Title: Towards an integrated and sustainable system for developing and using local community wellbeing indicators: Outcomes of Victorian Community Indicators Project; Overview of Community Indicators Victoria Presentation to ABS Community Indicators Workshop
1Towards an integrated and sustainable system for
developing and using local community wellbeing
indicators Outcomes of Victorian Community
Indicators Project Overview of Community
Indicators VictoriaPresentation to ABS
Community Indicators Workshop Melbourne, 6th
September 2006Professor John WisemanVicHealth
Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and
Social WellbeingSchool of Population Health,
University of Melbourne Further information
www.communityindicators.net.aujwiseman_at_unimelb.ed
u.au
2- Outcomes of Victorian Community Indicators
Project - Overview of Community Indicators Victoria
- Implications for integrated, strategic and
sustainable approaches to the development and use
of local community wellbeing indicators
3Victorian Community Indicators Project (VCIP)
origins and drivers
- Learning from local and international community
indicator projects - integrating and scaling up - Victorian Government triple bottom line
planning and reporting - Local government community planning, policy
making and reporting - VicHealth support for measuring local community
outcomes and strengthening local government
capacity
4VCIP aim
- Sustainable Victorian system for developing and
using local community wellbeing indicators as
tools for identifying priorities and measuring
progress - Agreed framework of core and locality specific
wellbeing indicators - Sustainable system for collecting and publishing
local community wellbeing trend data - Improved capacity for using community indicators
to inform and support citizen engagement,
community planning, policy making and reporting
5VCIP resourcing and governance
- Resourcing VicHealth, DHS
- Project Team John Wiseman, Anne Langworthy, Mike
Salvaris, Hayden Raysmith, Warwick Heine, Neil
McLean, Jo Pyke - Steering and reference groups VicHealth, MAV,
VLGA, Local Govt., VCOSS, ABS, DPC, DVC, DHS,
DSE, DOI - Partner councils Port Phillip, Wellington,
Maroondah, Yarra Ranges, Wodonga, Bendigo,
Hobsons Bay, Surf Coast, Moreland, Knox
6Community wellbeing indicators
- Are not an end in themselves
- Are a means to inform and focus action by
communities and their governments - Are part of an integrated approach to citizen
engagement and community planning - Are a measure of community outcomes - not council
or government performance - Include social, economic, environmental, cultural
and governance trends and outcomes
7VCIP recommendations informed by
- Australian and international community indicator
initiatives and lessons - Stocktake of Victorian local government community
plan visions and indicators - Consultation forums with local government, State
government, community sector - Feedback through www.communityindicators.net.au
- Feedback on Discussion Paper Measuring Wellbeing
Engaging Communities -
8VCIP recommendations
- Importance of establishing and maintaining
- Sustainable system of local community wellbeing
indicators - Integrated framework of domains, indicators and
data sets - Integrated, reliable, affordable data sources
- Accessible, regular reporting mechanisms
- Strong links between indicators, community
planning and policy - Capacity building initiatives to strengthen
understanding and skills - Collaboratively governed, long term
infrastructure - Victorian, Australian and international networks
- sharing data and learning - Measuring Wellbeing Engaging Communities Final
Report of the Victorian - Community Indicators Project www.communityindicat
ors.net.au
9Importance of sustainable system of community
wellbeing indicators as
- A policy tool, guiding evidence based planning
and action to address the issues identified as
important by communities - A democratic tool, for engaging citizens and
communities in informed discussions about shared
goals and priorities - A reporting tool, tracking and communicating
progress towards agreed goals and outcomes
10Local community indicator domains
- Best way(s) of organising and describing
indicator domains? - Balancing advantages of common domains against
local relevance? - Victorian community indicator framework domains
- Healthy, safe and inclusive communities
- Dynamic, resilient economies
- Sustainable built and natural environment
- Culturally rich and vibrant communities
- Democratic and engaged communities
11Criteria for choosing local community indicators
- Measure what is valued
- Conceptually sound
- Make sense to citizens and policy makers
- Relevant at local community level
- Measurable at local community level
- Build on and support existing initiatives
12Initial Victorian community indicators framework
- See Victorian Community Indicator Framework in
Measuring Wellbeing Engaging Communities Final
Report of the Victorian Community Indicators
Project - www.communityindicators.net.au
13Integrated, reliable, affordable data sources
- ABS (eg. Labour Force Survey, Census)
- Existing government administrative data (eg. Open
space-Parks Vic Stream condition-DSE) - Existing surveys and research initiatives (eg.
Victorian Population Health Survey, DVC Community
Strengthening Survey, Australian Early
Development Index) - New Victorian Community Survey
14Victorian Community Survey
- CATI household survey
- Sample of 24,000 adults. 300 per LGA.
Oversampling options. - Filling data gaps for reporting on Victorian
Community Indicators framework - Age, gender, employment, household type, parental
status internet access - Existing data sets at LGA level (Self assessed
health) - Integrating questions from current surveys (eg.
DVC Community Strengthening Survey) - New questions and data (eg. impact of lack of
transport access, active participation in arts
and cultural activities) - Initial survey 2006/2007probably every two years
15Linking data sets and sources
- Mechanisms for reaching agreement on common data
sets and sources - ABS
- Commonwealth, State and local governments
- Community organisations
- Private sector
- Universities
- Common data collection instruments
- Content
- Methodology
- Timing
16Accessible, regular reporting
- Local (LGA) community wellbeing reports
- Web site www.communityindicators.net.au
- Population groups. Women and men young people
older people NESB Indigenous disability - Regional and sub LGA level
- Audiences
- Formats
17Linking indicators with community engagement,
planning and policy
- Engaging citizens in priority setting
- Informing policy making
- Informing corporate plans and budgets
- Reporting on trends and outcomes
- Bottom up and top down approaches to developing
and using community indicators? - Local, State and Commonwealth Government
implications and relationships?
18Building capacity to develop and use community
indicators
- Target groups
- Local citizens and community groups
- LG mayors, councillors, staff
- Public servants, MPs
- Methods
- Web site
- Manuals and tool kits
- Help desk
- Short courses Accredited courses, Train the
Trainer - Workshops and conferences
- Information sharing and learning network(s)?
19Long term platform Community Indicators
Victoria
- Purpose To support the development and use of
local community wellbeing indicators as a basis
for informed and engaged and integrated community
planning and policy making - Objectives
- Sustainable platform for local community
indicator data collection, analysis and reporting - Capacity building and resource centre
- Learning and research centre
20Community Indicators Victoria governance
- Host VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of
Mental Health and Social Wellbeing, School of
Population Health, University of Melbourne - Collaborating partners ABS, MAV, VLGA, DHS, DVC,
VCOSS, Victoria University, Swinburne University - Reference Group Local and State government
representatives, community sector, content
experts - Victorian Community Indicators Network?
21VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental
Health and Social WellbeingSchool of Population
Health, University of Melbourne
- Purpose
- To create and share knowledge which strengthens
the foundations of healthy and resilient
communities, leading to improved mental health
and wellbeing. - Focus
- Policy research, advocacy and workforce
development leading to improvements in key
determinants of community wellbeing - Freedom from violence
- Freedom from discrimination
- Economic participation and security
- Social inclusion and connectedness
- Initial Tasks
- Evidence Community Wellbeing Indicator Reports
- Policy Community Wellbeing Policy Reviews
- Knowledge exchange Communication, Workforce
development
22Next steps
- Community Indicators Victoria staff, partners
- Initial data sharing and resourcing agreements
- Victorian Community Survey
- Upgrade web site
- Initial LGA level reports
- Sub LGA and population group reports
- Capacity building
- Links with community planning and policy making
- Learning, evaluation and research
23Linking community indicators across Australia -
and internationally
- Challenges
- Common domains
- Common data sets and sources
- Data sharing protocols
- Reporting platforms
- Learning from shared experiences
- Roles and relationships of key players
- ABS
- Commonwealth, State and local governments (COAG)
- NGOs
- Universities
- Private sector
- International UN, OECD, EU, World Bank
24Towards a workplan
- What actions are needed to take the next steps
towards a more integrated, strategic and
sustainable approach to the development and use
of local community wellbeing indicators in
Australia - and internationally? - Aims and priorities
- Organisational mechanisms and relationships
- Resources
- Timetable and milestones