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In order to develop the innovative, practical methods put forward the
Citizens’ Network approach, a pilot exercise was launched by the European
Commission DG Transport in 1998.
The Commission selected 15 cities and regions from the larger group who had
expressed their interest in participating in the pilot project:
- Athens (Greece)
- Bremen (Germany)
- Dresden (Germany)
- Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
- Genoa (Italy)
- Graz (Austria)
- Ile-de-France (France)
- Lisbon (Portugal)
- Nantes (France)
- Merseyside (United Kingdom)
- Oulu (Finland))
- Prague (Czech Republic)
- Strathclyde (United Kingdom)
- Stuttgart (Germany)
- Terni (Italy)
All the cities and regions chosen had contrasting profiles and characteristics.
This presented a considerable challenge as the pilot project had to prove that
is was possible to co-operate in the process, and share common interests,
despite such differences.
The aim was to test the feasibility of the comparison of local and regional
mobility network performance focusing on all transport modes, from the citizens’
point of view. Comparison relied on a preliminary self-assessment stage which
was linked to a second, operational benchmarking analysis. In the later stage,
four subgroups of cities and regions investigated a topic of particular interest
to them, with a view to local implementation of the findings.
First stage: self-assessment of performance
In the first step of benchmarking authorities identify their own strengths or weaknesses against other European cities using simple indicators like trends in the proportion of trips undertaken by different forms of transport. Authorities found this step demanding but useful. As well as using these basic indicators, the new Citizens' Network Benchmarking Initiative gives groups of authorities an opportunity to work out indicators for special subjects that interest them
- perhaps rural transport; value for money; or social inclusion and transport.
Throughout the process, the Commission provides technical advice - on indicators, on examples of good practice, on partners who are interested in the same subjects and on how to manage benchmarking. For both steps, a wide range of agencies in the area need to work together. This joint working is one of the benefits of benchmarking.
We asked authorities and operators from fifteen cities and regions to test out a questionnaire with 132 questions (indicators). For some of the indicators, many of the cities and regions simply did not have the relevant data. For others, differences in how cities and regions count things meant that it was not possible to make meaningful comparisons. For other indicators, the data - when we looked at it - did not show anything useful.
At the end of the test, 38 indicators remained where we can present good, useful data to compare transport in the fifteen cities and
regions. See Results of the pilot project – stage 1
Second stage: benchmarking in detail
At the end of the first self-assessment stage, the participants from the 15 cities and regions agreed on four topics of interest:
1. How to make good strategy decisions in a complex interagency context
2. Marketing strategies that can induce car users to switch to sustainable forms of transport for some or all of their trips
3. How to upgrade bus services so that they have the same power to attract users (including those with cars available) as tramways
4. How to improve integrated information in public transport
Four subgroups were formed to investigate these topics through site visits to localities already achieving high performance in the area of the topic chosen.
Technical support was given by the consultants so that each subgroup applied the same methodology. At the first meeting of each subgroup a consensus was reached on the choice of topic and work programme. A further three subgroup meetings, each lasting two days, were organised at two-monthly intervals (January, March, May 1999). In total twelve meetings were organised on site, among which five were held in cities not directly involved in the pilot project.
A final report concluded the work of each subgroup: See Results of the pilot project – stage 2
Outcome of the pilot project
Success during the second stage of the benchmarking project relied upon the fact that exchange of experience and information creates a virtuous circle. Shared experience based on successful realities generates a greater experience and an increased capacity to convince decision makers, and all stakeholders involved, to lead and implement new projects. One important element of the vicious circle is the fact that the cost of access to information decreases with the number of cities participating.
Others conclusion reached include the observation that the diversity of territories does not raise methodological difficulties, and that balanced exchanges are possible and profitable regardless of a city or regions' size and position, and whether it is located in an European Union member or accession country.
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