How do I choose which implementation actions are right for our council?
You should review the range of recommended implementation actions and identify one action per impact stream to complete within the life of the four-year Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. The identified implementation actions should be incorporated into the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan annual action plans, or other relevant council action plans.
How do I complete the implementation actions?
Ambitious actions might require more preparation, requiring councils to map out how they will work through the steps of the how-to guide and could be spread through successive annual action plans. Quick win or step up actions might be scheduled strategically so that opportunities to capitalise on momentum or interest gained in the topic are considered.
In some actions, the ambitious one requires or would be strengthened if components of a quick win or step up actions were already in place. Recommended implementation actions are informed by evidence about the types of action that can improve community health and wellbeing when delivered at the local government level.
What are some examples of implementation types?
Implementation action types may be:
- Audit or self-assessment of existing activity
- Delivery of campaigns, events, promotions or communication exercises
- Delivery of programs and projects
- Development of policy or strategy
- Changes to or within the physical or built environment
- How do I involve people throughout the action process?
How do I involve people throughout the action process?
In the how-to guides, suggestions are made to involve people, including:
- Children, young people and their families, to amplify the needs and priorities and co-design solutions for their health and wellbeing
- People in the community most affected by the action, which may include population groups who are more likely to experience inequities relating to the issue you are trying to address
- People required to drive the action or change, including council staff or teams, partner organisations or broader community groups
- Decision makers such as council leadership or councillors (see below, Gaining support from council leaders?
What is the implementation action process?
Implementation actions that involve policy, strategy, program, campaign development or built environment change activities may detail each of the steps in the action process. Other implementation actions, such as council audits are focused on just one or two stages. For example, ‘undertaking an audit’ will provide more detail about the Assess phase of the action process.
What do the modules mean by children and young people?
Generally, within the modules:
- Children refers to people aged 0-11 years old
- Young people refers to people aged 12-25 years old
There are some instances where a specific age group is identified – this is usually because the implementation action is better suited to a particular age group e.g., pre-school, school-aged or young adults.
You may need to adapt recommended steps and actions to suit the needs and priorities of different age groups of children and young people. Further recommended resources, program and campaigns are also provided to assist you with tailoring to specific age cohorts.
What do the modules mean by council owned, operated and managed facilities?
Generally, within the modules:
- ‘Council owned, operated, and managed facilities’ refers to the spaces and services that you provide to your communities.
- It is particularly important that councils provide healthy environments and options for children, young people and other people in the community who rely on and use public facilities.
- These modules encourage councils to prioritise healthy changes through the spaces, services and strategies within councils’ remit.
Some facilities that may be owned by councils and attended by the public include:
- Libraries, arts, museums, theatres, galleries and cultural centres
- Sport and recreation facilities, including aquatic and fitness centres, ovals and sports grounds, sports stadiums, clubrooms and pavilions
- Outdoor recreation venues including playgrounds and play spaces, parks, gardens and reserves, bushland, waterways and beaches, skate and bike parks, outdoor fitness, town squares and amphitheatres
- Community centres, neighbourhood houses, co-working facilities, meeting rooms and town and public halls
- Early years education and/or health facilities, including kindergartens, long day care and maternal and child health facilities
- Dedicated youth facilities
- General and purpose-built education facilities including adult learning and play based learning venues
- Residential and care facilities
- Civic centres, municipal offices and chambers
In some cases a number of different facilities are located together within the one venue.
These facilities may also be operated by council employees or leased back to community groups and organisations. Contractual arrangements between councils and community or business partners regarding operation of these facilities can add complexity for councils working to provide healthy environments in their facilities.