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RCE Greater Western Sydney-2012-2012

RCE Greater Western Sydney-2012

Submitted by RCEgscott on Tue, 2012-08-28 00:00
1. Leadership, Vision and Objectives
1. Vision of your RCE: 
The Vision of this RCE is to use GWS as a living laboratory for learning about and addressing the key challenges of environmental, economic, cultural and social sustainability facing the region; and to deliver this vision through collaborative action learning programs that are relevant, innovative, engaged and have a regional narrative. The key sustainability challenges facing the region being addressed by RCE-GWS are: transitioning to a low carbon economy; developing sustainable communities - health, housing, educational participation and transport, ensuring agricultural sustainability and food security and conserving biodiversity and river health.
2. Leadership structure
a. Administration: 
3
b. Transactional : 
4
c. Transformational : 
3
2. Social Network
3. Core partners: 
RCE-GWS has twenty four core partners as listed on the RCE-GWS website: http://www.uws.edu.au/rce/rce/partners
4. Cooperation and communication : 
RCE-GWS holds three regional forums for all partners annually and has established 4 core working groups. Communication is via phone and email with the recent creation of an RCE-GWS newsletter to keep partners updated. The RCE-GWS website provides a comprehensive overview of activities: www.uws.edu.au/rce.
5. Facilitating development
Connections / Partnership with
UN institutions
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
United Nations Univeristy and UNICEF
Other international organizations
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
International Association of Universities; Copernicus Network
Other RCEs
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Severn, BC, Saskatchewan, Kerkrade; Penang, Beijing; East Kalimatan
International experts
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Professor Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair Teacher EfS; Professor Daniella Tilbury, Chair Compernicus; Lyle Benko, Professor Dzul Razak
Expert organizations at national, regional and global levels
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Australian Government Green Skills Agreement Implementaion Group; NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.
6. Social network
a. Information network (exchanging information, e.g. building up a database for SD projects): 
2
b. Knowledge network (creating knowledge by collaboration, e.g. finding synergies between partners by experience exchange): 
4
c. Innovation network (creating innovation by co-creation and shared vision,e.g. investigating new solutions for challenges by f: 
4
3. Participation
7. Participation of actors : 
RCE-GWS partners actively particpate in the development of projects. The forums provide an opportunity for partners to connect with each other and work collaboratively. Coordination of the RCE-GWS activities rests with the host university - the University of Western Sydney.
8. Participation opportunities
a.Informational participation (people get informed about decisions and actions): 
2
b.Consultation participation (people are asked about their needs and opinions): 
2
c.Decision influencing participation (people are involved in decision making processes): 
6
4. Education & Learning
9. Educational activities : 
The RCE-GWS is working in partnership with UWS to build its campus as a living laboratory for learning about, influencing and researching sustainability. This is being used as a resource for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) and school students of GWS along with a wide range of community groups and organisations. UWS has set sustainability as a development priority as it relates to GWS for its curriculum. RCE-GWS, with UWS, is leading a national teacher education for sustainability project.
10. Competences and capabilities : 
The development of VET, university and school student in GWS who are sustainability literate, change implementation savvy and who have reflected upon their tacit assumptions about what constitutes a sustainable society, including in the distinctive context of GWS.
Connections / Partnership with
a. Access to quality basic education
yes/no: 
No
If yes, give examples: 
This is already in place - Key educational partners in the RCE have taken an active leadership role in basic education including adult basic education for more than 3 decades.
b. Training for different sectors of the society
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Teachers@sustainability pilot
c. Public awareness
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
National Climate Action Summit in GWS April 2012.
d. Reorientation of existing education
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Alive! youth engagement in the Hawkesbury LGA; teacher professional development, community education via the National Climate Action Summit and public education days - for example see Recovering Redbank Creek www.hen.org.au
12. Educational activities
a. Theory (communicating of ESD principles, strategies, examples): 
1
b. Discussion (knowledge exchange and mutual learning on ESD): 
2
c. Interactive & Multidimensional (Action oriented learning, e.g. workshops, intergenerational, interdisciplinary,…) : 
7
5. Research Integration
13. Research & Development (R&D): 
The 4 RCE action teams are all invovled in a range of action research projects. In addition the UWS partner gives focus to engaged research on the key social, cultural, economic and sustianabilty challenges facing in GWS. for details see: http://www.uws.edu.au/sustainability/sustainability/research
14. Research partners : 
UWS is the main research arm of the RCE and partners with a variety of institutions. Please refer to the weblinks for a comprehensive list of activities: www.uws.edu.au/rce/research www.uws.edu.au/sustainability/research
15. Description of research
a. Disciplinary (focusing on one discipline of research, e.g. social aspects) : 
1
b. Interdisciplinary (taking interrelations between disciplines into account, e.g. economic effects on the environment and peopl: 
6
c. Transdisciplinary (involving affected people into your research activities, e.g. interviews with affected people): 
3
Tagging
Country: 
Australia
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Type: 
Project Reports
Love Food, Hate Waste (LFHW) in Greater Western Sydney
UWS Riverfarm - a collaborative learning space on social, cultural, economic and environmental sustainability
Alive!
National Climate Action Summit 2012
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RCE Greater Western Sydney-2012

Submitted by RCEgscott on Tue, 2012-08-28 00:00
1. Aim: What was the aim of your evaluation? : 
1. To clarify the optimum governmance structure for the RCE-GWS 2. To clarify and establish viable action projects for the RCE-GWS
2. Time: When was your evaluation undertaken? : 
Ongoing - commencing prior to UNU endorsement with a preliminary strategy meeting with prospective RCE-GWS partners in September 2011.
3. Participants & role: Who participated in evaluation and what was their role? : 
Professor Geoff Scott, Mrs Helen Angelakis. RCE-GWS partners.
4. Method for getting information: How did you obtain information necessary for evaluation? : 
1. Self Review at RCE-GWS partners meetings 2. Onsite benchmarking with RCE Severn (UK), RCE (BC) and RCE Saskatchewan (Canada) 3. Comparison of strategies at Regional Asian Pacific RCE meeting July 2012 4. Targeted meetings with key players including Deputy Director General NSW Departmenr of Education and Communities; 188 leaders of sustainability projects in Australasia, North America, the UK and European mainland; along with discussions at the RCE Global Meeting in 2011 and the meeting of the Sustainable Futures Academy in Salzburg in February 2012.
5. Findings: What are the main findings of your self-evaluation? : 
1. An optimum govenance stucture for RCE-GWS has been established
2. Four key project groups have been established with demonstable outcomes emerging
3. The successful attraction of external funding
4. Strong univeristy, media, political and regional support including a visit by the Chancellor of UWS to the centre and its flagship project at the UWS Riverfarm along with the launch of the RCE-GWS by the Australian Government Minister for Innovation and Climate Change the Honorable Greg Combet.
Country: 
Australia
Region: 
Asia-Pacific