Program Planning Checklist

1. Research - understanding the problem

Having a good understanding of the litter problem is central to creating a successful program as well as ensuring effective project management. Conducting research into the problem in your area, as well as research into existing knowledge about behaviours, impacts and programs, is critical.

What is the impact of the litter issue on our municipality? What is the cost to our community?

• Environmental damage?
• Clean up costs?
• Asset management costs: damage to council infrastructure such as footpaths, roads, curbing, others?
• Asset management risks: safety hazards, health hazards?
• Community complaints?
• Unquantifiable costs such as loss of amenity, attracting other littering behaviour?
• Feelings of community safety

Identify leaders: do you have a 'local champion' who already does the right thing?

Determine existing resources

• Financial
• People
• Materials

Determine potential resources

• Funding opportunities
• Sponsorship opportunities

Locate and analyse existing council policies, regulation and levels of enforcement:

• Is the litter item a priority in any existing council policies? Are they tied to any action plans?
• Enforcement: Is the litter item covered by state legislation or a local law? Does the local law require amending?
• What is our enforcement experience / what have we tried before / how successful was it / were any barriers identified / do councillors have a view on whether we should or shouldn't enforce?

How many council units are currently working on this issue?
How many council units are affected by this issue?

Who is on your enforcement team? Is the personality matched to the task?

• Best practice enforcement includes:
• Information
• Consistency
• Fairness
• Ability to communicate effectively
• Commitment to inform people of their responsibilities

2. Build the team

Working together as a team is a critical part of litter prevention. Participation in the development, planning and implementation of programs builds ownership and commitment to making the program succeed.

Establish an integrated council team to secure buy-in and ownership.

Include all the key players in council, such as local laws, waste management, planning, public relations / communications, infrastructure / engineering, environmental health, parks and gardens and anyone else who would be affected by the issue. This will ensure nothing is overlooked as well as establish awareness and support and promote ownership of the program.

Circulate background information and organise meetings to develop the plan, implementation timeline, who will do what, and monitoring and evaluation.

Secure support from executive management and councillors.

2a. Agree on objectives for the program

What are we trying to achieve and how will we know we have achieved it?

Use background to determine the rationale for this program.

Explain the purpose of the program.

Set measurable objectives with a specified time period, for example, 'Implement an education, audit and enforcement program for building sites promoting best practice stormwater management between July 2004 to March 2005 to achieve a 20% reduction in polluting practices.'

Determine how you will measure the objectives.

2b. Monitoring & evaluation - how will we know what have we achieved?

Establishing baseline data is part of the research that feeds into program development. Including monitoring of the program during and after its implementation is critical to measure the effectiveness of litter reduction, prevention and / or behaviour change. Ongoing monitoring measures the level at which the program's objectives have been sustained.

Measurement usually includes:

1. Audit prior to program starting (or any media) to establish your baseline data
2. Audit / monitoring during the program to measure any changes
3. Audit / monitoring post the program to measure any lasting changes

2c. Building community support - this includes all elements of the community, traders, individuals, groups

Decide whether you will seek sponsors and external supporters. You could try local businesses, groups & service clubs. Local shopping strip traders might also be interested in providing sponsorship because the program will help keep the streets clean.

Investigate partnership opportunities.

3. Refine program elements & develop implementation timeline

Developing the program requires looking at each component of best practice litter prevention and choosing the right mix for the local area. Components can be developed simultaneously and overlap, for example, education, communications and incentives.

3.1 Education program

• One or two key messages - personally meaningful
• Define the target audience
• The best method to reach the target audience

Use the principles for best practice education for behaviour change to frame your education program.

What tools are already available to make this easier?

VLAA has developed a range of education materials for specific litter topics. The VLAA website has links to other websites that provide useful resources.

Work out how you can use your local champion to help with the education program.

The education components will help you to develop the communications strategy.

3.2. Infrastructure - the tools to change behaviour

Making it easy for people to 'do the right thing' by establishing physical or social infrastructure is key to long-term behaviour change.

Infrastructure can include appropriate bins, signage and bin-emptying schedules to help keep areas clean.

Determine what infrastructure you need for the program.

Does the infrastructure require any signage or stickers? Your research should have identified what has been used before; any state guidelines; programs to guide installation locations, and so on.

Determine time lines for ordering, delivery, installation / distribution.

3.3. Enforcement - reinforcing the message

Litter prevention programs must integrate consequences, or penalties, with education if they are to be successful because compliance is closely related to the likelihood 'i will be caught'.

It is important to inform people about the penalties as well as create a reasonable probability non-compliance will be detected. 

Determine the elements of the enforcement phase.

Determine how you will promote the enforcement component of the program.

3.4. Communications - develop a communication strategy (internal & external)

A strong communications plan publicising each phase of your program is important for building support in the community and securing the ongoing success of the program. Use existing communication tools to keep your target audiences updated with successes and setbacks.

Confirm the dates for your program.

Decide on promotional materials and information to be used.

Establish production timelines for materials (if applicable).

Investigate partnership opportunities - e.g are there any local businesses or groups who might sponsor or partner your program?

Determine if you need a formal launch or a 'soft' launch (i.e. announce the program through the media without holding an event).

Prepare briefings for all council staff, councillors and the mayor, customer service, as well as anyone in council who interacts with the community.

If applicable, prepare a briefing and contact businesses and groups to organise a time to present.

Investigate deadlines for internal council documents, e.g. newsletter, council column in the local newspaper, any regular council mail outs, like rates notices, pet registrations (don't forget to use any VLAA media releases and fact sheets to modify for your purposes).

Prepare launch (if applicable) book speakers, entertainment, refreshments, audio equipment, etc.

Contact your local media about advertising and editorial deadlines.

Prepare your council's media release. Create a photo opportunity with the mayor (or other spokesperson) to coincide with issuing the media release.

Contact radio stations for radio interview possibilities.

Organise dates and times for public display (if applicable).

3.5 Incentives - persuading people to change their behaviour

Rewards, privileges and other incentives are a powerful way to encourage people to dispose of their waste appropriately and responsibly.

• Rewards program
• Freebies
• Not getting fined

4. Implementation (using the timeline)

This is a quick guide of how a program might be implemented

Launch the implementation of the program

Issue media release 1 announcing the start of the crackdown on the litter issue and what the program involves.

Remember to keep the media updated on key activities planned throughout your program-don't miss any opportunities!

Remember to monitor and evaluate as you go along to make any refinements.

Conduct audits

Has anything changed?

Issue media release 2 announcing the beginning of the enforcement program. Include any positive feedback gathered so far. Promote the incidence of people doing the right thing.

Acknowledge positive achievements.

Liaise with council planning team.

Run the enforcement program

Conduct the enforcement program, issuing fines when appropriate. Continue rewarding positive behaviour. 

Run post enforcement audits.

Issue media release 3 announcing the results of this phase of thee program, e.g. how many fines issued, a reduction in the amount of visible litter escaping building sites, improved site practices for sediment, and so on, less complaints to council & any positive calls.

Further report back to the community in council's regular newsletter or newspaper column.

5. Evaluation, reporting & planning for continuation

Evaluation tells us how effective the program has been, identifies areas for modification, generates knowledge or understanding and is a critical element of accountability to the project's stakeholders or investors. It is most effective when it is built into the program from the beginning rather than an afterthought taken up at the end.

What should I evaluate?

• Appropriateness: Does the program make sense and address the issues and objectives?
• Effectiveness: Does it work? Does the program achieve the desired objectives/outcomes?
• Efficiency: Is it cost effective? Could we have made better use of resources?
• Process: Is it well managed? Is the method for making decisions and managing the project going to ensure its success?

How to evaluate - 5 steps

1. Establish the purpose of evaluation (priority stakeholders, needs)
2. Establish the type of information needed
3. Establish collection methods
4. Analyse the data
5. Use judgements

Prepare evaluation report for council-compare measures taken at different points in the program eg the number of fines before and during the program, the increase in media coverage, any feedback via council customer service (did complaints drop), visible reduction in litter, reduction in stormwater pollution and any other key factors.

Reconvene planning council planning team to review the evaluation report and begin planning for the ongoing education and enforcement program. What went really well, what could have been done better, what wasn't worth doing.

6. Keep on going - a long term, sustained approach to learning and improvement is the key to a successful and effective program!