BAPs and BATs in the COAST Project
What are BAPs/BATs?
In a broad perspective, Best Available Practices (BAPs) and Best Available Technologies (BATs) are outstanding contributions to improve the living environment. They are defined by the United Nations and the International Community as successful initiatives.
Additional characterization for BAPs/BATs includes activities that:
- Have a demonstrable and tangible impact on improving people’s quality of life;
- Are the result of effective partnerships between the public, private and civic sectors of society;
- Are socially, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable.
BAPs/BATs are promoted and used by the United Nations and the international community as a means of:
- Improving public policy based on what works;
- Raising awareness of decision-makers at all levels and of the public of potential solutions to common social, economic and environmental problems;
- Sharing and transferring knowledge, expertise and experience through networking and peer-to-peer learning.
Criteria for BAPs/BATs
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BAP/BAT CRITERIA |
DEFINITION |
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PRIMARY CRITERIA |
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Impact |
The practice/technology must show a demonstrable and tangible impact on improving people’s quality of life. |
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Partnership |
Effective partnerships between the public, private and/or civic sectors of society should be clearly demonstrated. |
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Sustainability |
The practice/technology must be socially, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable. |
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SECONDARY CRITERIA |
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Leadership and Community Empowerment |
The practice/technology should show: leadership in inspiring action and change, including change in public policy;empowerment of people, neighbourhoods and communities and incorporation of their contributions; acceptance of and responsiveness to social and cultural diversity; and appropriateness to local conditions and levels of development. |
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Gender Equality and Social Inclusion |
The practice/technology should accept and respond to social and cultural diversity; promote social equality and equity, for example on the basis of income, gender, age and physical/ mental condition; and recognize and value different abilities. |
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Innovation within local context and transferability |
The practice/technology should show how others have learnt or benefited from the initiative; should be able to demonstrate the means used for sharing or transferring knowledge, expertise and lessons learnt. |
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Transfers |
The practice/technology should provide: tangible impact resulting from the transfer of one or more of the following: ideas, skills, processes, knowledge or expertise, and technology; changes in policies or practices; sustainability of the transfer as part of a continuous process of change. |
