaluation of existing MEYPs Key evidence themes Policy context Local characteristics and influences Council’s role SECTION 5: THE MUNICIPAL EARLY YEARS PLANNING CYCLE Part 3: References and resources 52 REFERENCES 54 APPENDIX 1 – GLOSSARY 56 APPENDIX 2 – MAPPING THE SERVICE SYSTEM 57 APPENDIX 3 – SAMPLE VISION AND GOALS 58 APPENDIX 4 – THE MEYP DOCUMENTATION 60 APPENDIX 5 – EVIDENCE THEMES 61 APPENDIX 6 – KEY AND EMERGING EVIDENCE THEMES FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YEARS 64 APPENDIX 7 – POLICY CONTEXT 3
Policy and planning context Format / structure of an MEYP There is no required format or structure for an MEYP. There is the opportunity for flexibility so that they can reflect each council’s individual corporate planning processes, style and approach. Some councils may add the MEYP as an action plan to a larger strategy such as the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (MPHP), Council Plan or Community Plan. The MEYPs can form the for a joint partnership planning approach where involvement of other local stakeholders is identified in the MEYP and these organisation corporate planning documents reflect agreed MEYP outcomes. A suggested format for an MEYP is set out in the second part of this document. EXAMPLE: MEYP AND COUNCIL PLANNING PROCESSES COUNCIL PLAN MEYPs as an element of local government integrated planning cycles Councils have observed that the MEYP process is most effective if viewed as one of the elements of local government integrated planning. If utilised effectively, an MEYP has the potential to be a useful tool for embedding early years community priorities into council planning processes / budgets. An example is outlined to further demonstrate this process. Municipal Strategic Statement Community Plan Placing the MEYP process within a timeline of local government planning cycles (see example below extracted from the Practical Guide to Municipal Public Health Planning) may assist in integrating MEYPs with other local planning processes. SAMPLE PLANNING TIMELINE (extracted from the Practical to Municipal Public Health Planning) Municipal Health and Well Being Plan November 2008 Local government elections November 2012 Local government elections November 2012-13 November 2016 government elections November 2016-17 MEYP Family & Children’s Action Plan MPHP planning MPHP planning November 2009 MPHP due 2013 MPHP due 2017 MPHP due 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 M&CH Action Plan September 2011 State Public Health Plan due November 2010-11 public health planning November 2010 Victorian government elections September 2015 State Public Health Plan due November 2014 Victorian government elections
Policy and planning context Social determinants of health The social determinants of health7 are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. There is now worldwide recognition that inequity in health is in part due to underlying social, economic and political inequities. This is in contrast to viewing the of health status as residing predominately with the individual. A good environment in early years is identified as one of the ten aspects of the social determinants of health.8 Municipal early years planning can consider the daily living conditions of young children and their families, how the economic and social conditions of the municipality affect them and what responses and interventions can improve them. It can move planning away from service delivery and focus thinking on the child’s experiences within their family, neighbourhood and community. This approach is particularly important when planning for indigenous and other vulnerable groups in the municipality. World Health Organisation: Social Determinants of Health 1. Early childhood development: Well established evidence illustrates that opportunities provided to young children are crucial in shaping lifelong health and development status. 2. Globalisation: How globalisation’s dynamics and processes affect health outcomes: trade liberalisation, integration of production of 3. Health systems: Innovative approaches that effectively incorporate action on social determinants of health. 4. Measurement and evidence: The development of methodologies and tools for measuring the causes, pathways and health outcomes of policy interventions. 5. Urbanisation: Broad policy interventions related to healthy urbanisation, including close examination of slum upgrading. 6. Employment conditions: Measures to clarify how different types of jobs and the threat of unemployment affect workers’ health. 7. Social exclusion: The relational processes that lead to the exclusion of particular groups of people from engaging fully in community and social life. 8. Priority public health conditions: Factors in the design and implementation of programs that increase access to health care for socially and economically disadvantaged groups. 9. Women and gender equity: Mechanisms, processes and actions that can be to reduce gender-based inequities in health by examining different 7 8 As defined by World Health Organisation (http://www.who.int) WHO (2000) Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts; WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008) Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health 16
Policy and planning context SECTION 4 Key inputs that can inform the development of an MEYP This section outlines five key inputs that can inform the planning process, leading to the development of an MEYP. Evaluation of existing MEYP Council’s role Local MEYP Key evidence themes 18 charateristics and influences Policy context
Practical Guide to MEYP Planning Developing partnerships with key stakeholders Councils may like to consider the benefits of developing an MEYP using a partnership approach with key stakeholders who, through working together, enhance the outcomes that can be achieved through the development and implementation of the MEYP. This requires good planning and identification of the ‘right’ stakeholders (Refer Appendix 9 - Stakeholder Analysis). The partnership may be part of an already existing group such as the Best Start Partnership or an Early Years Advisory Group. It is important that any partnership group established has clear terms of reference with a governance structure outlining decision making responsibilities. Sample MEYP Partnership Group An example of a partnership approach Some councils have initiated a joint planning approach to the MEYP development – a partnership group (existing or new) is formed in the preplanning planning stage to oversee all stages of the planning cycle. Powers, roles and responsibilities are agreed and documented in a governance structure with terms of reference. Councils have reported that this approach enables community ownership of the MEYP process and shares the responsibility of undertaking strategies and Council MEYP Partnership Government Families and children actions across all stakeholders. As a result there is a better planning process, a quality MEYP and improved chances of enhancing childhood outcomes. Service providers Private sector business Community leaders 32
Practical Guide to MEYP Planning STAGE 7 DOCUMENTING THE MEYP It is important to properly document the MEYP in a way that assists with communicating its purpose, what it is setting out to achieve and proposed actions. It is also important that the plan identifies who will be responsible for achieving each identified action and the timeframes for the achievement of actions. The structure of an MEYP may vary from council to council. However, the MEYP structure and format could include: · An introduction and summary · Scope · Policy context · Role of council · Brief summary of early years profile · Vision · Summary of goals/priorities/objectives/actions · Action plan · Review and evaluation process An MEYP should be an active plan – one that is well documented and monitored regularly. Appendix 4 provides a checklist, a sample format and action-planning template that may be helpful in ensuring that the MEYP comprehensively addresses early years planning in the municipality. MEYP documentation CITY OF GREATER DANDENONG · Introduction · A vision for a child and family friendly City of Greater Dandenong · A Friendly City · Overview of the municipal early years plan · Municipal early years - Action Plan - Key direction 1: Creating an integrated, flexible and accessible early years system - Key direction 2: Creating connected communities - Key direction 3: Improving early childhood health, learning and development - Key direction 4: Improving the wellbeing of families with children - Key direction 5: Advocating for better early years outcomes · MEYP development, monitoring and review SURF COAST SHIRE · Council vision · Linking to the years · · · · · · · · · · Developing the MEYP Building on the MEYP 2006 – 2008 The MEYP 2009 – 2013 Listening to the community Children and families of Surf Early childhood indicators years services Surf Coast early years action plan Enhanced planning for Surfcoast Appendices 41
Practical Guide to MEYP Planning STAGE 8 ENDORSEMENT This is a critical stage in the process as it is where the MEYP receives ‘buy-in’ from those who may not have been intimately involved in its development. If a partnership approach has been used, then the MEYP will need to be endorsed by the partnership group, then council. The MEYP needs to be endorsed through normal council processes. It is useful if a ‘champion’ is appointed to see the plan through this process. Once the MEYP is ‘approved’ it is important to ‘market’ and promote the plan to relevant stakeholders. Often a formal launch of the plan provides a great opportunity for the council to demonstrate its extensive and ongoing commitment and responsiveness to the community. 42
Practical Guide to MEYP Planning Aspect 3: Evaluating the impact of the MEYP It is important to understand what happened as a result of implementing the MEYP with the key question being: “What impact has implementation of the MEYP had in the local community? Was this what the MEYP anticipated?” Issues to consider include: · Did you achieve the changes or outcomes that you had identified in the MEPY for each of the actions? · Were the measures outlined in the MEYP helpful in identifying the impacts? · Were there any positive or negative impacts you did not anticipate, for example: - the way in which services in the municipality worked together - achieving greater participation by one vulnerable group in one area of the municipality but not in areas - demand for specific services increasing more than anticipated and creating significant pressure on a service? · What are the implications of the insights into the impacts of the MEYP that should be taken into account in planning for your next MEYP? 48 Did the actions have the anticipated impact? Were the measures the right ones? What insights have the impacts given us for next time?
APPENDIX 2 – Service mapping AEDI The Australian Early Development Index was first completed nationwide in 2009. A follow-up data collection occurred in some small areas in 2010. In the 2009 data collection, information was collected on 261,147 Australian children (97.5 per cent of the estimated five-year-old population) in first year of full-time school between 1 May and 31 July. In April 2010 the latest AEDI results were launched providing 96 per cent of Australia’s communities with important information about how their children are developing. This data will continue to be collected three years. For councils AEDI information can be found at: http://maps.aedi.org.au/ Department of Education and Early Childhood Development The department provides services to children and young people both directly through government schools and indirectly through regulation and funding of early childhood services and non-government schools. The department’s key responsibilities inform the following outcomes that the department strives to achieve within its birth-to adulthood learning and development agenda: CHILDREN: 0-8 YEARS · Children have the best start in life to achieve optimal health, development and wellbeing · Children acquire the basic skills for life and learning · All children have access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education in the years before schooling · High-quality early childhood education and care supports the workforce participation choices of parents with children in the years before formal schooling 56 CHILDREN: 8-17 YEARS · All children are engaged in and benefiting from schooling · Children are meeting expected literacy and numeracy standards, and overall levels of literacy and numeracy are improving · Victorian students by national and international standards. Children’s services register can be found at: www.vic.gov.au/education/early-childhood/early-childhood-services.html Other services mapping information Example of a services mapping project completed in Western Australia. www.childaustralia.org.au Integrated service delivery at the local level – Working with service in Victoria www.rch.org.au Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/child/ Koorie Maternal and Child Health Services Victoria www.health.gov.au/ Strategic framework for paediatric health services in Victoria www.health.vic.gov.au/ Integrated family violence services – service mapping and referral pathways project www.bswifv.org.au/
APPENDIX 4 – The MEYP Documentation SAMPLE MEYP ACTION PLAN 2 0 to 2 0 Day Month Year Day Month Year Council Vision: Linked statements in other Council Plan: MEYP Vision: MEYP Goals: 1. 2. 3. Objectives Outcome measure Actions (with evidence) Lead partner Internal (I) Time line Immediate Council role Service /facility Dimension Built/Physical (BP) Outcomes Framework Service Universal (U) External (E) Years 1,2,3 Provision (SP) Planning (P) Social (S) Economic (E) Children, families, Targeted (T) community, society Intensive (I) Advocacy (AD) Community strengthening (CS) Natural (N) 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 3.1 59