Measures of Australia

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Measures of Australias Progress (MAP)

• Jon Hall

Australian Bureau of Statistics
Global Project, OECD
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(No Transcript)
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MAP

• The Australian Bureau of Statistics Measuring
  (2002) .. then Measures of (2004 onwards)
  Australias Progress
• Headline progress indicators to inform public
  debate

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Measuring Australia's Progress

• Look beyond Gross Domestic Product
• Look at economic, social and environmental
  concerns
• Present these areas side by side
• Readers make their own assessment about whether
  life in Australia is getting better

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Measuring Australia's Progress

• Aimed at a general audience
• Covering the nations progress . Not government
  performance

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What is Progress?

• The word progress (Latin pro-gredi) refers to
  improvements, to move forward, to gain
• We can speak about economic progress, social
  progress, scientific progress but above all we
  can talk about human progress

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What is Progress?

• Many views

Is life getting better?
Sustainability...
Well-being...
Quality of Life...
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What is Progress?

• Many views
• But what is clear to me is
• A. Progress is multidimensional
• B. Progress means different things to different
  people

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What is Progress?
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What is Progress?
Economy
Environment
Society
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Dimensions of Progress
Human system
Human wellbeing
Governance
Culture
Economy
Resource demand
Ecosystem condition
Ecosystem
Source Robert Prescott-Allen, 2008
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• Resource Demand

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Resource Demand

• Human system and Ecosystem, and the interaction
  between them (Resource demand)
• Resource demand - human pressure on the ecosystem
  (eg pollution, and resource use)
• Separates inputs (pressures) from outcomes
  (changes in condition) to measure the effects of
  human activities on the state of the ecosystem

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• Human System Human Well-being

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Human System Human Well-being

• Measures ends or outcomes, including health,
  knowledge and understanding, freedom and
  security, relationships, work and play, and
  subjective well-being
• The other domains of the Human System represent
  the supports for human well-being and measure
  means or outputs - Economy, Governance, and
  Culture

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Human System Culture
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Human System Culture

• Covers those elements that contribute to human
  wellbeing that cannot be included in Economy or
  Governance without distortion
• It comprises the creative, expressive, and
  symbolic aspects of a way of life, including art,
  crafts, food, games, gardens, literature,
  language, music and religion

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Human System Economy and Governance
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Human System Economy and Governance

• Economy the stocks and flows of an economy
  (income and wealth)
• Governance democratic participation, access to
  services, order and safety, political rights,
  responsiveness, and transparency

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Ecosystem Ecosystem Condition
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Ecosystem Ecosystem Condition

• Ecosystem condition is the only domain for the
  Ecosystem
• It measures the ecosystems ends and outcomes,
  including air quality, atmosphere, land,
  freshwater, oceans and seas, and biodiversity

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Progress Dimensions
INDIVIDUALS THE ECONOMY ECONOMIC RESOURCES THE ENVIRONMENT LIVING TOGETHER
HEALTH NATIONAL INCOME THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE - BIODIVERSITY - LAND - INLAND WATERS FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL COHESION
EDUCATION AND TRAINING ECONOMIC HARDSHIP THE AIR AND ATMOSPHERE CRIME
WORK NATIONAL WEALTH OCEANS AND ESTUARIES DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE AND CITIZENSHIP
CULTURE AND LEISURE HOUSING COMMUNICATION TRANSPORT
PRODUCTIVITY
COMPETITIVENESS AND OPENESS INFLATION
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What MAP doesn't provide

• No bottom-line measure of progress
• No assessment of government policy
• No (direct) assessment of 'sustainability'

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Sets of Indicators

• Measures should be unambiguous" that is have a
  clear good/bad direction of movement
• Important to focus on the big picture
• Important to discuss trade-offs and reinforcements

Life expectancy v
X Numbers of patients treated X
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Trade-offs
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Reinforcements
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Governance

• Project board chaired by head of ABS
• Expert reference group (civil society, academics,
  scientists etc)
• Public seminars
• Extensive peer reviews

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Project team
Governance
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The Process January 2000 to September 2001

• Chose a concept Progress and an audience (the
  public)
• Selected key dimensions of progress and why they
  were important
• Selected the best headline indicators (and
  supplementary indicators)
• Consultation at every stage

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The Process October 2001 to April 2002

• Prepared, peer reviewed, and released the first
  publication

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Collaboration

• Civil society, academics etc provided very
  valuable advice and assistance
• They also promoted and supported the venture
• But . need to be careful about perceptions
  around roles . and that an adequately broad
  spectrum of views come to the table

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Why Collaborate?

• Discussions about measuring progress leads to
  discussions and understanding - about what
  progress actually is
• Civil Society gets facts to inform debate and
  advance particular causes, and a chance to
  influence policy
• Government gets a wider perspective, skills and
  resources, support and buy in

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Lessons in Collaboration

• Choose collaborators carefully
• Judge the pace of collaboration well
• Listen to one another and deliver

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Outcomes

• Increased relevance for ABS
• Strong support from users
• MAP won an award for Australias Smartest Social
  Initiative
• Lots of media coverage
• Reassessment of Statistical Work Programme
• Frequently referenced in Parliament and debate

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Outcomes

• Improved dialogue between the users and
  producers of statistics
• Engagement of influential community leaders
• Some errors in ABS data were spotted
• ABS leadership encouraged other countries to
  follow eg, Ireland

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Outcomes

• The first issue was strongly criticised by a
  think tank
• Uncomfortable for some in the ABS
• But many came to the ABSs defense

If the ABS doesnt do thisthen who will
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What Next?

• MAP now accepted. ABS not worried about
  measuring progress
• There could be a stronger push to use MAPs
  framework as a lens to consider policy
• But difficult for an NSO

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Shokran!