Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1265051
14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 JULY 2020 COMMERCIAL When navigating a policy landscape of competing interests, plans are created in the hopes of achieving national goals. In reality, though, strategy is oen a lot more about planning for obstacles, and infusing policies with adaptability, than one may first assume. is opens up a plan's success beyond reaching an end goal and towards securing longevity. Perit Joseph Scalpello, Assis- tant Director in the Planning Authority's Policy Directorate, emphasises the importance of adaptability and responsiveness in successful urban planning. "Success is a very individu- al phenomenon which is not always measured in the same way, but which tends to elicit personal value judgements," ex- plains Perit Scalpello. "Measur- ing success is a very subjective process masquerading as objec- tivity. Speaking in simple terms, a successful plan is one which sees your objectives come to fruition. But, that's a reduction- ist explanation of a complicated concept. "For example, if the Authori- ty's solar farm policy promoted large-scale solar installations, is the policy's success based on an approach of 'the more solar farms, the better'? If we only measured success in numbers, there could be very negative im- plications – not least because we operate in an evolving phys- ical, financial, social and polit- ical context. Rather than num- bers alone, an important gauge of success is how responsive we are to our changing circum- stances by adapting parts of the plan. "In 2006, we created the child- care policy in reaction to the then-popular idea of having government-funded childcare facilities. Considering the sig- nificant number of childcare centres that opened, one could say the policy was successful. But context is not static, so the policy can't just sit still. For ex- ample, after 2006, the Social Policy Department issued new standards for childcare and childcare facilities. So, in 2015, we determined a further layer of regulation needed to be woven into the policy's framework." Dynamic planning is funda- mental because policy develop- ment is continuous. Reviewing a policy, while retaining its pri- mary goals, is a strategic mile- stone and marker of success. As a public entity though, the Plan- ning Authority is acutely aware of the balance that must be struck between competing sec- torial interests – an overarching objective of any policy action. "For successful planning, the process of policymaking is cru- cial," Perit Scalpello asserts. "People need to know why a policy is being made, what it is seeking to achieve and what it is reacting to. Community in- volvement will produce a more successful plan because the pol- icy will ultimately better reflect the interests of most stakehold- ers. "We strive to involve all stake- holders in our policymaking processes, noting their require- Responsive planning for the built environment Effective planning for the built environment in Malta is a formidable task. The islands are small with limited natural resources, so boosting infrastructural capacities and meeting sectorial demands are no easy feat. Here, Perit Joseph Scalpello guides us along the journey of spatial planning in Malta As a public entity, the Planning Authority is acutely aware of the balance that must be struck between competing sectorial interests – an overarching objective of any policy action