The Victorian Experience Indicators of Community Strength

1. The Victorian ExperienceIndicators of Community Strength Professor David Adams and Jeanette Pope

2. Policy context • National debates dominated by economic and some human capital indicators • Limited national agreement on national measures of social wellbeing • Endless debates about social capital not resonating with public policy makers • Evidence (political/policy/research) that the ideas matter and the determinants of wellbeing and prosperity are interdependent • Importance of communities

3. Logic of Victorian Approach • Will never get it right the first time – get on and do something • Chose indicators linked to levers of government • Tell stories about peoples lives and the places they live • Create a department to make it happen • Combine a focus on governance with communities • Institutionalise a debate about community and measurement

4. What is a community? • A place/space where people: • Spend time together… meet, greet, talk, play, squabble • Form views about the world • Turn to each other for support • Feel comfortable and safe and happy (most of the time)

5. What makes a strong community? Economic capital Residing in land, resources, labour Human capital Residing in skills and knowledge accrued through education and cultural goods Social capital Residing in networks, relationships

7. Close personal networks Associational & community networks Governance networks

8. Close personal networks Associational & community networks Governance networks

9. The impact – local areas

10. The impact – policy and planning

11. The impact – other stakeholders

12. Indicators of community wellbeing – the bigger picture Economic capital Residing in land, resources, labour Human capital Residing in skills and knowledge accrued through education and cultural goods Socialcapital Residing in networks, relationships

13. An underpinning body of knowledge/evidence A story that is commonly understood by stakeholders Public policy levers Technical accuracy (validity, reliability) We have learned indicator sets need….

14. An underpinning body of knowledge/evidence A story that is commonly understood by stakeholders Public policy levers Technical accuracy (validity, reliability) Add to the evidence through analysis of its more complex data sets – not surveillance What can the ABS do?

15. An underpinning body of knowledge/evidence A story that is commonly understood by stakeholders Public policy levers Technical accuracy (validity, reliability) Add to the evidence through analysis of its more complex data sets – not surveillance Data: Across jurisdictions Small area data What can the ABS do?

16. Feeling safe on the street alone at night Victorian average • Neighbourhoods 68% 89% 29% LGAlevel Source: DVC

17. An underpinning body of knowledge/evidence A story that is commonly understood by stakeholders Public policy levers Technical accuracy (validity, reliability) Add to the evidence through analysis of its more complex data sets – not surveillance Data: Across jurisdictions Small area data Support with technical advice and expertise What can the ABS do?

18. More information: www.dvc.vic.gov.au