Part 2.1 - Preparatory Stage

2.1 - Preparatory Stage

Prior to the drafting of the regulations, it is recommended that the municipality take the following actions:

2.1.1 Achieve commitment at the highest level in the municipality

In order to secure the mayor’s interest and commitment, it is recommended that an executive presentation be made on the objectives, scope, benefits and commitments of a regulation to promote green buildings, using this guide as a reference. As a follow-up, it is suggested that the authority formalizes the incorporation of this initiative into its institutional plans and designates a technical working group for the development of the initiative.

2.1.2 Forming a technical working group

It is of utmost importance to form a working group composed of officials working in key areas of the Municipality, including prescriptive profiles to facilitate a continuous, coherent and technically competent process.

The working group should have a leader, preferably a person representing the senior management of the municipality. This official will be the one who will drive and lead the work of the technical group.

The working group should be formed by representatives of the functional areas responsible for:

Territorial planning or ordinance, or the regulation of urban planning or development, or that related to buildings. For example: the Planning Secretariat or the Urban Development Management, or the unit in charge of these issues within the local government.

The issuance of building permits, such as the Private Works Licensing Area or the unit that performs this function.

The area responsible for promoting environmental care, beyond the care of parks or gardens, or waste collection.

The Legal Counsel’s Office, or some other organic area, that issues an opinion for a regulation of this nature, in accordance with the institutional organization.

The revenue or income administration of the municipality, such as the Treasury or Revenue Department, or the one that defines the feasibility of providing financial incentives.

It is recommended that an alderman or councilman of the Municipal Council or Corporation participate as an observer in the working meetings of this technical working group, in order to be involved in the issue from its gestation and because many times this regulation needs to be approved by this legislative body.

2.1.3 Internal induction and external awareness activities

Two types of activities are recommended: a) an internal induction oriented to municipal officials; and, b) an information workshop directed at key agents of the local construction sector (promoters/ developers, professional associations of architects and engineers, academia, neighbors and independent professionals).

These activities can help inform stakeholders about:

The benefits of sustainable construction

The objectives of the planned initiative

Developing a roadmap

Identifying some possible municipal incentives

a. Internal Induction Workshop

It is recommended that it be conducted by the official leading the technical working group with the following objectives:

Present the objectives, benefits and scope of the initiative to promote sustainable buildings in their municipality.

Confirm the commitment of the municipal areas represented in the working group to work together.

Provide information on sustainable construction and incentives.

Develop a roadmap or work plan.

The outcomes of this activity should be:

Work plan with key milestones to develop the regulation approving the incentives.
Timeline for the following activities.
Proposal for external awareness workshop (date, guests and speakers).

Two types of activities are recommended to engage key actors in the local construction sector: internal trainings and external information workshops.

b. External Awareness Workshop

It is recommended that this activity should be led by the working group. Guest speakers should include representatives of the Sustainable Construction Councils, experts in certifications with presence in the country, officials from other municipalities or entities that have implemented regulations with incentives for sustainable construction, and representatives of international cooperation such as the IFC of the World Bank Group and its Green Buildings program team (in the event that there is one in the country), among others.

It is recommended to invite the participation of builders/developers, business associations linked to construction, professional associations of architects and engineers, academia and society linked to buildings and sustainability, neighbors and independent professionals.

The objectives of this activity are:

To publicize the objectives and content of the initiative.

To inform about sustainable construction, its benefits and the possible incentives that would be included in the regulations.

To provide an opportunity for participants to give their opinion and contribute their experience and point of view on possible incentives. The results of this activity should be:

Shortlisting the most viable and attractive incentives for their jurisdiction; and,
Generating interest in the promotion standard in the local sector.

The agenda of this external awareness workshop can be divided into two parts:

Part 1: Briefings

Including presentations on sustainable construction, environmental certifications, incentives and experiences to promote them, which could be given by Municipality officials and invited professionals. Content can be created based on this guide and with input from guest speakers.

Part 2: Working groups

Based on the information presented, group work can be conducted to identify and prioritize the most appropriate incentives: technical and/or financial. Each group will present its conclusions and proposals will be compiled for further analysis by the municipal technical working group.

It is recommended to select the most viable and attractive incentives in the jurisdiction of the Municipality aimed at new projects and existing buildings.

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