Indicators: Where we are at in Canada and New Zealand

1. Genuine Progress Index for Atlantic CanadaIndice de progrès véritable - AtlantiqueTowards a New Canadian Index of WellbeingSocial Policy, Research and Evaluation ConferenceWellington, 25 November, 2004

2. Indicators: Where we are at in Canada and New Zealand • Recognized inadequacy, flaws of conventional GDP-based measures of progress • Understood potential power of indicators, role in determining policy agenda, and necessity for more accurate, comprehensive indicators • Developed data sources, methodologies, reporting mechanisms for wide range of social, economic, environmental indicators

3. NZ on the leading edge • Marilyn Waring’s pioneering work • Quality of Life in NZ’s 8 Largest Cities -> 12 • Monitoring Progress Towards a Sustainable NZ • Social Reports (MSD) • Tomorrow’s Manukau: A vision into the future • Local Government Act 2002 • Linked indicators project

4. Reaffirm goal: Good indicators can help communities: • foster common vision and purpose, and track progress in achieving goals; • identify strengths and weaknesses = learn; • affect policy and public behaviour = action; • hold leaders accountable at election time • improvewellbeing and ensure sustainable future for our children

5. Limitations & Next Steps • Some new social targets, but not yet shifted policy agenda in fundamental ways, nor effectively challenged power and dominance of conventional measures • Fringe, satellite vs mainstream • No integrated, coherent system: - NZ – Social Report, QOL in 8 Cities report, Sustainable NZ report; - Canada – GPI, IEW, PSI, NRTEE – ESDI, QOLIP, etc.

6. In Canada, we’ve concluded four steps are needed: • New measures can no longer just be “add-ons” or satellites, but must challenge and critique the still dominant GDP-based measures of progress • One coherent, integrated framework to become new core measure of progress • Internationally, regionally comparable • Beyond indicators to a new set of national accounts – full national wealth

7. + Language / Communication: “What kind of world are we leaving our children?”

8. Canadian Index of Wellbeing • Partnership of Canada’s foremost indicator practitioners National Working Group of 20 includes: • 3 govt. agencies (Statcan, Envt.Can, CIHI) + experts from 8 universities, 7 provinces, 5 non-government research organizations • The process: Letting go….. • Independent foundation founding

9. Key purposes of the new Canadian Index of Wellbeing • To articulate vision of Canada’s future • To account accurately for both current wellbeing and sustainability so trade-offs are clear and transparent • To bring key social and environmental issues, often neglected, onto the policy agenda • To enhance accountability • To inform policy, improve performance, and evaluate program effectiveness

10. Purpose in relation to GDP • CIW intent – To become Canada’s core, central measure of progress, and to replace misuse of GDP for that purpose (not abolish GDP!) • To relegate GDP to function for which it was originally designed and intended – as measure of size of economy (Kuznets) • To redefine ‘healthy economy’ in terms of wellbeing outcomes (e.g. jobs) instead of growth

11. CIW Key Principles • Will focus on outcomes for key conditions of wellbeing • Will measure wellbeing and sustainability in same reporting framework: Legacy (wellbeing of future generations + ours) = cross-cutting theme within every domain. This is unique (cf NZ, QOL) • Report on determinants & infrastructural inputs (e.g. health care) within each outcome domain • Framework = sustainability circle vs 3-legged stool or triple bottom line: Relationship

12. Natural environment Society Economy

13. Values, elements of wellbeing • Health • Security • Knowledge • Community • Freedom • Ecological integrity • Equity (+ lit. review)

14. Outcome domains in the CIW • Standard of living • Time use (and balance) • Healthy populace • Educated populace • Community vitality • Ecosystem services • Governance

15. Process and reporting • Disaggregation - geographic (national, provincial, municipal) and demographic • Multiple audiences: Report limited # of key messages for public, policy audience, but experts can drill down for analysis (iceberg metaphor) + technical rigour • Double review process, public consultation, “cabinet” approach at release

16. Unresolved (parked) issues • Some domains require further definition, indicator selection, literature review, data and methodology development – esp. education, community vitality, governance vs democracy, some environmental indicators and natural resource accounts (e.g. forests – qualitative + quantitative depreciation, water resources, waste) • “Index” and aggregation to single # or sub-indices

17. More unresolved issues • Beyond indicators to accounting framework: FCA and the capital approach (sustainability and monetization)? • Global dimension - ethical relations w. other nations • Communications and release strategies: -gradual as early results available or all at once? • Data challenges – e.g. frequency (time use cf GDP). CIW function = create new data demands

18. E.g. Unresolved: Defining community vitality • Safe communities • Cohesion • Inclusion • Multiculturalism • Identity • Religion/spirituality • Family • Culture, arts, recreation

19. Fundamental approach to unresolved challenges • Not allow the “tyranny of the best” to stand in the way of practical movement towards the “best possible” • Transparent, open to change – better methodologies and data sources

20. Resolved – build on existing work. E.g. Standard of living • Median income • Income and wealth distribution (GINI, quintiles, SFS) • Poverty and low income rates • Income volatility (dynamics) • Economic security (incl. social safety net) • Employment, unemployment, underemployment, job security, work arrangements

21. E.g. Population health – health status and health care • Self-rated health; functional health • Disability-adjusted life expectancy • Infant mortality, low birth weight • Mortality + morbidity: circulatory diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, diabetes • Depression, suicide • BMI, teen smoking, 2nd-hand smoke exposure, physical activity

22. Resolved – e.g. 2 sides of sustainability equation • Production (supply) and consumption (demand): CIW will reflect outcomes (resource supply), but demand (human activity) reported as determinant = the “why” • Ecological footprint shifts onus, responsibility to consumer -> can mobilize citizens • Recognizes global consequences of local actions • Brings together the environmental and social aspects of sustainability (e.g. equity-Brundtland)

23. Brundtland definition of sustainable development • “… physical sustainability implies a concern for social equity between generations, a concern that must logically be extended to equity within each generation.” • 20% of world’s people account for 86% of world’s consumption - 45% of all meat and fish; 58% of energy; 84% of paper; 87% of vehicles • Poorest 20% = 1.3% of consumption

24. CIW Action on 3 fronts: Research, communication and policy. E.g.: • NWG Ottawa Nov 8-9: Research has begun. Announcement in Feb-Mar; next NWG meeting in May to assess progress • Reality Check, seminars,and press • International dimension: NZ, Bhutan + Conference June 20-23 2005 on global best practices. Need cooperation sooner rather than later – before systems entrenched

25. CIW: Measuring what we value to leave a better world for our children

26. Genuine Progress Index for Atlantic CanadaIndice de progrès véritable - Atlantique www.gpiatlantic.org