Transcript Document

Measuring Progress:
the view from Australia
Professor Mike Salvaris
Victoria University
Melbourne, Australia
Overview
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My work and goals
Survey of the Australian scene
National project: “Measures of Australia's
Progress”
Local projects: the Community Indicators
Project
Measuring wellbeing: a global movement?
Not everything that counts can
be counted,
and not everything that can be
counted counts.
Albert Einstein
How much do young Australians trust government?
Survey of young Australians (Year 11) 1998
Agree
Neither Disagree
Most people in government are honest
6
26
68
People in government care a lot about what people like us think
9
25
66
People in government can be trusted to do the right thing for
the country
15
22
64
People in government waste a lot of taxpayers money
70
22
8
People running the government are smart and usually know
what they’re doing
29
24
48
Source: Mellor, S. 1998. What’s the Point? Political attitudes of Victorian Year 11 Students.
Melbourne: Australian Council of Educational Research
The spectrum of public engagement
Increasing level of public impact >>>>>
Inform
Consult
Involve
Collaborate Empower
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
Objective and
Promise
To provide
the public
with balanced
and objective
information
To obtain
public feedback on
analysis, alternatives, or
decisions
To work directly with
the public
throughout
the process
To partner
with the public in each
aspect of the
decision
To place final
decision making in the
hands of the
public
Source: International Association for Public Participation: www.iap2.org (adapted)
Citizens as partners in achieving public outcomes
Role
How?
Customers
Main users and clients of public services: should be treated as
valued customers by providers
Owners and
shareholders
Through their taxes, citizens invest in public services and assets
Through their votes, they elect the ‘boards of directors’ who
govern.
Issue framers
and planners
Vision builders: citizens help develop strategic plans
Advisers on government boards and policy committees etc.
Co-producers of Community bodies directly provide community services on paid
services
and voluntary basis, in cooperation with government
Service quality
evaluators
As primary users of government services, citizens are best
placed to assess their quality and effectiveness
Independent
outcome trackers
Grassroots measurement by citizen groups is more likely to be
independent and oriented towards actual community wellbeing
outcomes
Well-being, Sustainability, Quality of
Life
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Ultimately indicators have to shift emphasis
from money and consumption to factors that
relate to the quality of our lives (socially,
economically and ecologically). These
qualitative indices point to the purpose of
economic development – to build better lives.
Victorian state wellbeing measurement framework
DEMOCRACY &
GOVERNANCE
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING
Individual
Group
ECONOMIC
WELLBEING
ENVIRONMENT
WELLBEING
Community
Qualities
Infrastructure
Health & well
being
Children and
families
Fairness, equal
opportunity
Public and civic
institutions
Democracy
Education &
training
People on low
incomes
Social capital
and trust
Income, wealth
and poverty
People with
disabilities
Health &
viability of
communities
Planning & phys Human rights
infrastructure
Community
Justice and
services
legal rights
Safety and
security
Women
Transport
Citizenship
and participation
Personal
development
Older persons
Creativity &
innovation
Media and
Local
communications government
Housing
Ethnic and
NESB groups
Crime & social
dysfunction
Culture and the
arts
Employment
and work life
Indigenous
people
Good
governance
Viable sustain- Healthy ecoable productivity logical systems
Economic
vitality
Envir’t quality:
air, water, land
Appropriate job
creation
Environment
diversity,
species
Healthy regional economies
Sustainable use
nat. resources
Recreation and
sport
Remote
communities
Source: Swinburne University, Institute for Social Research (SISR). 2000. ‘Measuring Victoria’s Progress: a system of social benchmarks and indicators for Victoria’. Hawthorn,
Victoria: SISR
Tasmania Together: State-wide Vision for 2020
In 2020 Tasmania will have …
1. A job for everyone who wants one
2. An inclusive and compassionate society
3. A world-class reputation for innovation, imagination and intelligence
4. A society with a focus on whole of life, whole of community learning.
5. An ecologically sustainable future
6. A high quality of life and healthy lifestyle
7. A form of government that is inclusive, open and close to the people
8. An international reputation for excellence in the arts and culture
9. Invigorated rural and regional communities
10. A proud and confident community
Most important qualities for Australia’s progress
Rank
Quality
Avge
1
Honesty and ethics in public life
9.42
2
Security and stability
9.33
3
Environmental responsibility
9.25
4
Democracy, open, accountable government
9.17
5
Efficiency in government, management etc
9.10
6
Economic strength
9.04
7
Happiness and health
9.02
8
Fairness
8.90
9
Education and creativity
8.74
10
Inclusiveness and community
8.65
11
International responsibility
8.65
12
High living standards
8.59
13
Diversity and tolerance
8.50
14
High technology
8.43
15
Political power
7.69
16
Competitiveness
7.68
In a survey in 2001, 3000 Victorians were asked what they thought were the most important qualities or priorities for the kind of Australia they wanted t o see in the future. The Table below
qualities in order, showing the average importance of each one out of a maximum of 10.
Source: Mike Salvaris, Swinburne Institute for Social Research, ‘Community Indicators and Local Democracy’ 2002. The table above combines results (unweighted) from a survey in 2001 of
Victorian municipalities, Moreland, Surf Coast and Geelong, with a total sample of approximately 3000)
What makes a healthy democracy?
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Fair and representative elections
Competent and honest governments
Fair and equal laws
Active and knowledgeable citizens
Shared belief in the public interest
Reasonable equality in wealth and power
Openness and transparency
Devolution of power, ‘subsidiarity’
Trust between citizens and governments
Innovation, evaluation and change
The idea of people taking charge of
their own measurements of progress is
a powerful and far reaching innovation
that can bring about a new sense of
civic engagement.
(Sustainable Seattle. 2000)
Most important functions of local government
Manage waste and pollution
96.3 Involve citizens in decision-making 87.0
Promote community safety
92.3 Enforce local laws (traffic, health,
etc)
84.7
Make local government open &
accountable
92.0 Conserve heritage and special
character
80.7
Provide local recreation facilities
91.7 Promote local pride and
involvement
80.0
Maintain local roads, streets, public
spaces
91.3 Provide arts and cultural activities
78.7
Protect and enhance natural
environment
90.6 Measure wellbeing of whole
community
76.7
Provide local community services
89.6 Develop local industry, employment, tourism
76.0
Manage council finances, services
effectively
89.0 Promote local interests outside
municipality
75.0
Plan community future (social,
economic, environment)
88.7
(Source: Swinburne Institute for Social Research, 2002. ‘Community Participation and Community Planning in Moreland: a research study’. Hawthorn, Victoria: SISR.
Based on sample of approx. 3000 over 3 Victorian municipalities).
What makes a community a good place to live in?
(% respondents who considered specific factors important
Community quality
%
rank
People are friendly, good neighbours, help others
91
1
Good local facilities: shops, schools, services, parks
89
2
People feel safe and secure
89
3
Nice environment, streets, well planned, no pollution
86
4
People look after their properties
82
5
Local government is responsive to people’s needs
80
6
People can participate in local government decisions
74
7
Good local support: clubs, sports, neighbourhood houses
71
8
Community has a distinct character, a ‘special place’
70
9
People get involved in local issues, activities
69
10
Good mix: different ages, groups, incomes, cultures
63
11
Good work opportunities available locally
59
12
Source: Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology. 2002. ‘Community Indicators and Local Democracy’ Melbourne. Data
from a sample of approx. 3000 taken across three Victorian municipalities (Moreland, Surf Coast and Geelong) in 2001. Averages are unweighted.
Key strategic links of VCIP
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Better measures of progress
Better statistics and statistical capacity
Better whole of community planning
Citizen engagement and local democracy
Stronger communities
Better Statewide planning - with local
community plan as building blocks
PURPOSES OF A COMMUNITY WELLBEING FRAMEWORK
Purposes
Reporting conditions
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Measuring progress and
performance
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Planning
- informing priorities
- planning & goal setting
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Enhancing democracy
and accountability
Building communities,
participation and social
cohesion
Applications
In selected issues, localities or policy fields
Current wellbeing of whole state or municipality (social, economic,
environmental, democratic)
Selected government programs or policies
Selected issues and localities
Across all government agencies (or local governments)
Current wellbeing of whole state or municipality (social, economic,
environmental, democratic)
Government agencies, LG departments
For whole of state (or local) government
As basis for local community plans
As basis for long-term state or local plan for whole community
More transparent & systematic gov’t reporting and performance evaluation
More honest and accountable government
Giving citizens full and accurate information about conditions in their state
Involving citizens in decision-making about goals and indicators
A framework for local community building and community planning
Citizens together identify local community issues & priorities
Citizens define a common vision for Victoria (or their LGA) as a whole
Source: Swinburne Institute for Social Research. 2000. Measuring Victoria’s Progress. Hawthorn, Victoria: SISR (adapted)
5 pillars of community wellbeing
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Social
Cultural
Economic
Environmental
Governance and democratic
Legitimate measures of human progress
Human advance is conditioned by our conception of
progress ... (It is time to end) the mismeasure of human
progress by economic growth alone. The paradigm shift in
favour of sustainable human development is still in the
making. But more and more policy makers in many
countries are reaching the unavoidable conclusion that, to
be valuable and legitimate, development progress—both
nationally and internationally—must be people centred,
equitably distributed, and environmentally and socially
sustainable.
UNDP, 1996: iii, emphasis added.
The future does not just happen to us;
we ourselves create it by what we do
and what we fail to do. It is we who are
making tomorrow what tomorrow will
be.
For that reason, futurists think not so
much in terms of predicting the future
as in terms of trying to decide wisely
what we want the future to be.”
Edward Cornish